The Legal 500

Within Venture capital, tier 6

Headed by Zickie Lim, Mills & Reeve LLP in Cambridge has a good reputation for advising investors on matters including fund formation, investments and exits. Clients include North West Fund, IQ Capital Fund and Mercia Technology Seed Fund.

Within Professional discipline, tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP advises on disciplinary matters as part of its wider administrative and public law practice. Richard Sykes has advised the GDC on various related matters.

Within Insurance and reinsurance litigation, tier 6

‘A strong name in the market’, Mills & Reeve LLP acts in property, liability and reinsurance matters. Michael Mitchell is ‘technically accomplished’, and Peter Driscoll and Victoria Jordan are also recommended. Paul Spibey joined from Kennedys.

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

With a national practice, the team at Mills & Reeve LLP has an ‘impressive’ reputation for professional negligence work, advising names such as Amlin, Aspen, Brit and XL. Key individuals include Neil Davis, Virginia Hickley, Nicolas Oldham and Peter Driscoll, who are all highly recommended. Paul Spibey recently joined from Kennedys.

Within Agriculture and estates, Mills & Reeve LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘value-for-money’ team at Mills & Reeve LLP is headed by the well-regarded Michael Aubrey. In 2011, the firm assisted with the sale and purchase of 21,000 acres of farms and estates, including the purchase of a 2,000-acre estate in Cheshire. It also undertook complex new work involving irrigation and reservoir schemes.

Within Charities and not-for-profit, tier 6

Mills & Reeve LLP gained new clients British Council and Cambridge Arts Theatre in 2011.

Within Contentious trusts and probate, tier 4

David Catchpole is the contact at the ‘excellent’ Mills & Reeve LLP.

Within Family, tier 7

Mills & Reeve LLP offers ‘a service which compares well with leading London firms’. Caitlin Jenkins ‘goes the extra mile’; Nick Stone is ‘very able’; and Roger Bamber is ‘discreet and charming’.

Within Mining and minerals, tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP advises on real estate, planning and environmental issues in relation to domestic quarries and mines, including handling reviews of old mineral planning permissions. Clients including Mineral Products Association and CBI Minerals Group.

Within PFI and PPP, tier 5

Raith Pickup’s team at Mills & Reeve LLP is ‘very experienced and well regarded, and provides reasoned, commercial advice’. Active in university student accommodation partnerships, new clients in 2011 included Assura, GEO Amey and Aviva.

Within Administrative and public law, tier 5

Maxwell Gillott Solicitors has ‘a growing reputation for judicial review and public law’, built out from its ‘strong education law base’. Oliver Studdert has ‘considerable experience, is very knowledgeable in these areas of law, and is excellent with clients’. Angela Jackman heads the team.

Within Education: individuals Leading individuals: Education

Within Education: institutions, Mills & Reeve LLP is a first tier firm,

Mills & Reeve LLP represents public and private education providers in the higher and further education sectors, and was appointed to the University of Hertfordshire’s new legal panel as sole provider of employment, litigation and estates advice. Additionally, the firm’s projects team is active on student accommodation projects, and its employment team advised on an equal pay claim in the sector. The ‘effective’ Gary Attle heads the team.

Within Education: schools Leading individuals: Education

Within Healthcare, Mills & Reeve LLP is a first tier firm,

Mills & Reeve LLP gives ‘sensible’ and ‘pragmatic’ advice to NHS bodies and third sector clients. In 2011, Bridget Archibald’s team advised the Healthcare Commission regarding the Francis Inquiry. New clients include East of England Ambulance Service, Derby Hospital Foundation Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and Assura Medical. Duncan Astill was recently made up to partner.

Within Local government, tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP acts for over 70 local authorities, with specialisms including PPP/PFI, outsourcing, procurement and ethical standards. The firm is advising London Borough of Newham on its £180m Rathbone Market scheme, and continues to act on Greenwich Borough’s Blackwall Lane and Commerell Street regeneration. Nathan Holden heads the team.

Within Overview,

Leading advisers to the education sector include DAC Beachcroft LLP, Mills & Reeve LLP, and SGH Martineau LLP. Prevailing market conditions have led to a number of mergers, redundancies and restructuring among educational institutions, and firms have also noticed an increased willingness to challenge schools, particularly in relation to fees. Firms are frequently being called upon to advise on securing DfE approval for free schools, and academies are also a substantial source of work. Student accommodation projects are on the increase as educational institutions seek to attract more foreign students; simultaneously, issues concerning foreign students continue to warrant firms’ assistance in terms of immigration support and applications to the UKBA.

Within Commercial property, Mills & Reeve LLP is a third tier firm,

Mills & Reeve LLP’s ‘responsive and helpful’ team provides ‘well-reasoned, commercial advice’. The firm transacted £365m of commercial real estate assets for two funds managed by Orchard Street Investment Management LLP. Nick Finlayson-Brown and Charles Staveley are ‘excellent’.

Within Construction, tier 5

Ron Plascow and Stuart Pemble are the key contacts at Mills & Reeve LLP, which advises local authorities on new developments and regeneration projects across the UK. Urban & Civic Limited is a client.

Within Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP’s clients include Baxter Healthcare, MedImmune, Norwich Bioscience Institutes, and Kymab. Recent work includes advising on cross-border clinical trials agreements and a joint venture. It also assisted the North West Fund on various venture capital investments. Practice head Isabel Napper acts on licensing and regulatory matters, and is ‘very responsive, has great knowledge, and is very outcome-focused’.