The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths recently advised XLN Telecom Holdings on a £80m secondary management buyout by ECI. National corporate head Oliver Brookshaw is well known for handling corporate finance, M&A and stock exchange work, and Sebastian Price advises on outsourcing and big-ticket commercial projects. Prestigious clients include The Open University, IKEA and CompuCredit Corporation.

Within Corporate and commercial: Hampshire, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

The ‘very helpful, friendly and personal team’ at Shoosmiths recently advised Ageas on its £215m acquisition of Kwikfit Financial Services, and advised on the management buyout of Fenn Wright Manson by Darwin Private Equity. Sean Wright leads the regional corporate team, and Mark Shepherd is ‘qualified and experienced’. Based between Southampton and Oxford, Paul de Vince leads on the commercial side, and acts for Bang & Olufsen, McDonald’s and Mattel, and Chris McClure leads in asset finance instructions. Stephen Porter is also recommended,

Within Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

Shoosmiths has a superb reputation for its ‘excellent service’ and ‘immediate responses’, and is particularly noted for private equity work. The ‘cost-effective, professional and experienced’ team delivers ‘appropriate and genuinely commercial advice’, with clients singling out the ‘knowledgeable and efficient’ Nigel Thorne, who offers a ‘very high level of personal service’ and is ‘always able to find the answer to any issues’. Thorne recently led in advising Provexis on a £25m equity facility. Emma Gibson has private equity expertise and acts for Maven Capital Partners and August Equity, with ‘very commercial and pragmatic’ partner Paul de Vince acting for blue-chip companies including IKEA and Mattel. Jon Bartley is also recommended.

Within Corporate tax, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Niall Murphy’s team at Shoosmiths advises on a range of tax planning, VAT advice, stamp duty and stamp duty land tax (SDLT) planning issues. Recent work includes advising a property repair company on portfolio refinancing, and negotiating an income tax settlement with HMRC.

Within EU and competition EU and competition

Within Commercial litigation: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

The ‘efficient and down-to-earth’ team at Shoosmiths represents major players in the automotive, manufacturing, IT, IP and retail sectors. National head of commercial litigation Alex Bishop has experience ranging from commercial contract and negligence claims to obtaining injunctions and handling complex fraud matters.

Within Commercial litigation: Hampshire, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

Shoosmiths’ team is led by the ‘excellent’ Jonathan Grigg, who has a depth of experience in advising on pensions disputes. In 2010 the group advised Lifeways Community Care regarding a £150,000 warranty claim.

Within Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths handles large-scale commercial disputes, and recently advised engineering and environmental hydraulics supplier HR Wallingford in a £2.5m warranty claim. Stuart Little has experience in IT and corporate disputes, and Nick Fenner handles contentious matters relating to software, technology and privacy. Paul Eccles has expertise in insurance claims. New clients include British Gas Trading.

Within Debt recovery , Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Richard Gwynne’s sizeable team at Shoosmiths acts for national companies in a number of industries including recruitment and branded clothing, and also acts for a number of local authorities.

Within Banking and finance, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

Shoosmiths’ South East-wide practice is renowned for its ‘top-quality advice’. Rated for his ‘genuine deal making ability’, Sean Wright is ‘very commercial, knowledgeable, and knows his stuff’, and advised RBS in its financing of the Isis-led buyout of Encore Tickets. Chris McClure has ‘excellent industry knowledge’ and is a leader in aircraft and railway rolling stock work. Colin Mattis can ‘hold his own and negotiates well under pressure’. The team combines ‘City-quality advice with value for money’.

Within Employment: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

The ‘exceptional’ employment group at Shoosmiths focuses on the retail sector, acting for the likes of Toys R Us, Nike and new client IKEA. Helen Jess has ‘strong interpersonal skills and is extremely knowledgeable in her field’.

Within Employment: Hampshire, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths’ team is led by the ‘excellent’ Helena Derbyshire, who advises on TUPE regulations, reorganisations and employment matters. New clients include Phase Eight and British American Tobacco.

Within Employment: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths provides ‘practical and commercial advice in a timely manner’. Kevin McCavish is ‘unbelievably commercial’ and ‘knows the law inside out’. Key clients include Hewlett-Packard and Calor Gas, and in 2010 the team also won work from Arthritis Research UK and Prudential Health Services. Eugene Wojciechowski left for Manches LLP in May 2011.

Within Health and safety, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

Shoosmiths advises high-profile corporate clients in HSE investigations and prosecutions. Northampton-based practice head Ron Reid is an ‘exemplary professional’.

Within Pensions, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

The ‘experienced’ team at Shoosmiths is spread across offices in Milton Keynes, Reading and Solent. David Thompson’s group advises clients on professional negligence, outsourcing and scheme alterations, and saw significant growth in litigation in 2010. Clients include Mattel UK, Konica and 3M.

Within Clinical negligence: claimant Clinical negligence: claimant

Within Personal injury: claimant, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Rose Donoghue is an ‘extremely experienced litigator’ who leads an ‘excellent’ team at Shoosmiths that advises on catastrophic injuries and fatal accidents. Recent work highlights include acting for a man who had a motorbike accident resulting in a lower limb amputation.

Within Personal injury: defendant Personal injury: defendant

Within Professional negligence Professional negligence

Within Regional review, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths has the widest regional capabilities of the heavyweight firms, with offices in Reading, Basingstoke, Southampton, and Milton Keynes. Thomas Eggar LLP and Blake Lapthorn also provide broad coverage across the South East, and are very well known in Sussex and Hampshire respectively.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx Personal tax, trusts and probate: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx

Within Commercial property: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths ‘not only has excellent knowledge of real estate law but also a good understanding of the current opportunities, threats and issues within the marketplace’. The team recently advised Argent Estates on the £1bn Aldershot Urban Extension program, involving the redevelopment of parts of Aldershot Barracks. Steve Wiltshire is the firm’s national head of residential development, and Bill Howard has ‘excellent all-round knowledge’.

Within Commercial property: Hampshire, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

With ‘invaluable industry knowledge’ and ‘exceptional customer service’, Shoosmiths provides ‘accurate and appropriate specialist advice’. New clients include Aberdeen Asset Management and Selex Galileo. The ‘extremely professional, knowledgeable, efficient and friendly’ Graham Bennett advised Southampton City on its estate regeneration programme. The team is ‘comparable with any City law firm’.

Within Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths has a ‘honest and commercial approach’. The ‘excellent’ Alan Corcoran advises care home operator Carebase on its UK acquisitions, and in 2010 the team was appointed to advise Krispy Kreme on its UK expansion. Andrew Farmery has a ‘great understanding’, and acts for Wagamama and McKay Securities. Farmery recently advised Regus Group on the re-gearing of its serviced office property portfolio.

Within Construction Construction

Within Planning, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ Shoosmiths offers ‘consistent advice and understands the strategic direction of projects’. Kirsten Hewson is highly regarded in the retail planning sector, acting for a number of international retailers and advising on town centre redevelopment schemes. Hewson took over as national head of planning in 2010, following the departure of Iain Gilbey.

Within Property litigation, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths handles property litigation out of its three offices in the region. Tim Brookes and Zoe Wright are the key partners, heading the teams in Thames Valley and Milton Keynes respectively. The Thames Valley team was recently appointed to the panel of legal advisers for English Heritage.

Within Intellectual property , Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

Shoosmiths advises on IP infringement, patents, trademarks and branding. The ‘very good’ Gary Assim has retail industry expertise, and led the team in advising H&M in a patent case. Clients include Amazon, Shoe Zone, McDonald’s and Samsung Europe. Nick Fenner provides ‘authoritative advice’. Associate Rachael Parman joined Manches LLP in 2010.

Within IT and telecoms, Shoosmiths is a first tier firm,

At Shoosmiths, Sebastian Price has experience in software licensing and development, IT outsourcing and IT systems acquisition. The team, which also includes Nick Fenner, advised Thomas Cook Group on its IT infrastructure programme, and assisted CompuCredit Corporation in a licensing case. Other clients include Ageas and Game Group.

Within Media and entertainment, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

Shoosmiths’ media expertise stems from its strength in IT matters. The team also handles work for several publishing industry clients. Nick Fenner advises on media rights, and has experience in advertising, marketing and privacy issues. Clients include the Open University and Seven Publishing.

Within Aviation Aviation

Within Shipping, Shoosmiths is a second tier firm,

Shoosmiths’ marine team is led by associate Louise Fuller, who continues to act for banks in relation to marine mortgages and the recovery of yachts overseas. Rebecca Mauleverer handles marine finance.