The Legal 500

Within Professional discipline, Mills & Reeve LLP is a second tier firm,

Key work for the team at Mills & Reeve LLP included successfully repelling four threatened applications for judicial review made against the General Dental Council. It also advised The Law Society in two challenges to its complaints-handling function brought by solicitors where professional service had been found to be inadequate. Ian Mayers heads the team, and Richard Sykes is recommended for his experience in advising educational institutions. Kevin Duce is also recommended.

Within Insurance and reinsurance litigation, tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP’s team continues to handle property and general liability claims. It has grown its reinsurance practice, and acted for Minster Insurance in a claim against a Canadian reinsurer. Other clients include Axis Re, Capita and Whittington. Michael Mitchell and Victoria Jordan are ‘both very experienced in this field’, and Peter Driscoll is also recommended.

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP’s national practice ‘rates very highly’. It was instructed by Newline, as insurer of an insolvent contractor specialising in the design and construction of hotels, in the defence of a £5.4m claim, and the pursuit of third-party recovery against sub-consultants. XL Insurance instructed the ‘highly recommended’ Virginia Hickley in a £5m claim against a firm of solicitors for breach of undertaking. Neil Davis and Nicolas Oldham are also recommended.

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

2010 saw Mills & Reeve LLP advise on three estate transactions worth over £15m each, as well as continue to advise 15 Oxbridge colleges, most of which have large rural landholdings. The firm has a strong landed estates client base, and also acts for farmers and other landowners. Michael Aubrey heads the practice.

Within Family, tier 7

The London practice at Mills & Reeve LLP benefits from the firm’s strength in the regions. Roger Bamber and David Salter are particularly recommended.

Within Heritage property Leading individuals

Within Mining and minerals, tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP has a strong domestic minerals practice under the leadership of David Brock. The firm continues to advise the Mineral Products Association and CBI Minerals Group on the implementation of the Mining Waste Directive in England and Wales.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI) , tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP’s team head Raith Pickup is valued for ‘working as part of the team with no airs and graces’. The Minstry of Defence is a trophy client; the firm is currently advising it on two contracts for the long-term maintenance of engines for the Eurofighter and Tornado aircraft.

Within Administrative and public law, tier 6

Mills & Reeve LLP's ‘extremely professional’ team has regulatory and healthcare sector experience.

Within Education: individuals Leading individuals

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

In 2010 Mills & Reeve LLP further cemented its position in the higher education sector with appointments to the panels of the universities of Cambridge, Manchester and Nottingham. Work highlights included property, constitutional and joint venture matters. Within Gary Attle’s team, associate Jan Harris is a ‘standout lawyer’ who provides an ‘excellent service’.

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

Mills & Reeve LLP has an ‘excellent knowledge base’ and provides an ‘impressive service’ to its clients, which include both national NHS organisations and independent sector clients. In 2010 the team represented NHS Cambridgeshire in the highly publicised inquest into the unlawful killings of David Gray and Iris Edwards by Dr Daniel Ubani, and was involved in the pilot GP commissioning pathfinder. Within Bridget Archibald’s team, Dawn Brathwaite provides ‘reliable and sound advice’.

Within Local government, tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP advises on high-level CPOs, and Birmingham-based practice head Nathan Holden regularly provides state aid advice. The team is advising London Borough of Greenwich in its £15m proposed regeneration and redevelopment of three sites at Blackwall Lane and Commerell Street, and has recently been appointed to the London Boroughs Consortium.

Within Commercial property, tier 6

At Mills & Reeve LLP, ‘the level of service matches, if not exceeds, that received from large London firms’. The team advised the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham on acquiring land pursuant to two major compulsory purchase orders. Charles Staveley is ‘attentive, commercial and personable’, and Nick Finlayson-Brown is an ‘excellent all-rounder’.