The Legal 500

North West: Corporate and commercial

Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North West

Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North West - ranked: tier 1

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

The ‘effective’ team at Myerson Solicitors LLP is ‘fast to respond and is able to react at short notice. It regularly acts for owner-managed and SME businesses, as well as banks, venture capital institutions, plcs and other large organisations. IT, IP, TMT, franchising and charities related mandates are all active areas for the ‘highly regarded’ team, which advised Customs Connect on a company restructure and a £4m investment by NVM Private Equity. It also acted for Code Computer Love on the sale of a 75% stake to WPP. The ‘exceptionally talented’ M Akeel Latif heads the department, which includes the ‘very able’ Andrew Brown, Scott Sands, who acts for technology, charity and professional service clients, and the ‘brilliant’ Carla Murray, who was promoted to partner in 2016. Managing partner Carl Newton is also a key figure in the team.

Leading individuals

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North West: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in the North West

Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in the North West - ranked: tier 1

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

According to clients, Myerson Solicitors LLP fields ‘one of the most user-friendly team of lawyers in the North West’. The team handles ‘complex commercial litigation with confidence and with an entrepreneurial spirit’ and is praised for its combination of ‘strength in litigation and approachability’. It is acting for CGL Group on three separate high-value banking litigation and professional negligence matters, and is acting for Sinclair Construction and its directors in a damages claim related to a residential development. Lima Orthopaedics, TATA Chemicals Europe, CI Dulux, Akzo Nobel and Starkey Laboratories are also clients. Adam Maher is a ‘first-class litigator’ who is praised for his ‘razor-sharp commercial judgement, tenacity and excellent communication skills’; he ‘quickly identifies the core issues’ and is ‘extremely robust under pressure. Also recommended are the ‘client-friendly’ Tim Norman, who is a ‘very clear and incisive thinker’; recently promoted partner Jonathan Hassall, who specialises in IP, finance and regulatory disputes and is ‘not fazed by any situation or challenge’; and Helen Thompson.

Leading individuals

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North West: Human resources

Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 2

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Myerson Solicitors LLP is praised for its ‘fantastic speed of response and constructive, helpful and pragmatic advice delivered by a team that clearly knows its stuff’. Joanne Henderson and Joanne Evans ‘always go the extra mile to find the right solutions’; Evans is skilled at advising on a broad range of issues, from complex reorganisations and large-scale redundancies to collective consultations and trade union disputes. Henderson has a wealth of experience in all areas of employment law, from TUPE and multi-party actions to complex whistleblowing and discrimination claims. ‘Proactive’ senior solicitor Charlotte Gilbert is appreciated for her ability to ‘separate the wheat from the chaff amongst the legal jargon’. Clients include National Nuclear Laboratories, Blackpool FC and Eastern Airways.

Next generation lawyers

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North West: Private client

Agriculture and estates

Agriculture and estates - ranked: tier 1

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Amanda Freeman heads the team at Myerson Solicitors LLP and is known for her ‘great manner with clients and for communicating very well and clearly’. She is vastly experienced at advising on succession and estate planning matters such as agricultural property relief and business property relief. Other key figures within the team include the ‘very pragmatic and experienced’ Jane Tenquist, who handles matrimonial issues for farming families. The practice acts for farming partnerships, families and individuals on a wide range of agricultural issues, and has been advising landlord and tenants on complex issues under the Agricultural Holdings Act. Actin in conjunction with specialist surveyors, the team has been heavily involved in advising on the various matters that are arising from the impact of the proposed HS2 on its agricultural clients.

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Contentious trusts and probate

Contentious trusts and probate - ranked: tier 2

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Helen Thompson leads the ‘knowledgeable and experienced’ team at Myerson Solicitors LLP, which includes Adam Maher, who has been acting for family members wishing to contest wills under the Inheritance Act or for reasons of capacity or undue influence. The ‘responsive, effective and pragmatic’ Ben Wilson is also recommended. In a complex matter the team advised on a claim by beneficiaries against a firm of solicitors concerning the negligent drafting of wills. The combined value of the estates is in excess of £1.7m.

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Family

Family - ranked: tier 2

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Myerson Solicitors LLP is ‘committed to providing a highly professional and humanistic family law service’. The ‘calm, bright and measured’ Jane Tenquist heads the team and is ‘thorough and persistent in seeking to always get the full picture and to know the full extent of financial disclosure, so that she can fully assist her clients in the most complex financial cases’. Senior solicitor Nichola Bright is ‘intelligent and totally committed to her clients; she does not shirk from giving advice that is not always welcome to her clients but clients trust her judgement totally’. The ‘strong team’ is adept at resolving high-value financial arrangements and has increasingly been advising on pre-nuptial agreements which have involved complicated multi-jurisdictional issues. In addition the team is well regarded for its work on contested children cases, where it is praised for its ‘focus on achieving the best possible outcome for the children’.

Next generation lawyers

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Personal tax, trusts and probate

Personal tax, trusts and probate - ranked: tier 2

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Myerson Solicitors LLP has a ‘professional and effective team that is always well prepared’. Amanda Freeman heads the practice and has a ‘great depth of knowledge; she has dealt with some very difficult and challenging situationsand has good back up within the team’. Senior solicitor Clara Staunton is ‘very thorough and very approachable, and is keen to help and to understand clients’ needs’. Bik-ki Irving is also recommended. The team advises on a wide spectrum of issues for high-net-worth individuals and families, incliuding inheritance tax mitigation and advising on complex family structures, trusts and estates.

Next generation lawyers

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North West: Real estate

Commercial property: Elsewhere in the North West

Commercial property: Elsewhere in the North West - ranked: tier 1

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Myerson Solicitors LLP’s team handles development and property management work, as well as real estate transactions, for a range of private property companies, owner-managed businesses, and investors. Jeremy Lee and Andrew Chapman continued to advise Mosley Street Ventures on the Two St Peters Square development in Manchester. Chapman led Fortis Developments on the purchase and forward sale of a site at The Green Quarter in Manchester, while Lee advised the same client on the acquisition of various parcels of land that make up the Adelphi Wharf development in Salford. Joanne Perritt, delivers ‘good quality work’ and advised Svenska Handelsbanken on a number of property portfolio refinancings. Convergys, Lad Bible Group and Taskers are also clients. Also recommended are the ‘personable and very knowledgeable’ Richard Lloyd, and Mark Gillies, who joined in 2016 from Laytons.

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North West: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

IT and telecoms

IT and telecoms - ranked: tier 4

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

Key figures at Myerson Solicitors LLP include newly promoted partner Carla Murray, who is ‘exceptional’ and has a ‘keen eye for identifying the potential pitfalls in proposed contracts’. The team has ‘proved to be an invaluable partner in assisting in a wide range of commercial contracts by providing a comprehensive and first-rate service’. It advises a range of clients form various industries and has particular experience in licensing software solutions to FCA-regulated sectors (such as insurance and banking). It advised Atlantic Commerce Solutions (a tech start-up that provides online marketplace management services) on the drafting of a set of standard terms and conditions, as well as on its data protection policy.

Next generation lawyers

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Intellectual property

Intellectual property - ranked: tier 4

Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham)

At Myerson Solicitors LLP the ‘extremely thorough’ Jonathan Hassall specialises in non-contentious IP matters and is ‘very good on the client care side’. He is recommended alongside non-contentious IP specialist Carla Murray, who ‘leaves nothing to chance’. Clients include International Pastry Concepts LLC, which it advises on the enforcement of its trade marks across the UK and Europe.

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