The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: The West Country, Michelmores LLP is a first tier firm,

Providing clients with an ‘excellent level of service‘, Michelmores LLP advised on more than 50 deals worth over £90m in 2008. Significant client wins included Human Race, Dotted Eyes Limited and Giraffe Media Limited. Led by the ‘very commercial and experienced‘ Stephen Morse, the expanding 11-partner team recruited Mark Lewis in 2008 from Foot Anstey.

Within EU and competition, Michelmores LLP is a third tier firm,

Ian Holyoak leads the team at Michelmores LLP, which is praised for its ‘personal and attentive style‘. The practice was boosted by the arrival of Mark Lewis, formerly department head at Foot Anstey. Clients recommend Jason Phelps.

Within EU and competition, Michelmores LLP is a third tier firm,

Senior solicitor Rachel Robinson leads the team at Foot Anstey after the departure of team head Mark Lewis to Michelmores LLP. The firm advises several major clients in relation to compliance programmes.

Within Commercial litigation: The West Country, Michelmores LLP is a first tier firm,

Tim Richards leads the two-partner team at Michelmores LLP, which is consistently praised by clients for its high level of industry awareness. It has specialised experience in IT and IP disputes: recent highlights include advising one of the country’s leading sports events organisers in prosecuting a trade mark infringement action against an international sports company. Simon Barnett has particular expertise in acting for higher education institutions dealing with professional negligence and commercial litigation claims.

Within Debt recovery, tier 4

Simon Barnett heads Michelmores LLP’s practice. Clients include a leading regional educational charity and a commercial van leasing company.

Within Banking and finance, tier 5

The ‘commercially sensitive‘ Philip Ryley is the overall head of financial services at Michelmores LLP, and the ‘authoritative yet approachable‘ Charles Maunder leads the banking and finance team. In 2008, the firm acted for the University of Exeter in its £165m unsecured borrowings from two major banks.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

The lawyers at Michelmores LLP ‘take pride in their alacrity in meeting client demands‘ and ‘punch well above their weight‘. Charles Maunder heads the practice, which was boosted by the arrival of partners Stephen Lawson and Gillian Smith from Foot Anstey. Work highlights included advising Faith Shoes on the restructuring of its £64m debts.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Consultant Julian Trahair leads a team at Foot Anstey that has recently seen the departures of partners Stephen Lawson and Gillian Smith to Michelmores LLP. Highlights in 2008 included representing a liquidator to pursue a misfeasance claim against company directors.

Within Employment: The West Country, Michelmores LLP is a third tier firm,

The ‘astute‘ Andrew Tobey and the ‘great team‘ at Michelmores LLP deliver an ‘outstanding service‘.

Within Clinical negligence - claimant, Michelmores LLP is a first tier firm,

Michelmores LLP fields ‘excellent experts to assist the case‘; ‘exceptional‘ team leader Laurence Vick is ‘sensitive and prompt to address any issues‘. The team settled a number of high-value brain damage cases resulting from surgery, and is acting on a claim concerning hypoxic brain injury at birth.

Within Charities, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘user-friendly‘ Shivaji Shiva at Michelmores LLP specialises in acting for public bodies working with charities, and arts organisations. SITA Cornwall Trust Limited and the Renewable Energy Foundation are clients. Advice is ‘reliable, thoroughly researched and expertly delivered‘.

Within Family, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Foot Anstey lost Vanessa Priddis to Michelmores LLP but remains significant in Plymouth and Truro. Mark Chanter leads the team, which advises on financial disputes between divorcing high-net-worth individuals.

Within Family, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Michelmores LLP hired international adoption and surrogacy specialist Vanessa Priddis from Foot Anstey, whose ‘legal knowledge is first rate‘. Simon Thomas heads the team, which specialises in ancillary relief matters.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Michelmores LLP’s Jonathan Riley and practice head Will Michelmore form a ‘first-class team‘ with ‘one of the strongest offerings in the region‘. The team advises industrialists, entrepreneurs and landowners.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI), Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Carol McCormack OBE leads Michelmores LLP’s PFI practice, which was re-appointed by the DVLA on its PFI project for headquarters and local office accommodation and services.

Within Education, Michelmores LLP is a third tier firm,

Michelmores LLP’s education practice is led by Emma Honey and focuses on development, redevelopment and regeneration projects for clients such as the University of Exeter.

Within Local government, Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Michelmores LLP delivers an ‘excellent level of service‘ under practice head Carol McCormack OBE. Highlights included advising Weymouth and Portland Council as to the legality of existing and possible alternative company and partnership structures in connection with the district’s preparations for the 2012 Olympics, and acting for the London Borough of Islington in connection with a significant redevelopment.

Within Commercial property: The West Country, Michelmores LLP is a first tier firm,

‘Master problem-solver and deal-closer‘ David Howe leads the practice at Michelmores LLP, where the team displays ‘excellent industry knowledge‘. The practice advised Rok Development on holdings disposal matters, and acted for Barratt Homes on a development site acquisition. The team is on the Metropolitan Police Service panel. Cameron Caverhill is a ‘good negotiator‘, and Peter Lowless has ‘sharp commercial acumen‘.

Within Construction, Michelmores LLP is a third tier firm,

Michelmores LLP’s lawyers ‘understand our business needs and our market‘, say clients. ‘Strategic‘ team head Gerald Offen has an ‘incisive approach‘, and David Howe is ‘a bottomless mine of knowledge and experience‘. The team advised a joint venture between two higher education institutions on £100m of construction works at the Cornwall Tremough Campus.

Within Environment, tier 4

Michelmores LLP’s team includes the ‘solid and effective‘ Mark Howard, and provides ‘impeccable service, and effectively listens to client needs‘.

Within Planning, Michelmores LLP is a third tier firm,

Michelmores LLP defended judicial review proceedings for Wiltshire County Council. The team also negotiated with planning authorities regarding the Combined Universities Cornwall campus expansion. Exeter-based development scheme expert Graham Cridland is recommended.

Within Property litigation, tier 4

The ‘very professional‘ team at Michelmores LLP advised Torbay Borough Council on the Fish Quay Brixham Harbour redevelopment, and displays ‘good subject knowledge‘. Michael Langdon heads the team.

Within Regional review, tier 4

Exeter is another significant legal hub, with Ashfords LLP, Michelmores LLP and Stephens Scown all present there. Cheltenham is home to several well-respected firms, including Charles Russell LLP, BPE Solicitors and Rickerbys LLP. Relatively close to Bristol, Stone King Sewell LLP and Withy King are the main firms in Bath.

Within Intellectual property and information technology , Michelmores LLP is a second tier firm,

Promoted to partner in May 2008, Rehman Noormohamed heads the team at Michelmores LLP, which is known for ‘quick response times‘ and ‘thorough analysis and advice‘. Clients include Landmark Information Group, Human Race Limited and Flybe.