The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the East Midlands, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Chris Rees at Nelsons Solicitors Limited has ‘excellent intellect, application and customer focus’. His practice ranges from acquisitions and restructurings to cross-border transactions, and seed-stage equity investment advice to both investors and companies seeking investment. The firm provides a ‘level of service which would appear to be rare nowadays’.

Within Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited hired two new partners in 2010, bringing in David Kaplan from Keelys LLP to head up the Derby corporate team; and commercial specialist Karen Harrison from Shoosmiths. The pair advised an aerospace client on a substantial cross-border (US/ UK/Middle East) divestment of companies to its joint venture partner. Commercial and technology group director Jim Carter gives ‘very balanced, thorough advice’, and continues to advise Filtrona; recent matters include analysing customer and supplier agreements relating to group business transfers. Corporate head Duncan Taylor advised The Farmright Group and Bombardier on acquisitions. Commercial specialist Michelle Craven was active in relation to worldwide IP and licensing arrangements.

Within Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in the East Midlands, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Deborah Ritchie at Nelsons Solicitors Limited focuses on construction disputes, using a range of resolution procedures including mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.

Within Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited is ‘a local market leader’ whose team ‘can play in the top national league’. Solicitor-advocate Jon Roberts provides ‘very good analysis of complex issues’, and took two cases to the Court of Appeal in 2010. IP specialist Stewart Vandermark is noted for his ‘control of cases’. The team includes ‘rising star’ Emma Ward, ‘tenacious fighter’ Heather Stanford and the ‘unflappable’ Karen Sandhu.

Within Debt recovery , Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited provides a ‘ten-out-of-ten service’ to clients requiring business to business debt recovery expertise. The ‘very professional’, eight-strong team pursues cases overseas, and is noted for its ‘above-average success rate in collection’.

Within Banking and finance, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

At Nelsons Solicitors Limited, the ‘very knowledgeable and experienced’ Michael Lodge ‘retains the “human touch”’. He has been joined in Derby by David Kaplan from Flint Bishop LLP; both are ‘excellent in their respective fields’ of corporate and asset-based lending, and acquisition and property finance for institutions and borrowers.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

The team at Nelsons Solicitors Limited includes 
the ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Stuart Vandermark 
and ‘rising star’ Emma Ward; they are ‘the people to go 
to in Nottingham’ for liquidations and personal insolvencies involving fraud and complex property transfers.

Within Employment, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Partners in all three offices of Nelsons Solicitors Limited are recommended: Andy Jamieson is ‘informative and very knowledgeable’; Keeley Baigent’s ‘individual and pragmatic style is hugely advantageous’; and Jenny Kinman is ‘thorough and very clear’.

Within Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Bruce Williams at Nelsons Solicitors Limited ‘achieves good results’ on complex brain injury claims, including winning two £2m awards in cerebral palsy cases in 2010. Chris Stansfield focuses on multi-party actions arising from environmental and product liability, and industrial disease. Lisa Preece handles employers’ liability and road traffic claims.

Within Professional negligence, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited’s practice currently focuses on claims arising from negligent advice in relation to property transactions.

Within Regional review, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited saw some departures at partner level but these have been balanced by hires. The firm is notable for the breadth of its regional client base and coverage.

Within Charities , Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

James Coningsby at Nelsons Solicitors Limited heads a cross-departmental group which advises trustees and senior managers of numerous charitable associations in strategic planning, dispute handling, and structuring matters.

Within Family, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited’s team is led by the ‘excellent’ Caroline Elliott. In Leicester, ‘star in the making’ Lisa-Marie Darby works alongside two specialist childcare solicitors. The firm ‘has all the benefits of a large practice, but has successfully maintained the personal and individual touch’.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a first tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited provides a partner-led, comprehensive service to individuals and trusts across probate, trust incorporation, Court of Protection matters, and investment and tax advice. Richard 
Grosberg is ‘extremely professional and sensitive, 
listens well, and is an excellent mediator’; and 
Jane Sutherland is ‘highly competent, and very experienced’.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI), Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited advises a number of alternative energy suppliers on commercial and property agreements.

Within Commercial property: Elsewhere in the East Midlands, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

At Nelsons Solicitors Limited, James Coningsby ‘knows his stuff’’ and ‘sees the bigger picture’, and acts for a variety of banking, retail, charity and pension fund clients. In 2010 he acted for NatWest on a £1.5m student accommodation development.

Within Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Nelsons Solicitors Limited shows a ‘high level of expertise, interpersonal skills and client care’. It handles residential and commercial development instructions and landlord and tenant work for developers, pension fund trustees, banks and retailers.

Within Construction, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Deborah Ritchie now heads Nelsons Solicitors Limited’s practice following the departure of Jocelyn Taylor. The team advised Universal Design Studios on contractual documentation for works to retail premises, and on the contentious side handled several £1m-plus adjudications.

Within Property litigation, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Simon Trees joined Nelsons Solicitors Limited in 2010, bringing additional experience in commercial rent recovery; possession and breach of covenant proceedings; and dilapidation and right of way/boundary claims. The team is headed by Simon Waterfield, and has recently advised a number of major developers in relation to tenant break clauses and disputes over land.

Within Intellectual property, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

Jim Carter heads Nelsons Solicitors Limited’s large team, which advised bicycle manufacturer Giant (UK) Limited on a range of brand licence agreements and challenges to its trade mark applications. Carter gives ‘very balanced, thorough advice’.

Within IT and telecoms, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a second tier firm,

At Nelsons Solicitors Limited, Karen Harrison is ‘practical and knowledgeable’ on data protection issues, and recently drafted software development agreements for an insurance database system. Jim Carter coordinated an international series of licences for a product volume verification system for FractureCode Corporation.

Within Transport, Nelsons Solicitors Limited is a third tier firm,

Michelle Craven at Nelsons Solicitors Limited specialises in rail sector services, and advises Bombardier Transportation (Rolling Stock).