The Legal 500

Within Commercial contracts, tier 4

At Mishcon de Reya, Kiran Sandford continues to grow the firm’s profile in the commercial sphere. It advises entrepreneurs and companies on bespoke arrangements as well as standard terms and conditions and day-to-day documentation.

Within Financial services, tier 4

Mishcon de Reya has a growing reputation in litigation and the defence of FSA enforcement actions. Adam Epstein is recommended.

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, tier 4

Mishcon de Reya recently advised MP Finance on a Eurobond issuance on the Channel Islands Stock Exchange. Other clients include Bonjour Europe and Sky Alliance Resources. Ross Bryson has an ‘amazing eye for details’. Saul Sender joined from Reed Smith, bringing substantial mining sector knowledge.

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m, Mishcon de Reya is a third tier firm,

Mishcon de Reya significantly bolstered its corporate team, hiring Dean Poster and Saul Sender from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP and Reed Smith respectively. Nick Davis’ team is ‘excellent at finding solutions and handling negotiations’. It advised Helical Bar on a joint venture with Thameling Group.

Within Partnership Partnership

Within Fraud: civil , Mishcon de Reya is a second tier firm,

Mishcon De Reya benefits from strength in a number of discrete disciplines such as international injunctions, arbitration and the execution of search and delivery-up orders. Kasra Nouroozi heads the team.

Within Gaming and betting, Mishcon de Reya is a third tier firm,

Mishcon de Reya’s ‘exceptionally reliable’ gaming practice recently advised a party involved in the Bwin/Party Gaming merger, and continues to assist PKR.com on IT, IP and corporate issues. Susan Breen is commended for her ‘tenacious’ approach and ‘deep industry knowledge’.

Within Banking litigation: investment and retail, tier 5

Mishcon de Reya was recently successful for Bain Capital and the Ideal Standard Group in declaratory proceedings brought by the Strategic Value Master Fund (SVMF) regarding the waiver of alleged events of default. Adam Epstein ‘thinks about the deeper issues’; and Masoud Zabeti is ‘hands on’.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 5

Mishcon de Reya’s practice is driven by ‘exceptional specialist fraud work’. The team successfully acted in a fraudulent misrepresentation claim brought against a director of a foreign exchange business that went into liquidation. Kasra Nouroozi leads the team, and Gary Miller ‘gets his client the best possible result’. Rowena Herdman-Smith is also recommended.

Within Defamation and privacy, tier 4

Ramona Mehta heads the team at Mishcon de Reya, which is known for its reputation management expertise.

Within Investment funds Investment funds

Within Employment, tier 4

Mishcon de Reya ‘goes the extra mile every time’. Notable successes in 2010 included completing the Dresdner bankers’ action over bonus payments, and the defence of a discrimination case for The National Magazine Company. The team is ‘very professional, hands-on and approachable’, and advises both employers and employees. The ‘tough and masterly’ Joanna Blackburn is ‘an awesome lawyer – legally, tactically, commercially’; and Greg Campbell is ‘an exceptional lawyer and trusted counsel’. Sarah Keeble joined from Olswang in March 2011.

Within Immigration, Mishcon de Reya is a second tier firm,

Mishcon de Reya acts primarily for high-net-worth clients from emerging markets on business and personal immigration cases. The team deals primarily with exceptional cases, successfully presenting requests for reconsideration when entry clearance has been refused and lobbying to secure successful reversals of negative decisions in individual cases. Nationality cases are a key strength; the team is well connected within the nationality directorate, and has a 100% success record in fighting appeals on human rights and overstay cases, often based on the rights of individuals and families. Kamal Rahman provides an ‘excellent and consistent service’, and is ‘very good with international clients’.

Within Professional negligence Professional negligence

Within Contentious trusts and probate, Mishcon de Reya is a third tier firm,

The ‘highly capable’ Tony Morton-Hooper heads the team at Mishcon de Reya, which acted for Dr Christine Gill in the Court of Appeal case RSPCA v Gill, which upheld the decision to overturn her mother’s £2m legacy to the RSPCA. Mark Keenan is recommended for his ‘expertise, enthusiasm and tenacity’.

Within Family, Mishcon de Reya is a third tier firm,

The ‘experienced and responsive’ Sandra Davis heads the four-partner team at Mishcon de Reya, which acts for a raft of high-net-worth individuals, including those in the public eye. Barbara Reeves is ‘pragmatic, supportive and knowledgeable’, and Melissa Lesson is ‘excellent on child-related issues’.

Within Heritage property, Mishcon de Reya is a second tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ Karen Sanig heads the art law group at Mishcon de Reya, which regularly acts for private individuals, auction houses, national and international collectors, and governments on heritage issues, drawing on the firm’s expertise in property, tax and wealth management. The team is ‘well resourced, with good sector knowledge’.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, tier 5

Andrew Goldstone at Mishcon de Reya has a good reputation for complex domestic and international tax planning.

Within Commercial property, tier 4

Mishcon de Reya is ‘a very commercial firm’, and has made excellent progress through recruitment and client gains. The team, which has a mix of entrepreneurial and investment clients, recently represented the Pears family and LaSalle Investment Management on the £131m acquisition of the Notting Hill Estate. Ian Paul ‘can structure property deals better than most people who work at property companies’. Nick Doffman, Susan Freeman, Daniel Lipman, and Philip Freedman CBE QC are also recommended.

Within Planning, tier 5

Mishcon de Reya’s planning practice is led by Daniel Farrand, who has experience in large-scale developments. Clients include Delancey, Topland Group and Capital & Counties. New clients include the Church Commissioners, which the team advised in relation to listed buildings; and William Pears Group, which it advised on acquiring the Notting Hill Estate.

Within Property finance, tier 5

Mishcon de Reya acts for Anglo Irish Bank, HSBC and RBS, and is a strong choice ‘when something is complex and requires a full spectrum of skills’. Nick Strutt is recommended.

Within Property litigation, Mishcon de Reya is a third tier firm,

Mishcon de Reya’s ‘superb’ and assertive litigation team has developed a strong client base of entrepreneurial property magnates, including Jon Hunt and John de Stefano. The team also has notable expertise regarding dilapidations. Practice head Daniel Levy shows ‘enthusiasm and drive’, Richard Gerstein is ‘calm and steady’, and legal director Emma Macintyre shows ‘perseverance and intelligence’.

Within Brand management, tier 4

Simon Tracey and his team at Mishcon de Reya took over international portfolio and trade mark advisory work for TV production company Shine and Pentland Brands’ household and clothing brands.

Within Intellectual property, Mishcon de Reya is a third tier firm,

Mishcon de Reya achieves a ‘good balance between proactive, reactive and negotiation’ when dealing with trade mark filing and infringement. Jeremy Hertzog advises Pfizer on its anti-counterfeiting strategy, and Martyn Hann handles patent litigation, focusing on life sciences and oil and gas, and non-contentious IP work. Hertzog and Simon Tracey, who heads the trade mark filing practice, handle soft IP litigation for Prada, Lacoste, Speedo and Christian Louboutin. Adam Morallee is representing Gucci in trade mark litigation.

Within Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, tier 4

Martyn Hann at Mishcon de Reya is ‘a formidable negotiator’ who understands ‘pharmaceuticals, medical devices and the regulatory environment’. He is representing all three defendants in a patent infringement case concerning Orasure’s cryogenic treatment for warts and verrucas.

Within Sport, tier 5

A ‘true expert’, Adam Morallee heads the team at Mishcon de Reya, which has ‘good, in-depth knowledge’ of sports law. It acts for clients in litigation against governing bodies, and issues concerning reputations, and on sponsorship deals and transfers. New clients in 2010 included football manager Avram Grant, Marussia Motors and TW Steel.