The Legal 500

Simons Muirhead & Burton was established in 1972. It is a highly rated medium-sized firm with a very strong reputation in a diverse range of core areas, incorporating an ethos of commercially astute, partner-led and client-centred service provision.

The firm: The firm’s foundations in media, crime and human rights have expanded significantly and it now provides a competitive service for a broad range of corporate and individual clients.

Consistent with the firm’s reputation as a progressive law practice utilising specialists to deliver innovative and practical advice, it provides an accessible, responsive and efficient service through its mixture of home-grown lawyers and ex-City practitioners, many of whom have international expertise. The established areas of work continue to develop, along with the firm’s ever-increasing reputation for its general commercial practice, including commercial litigation, corporate work and commercial property. Razi Mireskandari was appointed managing partner in 2010.

The firm was the first UK practice to establish a dedicated pro bono human rights team, which operates the award-winning Death Penalty Project. It is internationally recognised for its continuing commitment to human rights work through its provision of free legal representation for defendants who face the death penalty in the Caribbean and Africa.

Types of work undertaken: Media and commercial dispute resolution: with an emphasis on press, media and entertainment issues, including defamation, privacy, contempt, confidentiality, data rights, IP, royalty disputes, publishing, and commercial and general litigation. The team is familiar with litigation funding, insurance and ADR, particularly mediation. Simon Conroy joined the team in 2010.

Film and TV: the team deals with film and TV financing, production and a range of film finance schemes. It acts principally for independent producers, film financiers, distributors and broadcasters.

Music: in 2010 Charles Law joined as head of the new music team. As well as representing record labels, publishers and artists, he advises many businesses using music, usually online. He also advises on software and hardware agreements, international live events, and image protection and exploitation.

Publishing: the team covers traditional and digital media, including top magazine publishers, leading London and New York book publishers, and independent and academic publishing houses.

Corporate and commercial: the corporate and commercial team advises media clients, start-ups, sole traders, listed companies and major international corporations on all their corporate needs, including flotations, M&A, complex investment, shareholder agreements, MBOs, fundraising, joint ventures, corporate reputation, e-commerce and digital media, franchising partnerships, private equity, venture capital and acquisition finance, restructuring and insolvency.

Employment: Makbool Javaid and Ewan Keen joined the firm as partners from City firm DLA Piper. The employment team delivers a genuinely innovative service in this sector. Strategic and day-to-day legal advice can be seamlessly interwoven with the provision of training and HR consultancy services. Tamara Ludlow, Heather Clarke and Mohsin Khan joined the team in 2010.

Business crime: including the Serious Fraud Office, HMRC, DTI and Crown Prosecution Service investigations and prosecutions, in addition to insider dealing, money laundering, OFT and EU cartel enquiries, and regulatory work.

General crime: all aspects of proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court and all appellate jurisdictions, with an emphasis on serious crime.

Property and construction: conveyancing (commercial, domestic and large-scale residential developments), investment leasing, development (including industrial, business parks, leisure and retail), construction, funding environmental licensing, hotel and restaurant transactions, and offshore company incorporations.

Family and children: handles divorce and separation and the related issues of children, finances and property, emergency applications and ADR, also advising on cohabitation and pre-nuptial agreements. Jane McDonagh was appointed head of the team and Juliette Thomas joined the team in 2010.

Pro bono: the Death Penalty Project attracts support from many quarters, including the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the EU, for its provision of free legal advice and representation for prisoners under sentence of death in the Caribbean and Africa.

Privy Council: the firm’s expertise and extensive Caribbean contacts in criminal and constitutional appeals to the judicial committee of the Privy Council have formed the basis of a very active commercial and civil Privy Council practice.

Breakdown of work %
Civil 39
Commercial 26
Employment 23
Crime 7
Conveyancing 3
Matrimonial 2

Number of UK partners 14
Number of other UK fee-earners 23