The Legal 500

Within Financial services, tier 4

Speechly Bircham LLP’s Vincent Mercer has ‘deep knowledge’. The team advised on the FSA’s treatment of carbon credits, the application of regulation for traders in the London markets, FSA applications for approved person status, and regulatory changes in the private banking sector. Jonathan Bayliss and Nick Janmohamed are recommended.

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, tier 4

Speechly Bircham LLP provides ‘expert advice on complex issues’. Tom Shaw advised Avation on its admission to the Official List in 2010. Chris Putt provides ‘prompt responses’, and Nick Janmohamed is an ‘extremely able lawyer’. Clients include Ecclesiastical, Arbuthnot Securities and Kryso Resources.

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Speechly Bircham LLP is a first tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP’s deal flow saw a sharp upturn in 2010, with a good proportion of deals above the £50m mark. The firm has seen a significant increase in inward investment transactions by Gulf-based clients, and advised on the multimillion-pound takeover of Execution Noble by Banco Espirito Santo. Tom Shaw heads the team, and Martin Wright is recommended.

Within Venture capital, tier 4

Headed by the ‘very experienced’ Chris Putt, Speechly Bircham LLP’s ‘superb’ two-partner practice handled over 50 transactions in 2010 across a broad range of sectors. One of the few teams active in the debt financing market, it advised Kreos Capital on its investment in micro-finance provider Wonga.com. Albion Ventures, Chrysalis Ventures and Iceni Capital are also clients.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Speechly Bircham LLP’s ‘advice is timely, and focused on the questions asked’. The team is building a reputation for its work alongside the firm’s financial services group, working on investigations and advising on corporate crime issues. Stephen Dobson has ‘a pragmatic approach to issues’. Jonathan Whitehead handles contract and corporate disputes, professional negligence cases, class actions and financial services litigation.

Within Investment funds, Speechly Bircham LLP is a third tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP’s team is ‘excellent – committed, pragmatic and wise’, and handles retail, listed and mid-market private equity funds. The ‘very knowledgeable and helpful’ Elizabeth Budd advised Newton Investment Management and BNY Mellon Fund Managers Limited on launching The SRI Fund for Charities. Vincent Mercer and assistant Sean Donovan-Smith provide ‘effective, pragmatic advice’. Group head Nick Janmohamed is also recommended.

Within Securitisation, tier 5

Paul Kay at Speechly Bircham LLP has won a number new investment bank clients, but the team, valued for its ‘partner-led service’, mainly acts for private banks and investment managers.

Within Employee share schemes, tier 5

James Carter at Speechly Bircham LLP is recommended.

Within Employment, tier 6

At Speechly Bircham LLP, Alan Julyan and William Granger are noted for their assistance to corporates and individuals in relation to boardroom issues. Emma Bartlett provides ‘clear-headed and forensic analysis of the facts’. The ‘exceptional’ Robert Thomas successfully acted for Yell in the Court of Appeal, in Donna Norman v Yellow Pages Sales, a case relating to the taxability of a compromise agreement. Senior associate Juliet Carp and the ‘supremely qualified and experienced’ Richard Linskell impress on international and UK matters.

Within Immigration, Speechly Bircham LLP is a second tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP advises an extensive client base from sectors such as media, entertainment and financial services, as well as high-net-worth individuals. It has an excellent success rate in licence applications for employers, and also handles complex personal immigration matters. Tracy Evlogidis is recommended, and senior associate Nick Hobson is ‘a shining star who will undoubtedly go far’.

Within Pensions, tier 4

At Speechly Bircham LLP, Penny Cogher has ‘undoubted acumen and industry knowledge’; and Jane Wolstenholme has a ‘very good technical grasp of all the issues and provides good, solid, practical advice’. The group as a whole is ‘strong, and a pleasure to work with. The advice given is always appropriate for the context, and the team has a genuine regard for value for money’.

Within Insurance: corporate and regulatory, tier 4

Speechly Bircham LLP’s ‘thoroughly professional, supportive and proactive’ team handles a broad range of work in the life and general business insurance sectors. It assisted Munich Re in the design and creation of a global IP defence insurance policy, and also advised Ecclesiastical Life on the £258m disposal of its life assurance business. Nick Janmohamed and Elizabeth Budd are ‘particularly impressive’.

Within Insurance: insolvency and restructuring, tier 4

Speechly Bircham LLP has strength in depth, and a solid track record advising on business transfer schemes and schemes of arrangement. The ‘highly expert’ Nick Janmohamed heads the team, which is ‘very client focused’ and ‘prepared to give a commercial perspective, and to be pragmatic’.

Within Professional negligence Professional negligence

Within Agriculture and estates, Speechly Bircham LLP is a second tier firm,

Mark Musgrave heads the three-partner team at Speechly Bircham LLP, which regularly acts for high-net-worth non-doms on the purchase of significant UK estates, as well advising a raft of landed estates on tax planning and estate management.

Within Charities and not-for-profit , tier 4

John Ward heads the charities team at Speechly Bircham LLP, which advises on the full scope of matters, from charity acquisition and organisational restructuring to cross-border giving for entrepreneurs. Clients include Barnardo’s and Independence at Home. Gaynor Jackson is ‘user friendly and extremely knowledgeable on tax matters’, and William Hancock and rising star Hannah Candlin are ‘excellent’. The team was boosted by the arrival of Dominic Lawrance from Macfarlanes LLP, who has expertise in philanthropy.

Within Contentious trusts and probate, Speechly Bircham LLP is a second tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP has an impressively well-rounded practice that encompasses high-value trust disputes, key trusts and divorce cases, legacy disputes and work for trust companies – such as Equity Trust, Capita Trust and Seymour Trust – in offshore jurisdictions. Graeme Kleiner is in ‘the first rank of contentious trusts litigators in London’, and jointly heads the practice with Andrea Zavos, who ‘combines the judgement of a top-flight commercial litigator with the charm and personability of the perfect private client lawyer’.

Within Family, tier 5

Christopher Butler has a good reputation at ‘classy outfit’ Speechly Bircham LLP, and James Freeman is ‘a superb technical lawyer’. The team can draw on the firm’s considerable trusts and estates expertise.

Within Heritage property, Speechly Bircham LLP is a second tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP has a number of prominent clients, including landowners, trusts and galleries. Highlights for 2010 included acting in a dispute with the Art Loss Register in connection with a Winslow Homer painting withdrawn from auction as a result of a competing owner’s claim. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Art Foundation is a major client. William Hancock heads the cross-departmental team.

Within Overview,

In terms of notable partner moves, star practitioner Rupert Ticehurst left Herbert Smith LLP for Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, beefing up the firm’s capacity to handle trust disputes; and Charles Russell LLP lost the head of its contentious trusts practice, Morven McMillan, who moved to Cayman Islands firm Mourant Ozannes. In the family sphere, Tom Amlot left Harbottle & Lewis LLP to join Alexiou Fisher Philipps; and Speechly Bircham LLP lost Richard Hogwood to Stewarts Law LLP and John Nicholson to Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Speechly Bircham LLP is a second tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP has demonstrated a considerable commitment to its private client practice, building considerable expertise in domestic and international tax and trust structuring, succession planning, family offices and complex cross-border probate. The ‘approachable’ team includes the ‘technically strong’ William Begley; the ‘very good’ Charles Gothard; Mark Summers, a ‘“go-to” on complex jurisdictional matters’; the ‘highly competent’ Sanjvee Shah; and the ‘knowledgeable’ John Ward, as well as a promising clutch of associates including Sangna Chauhan and Alice Neilan.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI) , tier 6

Speechly Bircham LLP advised Higgins Group on the construction of the Myatts Field Social Housing PFI.

Within Healthcare, tier 5

Matthew Newing’s ‘absolutely excellent’ team at Speechly Bircham LLP in 2010 advised on a number of LIFT schemes and debt restructuring matters. Clients include Caring Homes.

Within Commercial property, tier 4

Speechly Bircham LLP ‘provides an excellent service’, and is ‘commercial in its approach and able to see the larger picture’. Commercial investment and development are areas of expertise, and clients include Aberdeen Asset Management and Howard de Walden Estates. Charles Palmer and Mark Smith ‘have very sound legal knowledge mixed with commercial practicality’, and Harbans Chohan (‘efficient’), Jeremy Hudson (a ‘solid performer’), Robin Grove (‘diligent and commercial’), Lee Medlock (‘very competent’) and David Leedham (‘well connected’) are also recommended.

Within Construction, Speechly Bircham LLP is a third tier firm,

Steven Carey heads Speechly Bircham LLP’s ‘always friendly’ team, which ‘provides consistent advice that is easy to understand’. The group continued to advise Northacre on its new residential development in Lancaster Gate, and advised a Gulf investor on trophy properties in London. Duncan Salmon has ‘excellent client-facing skills, is non-confrontational and provides clarity’. Tim Raper is also thoroughly recommended.

Within Planning, tier 5

Speechly Bircham LLP’s planning team ‘demonstrates a high degree of commercial sense’. Practice head Clare Prior is committed to clients and has ‘detailed specialist knowledge’, with particular experience in town centre redevelopments and highways law. She acted for Countryside Properties on a s106 planning obligation regarding a mixed-use scheme in East London. Bill Bidder advised Bellway Homes on the 10,000-home Barking Riverside regeneration. Other clients include Berkeley Group, Explore Living, P&O, Wycombe District Council and Taylor Wimpey.

Within Property litigation, Speechly Bircham LLP is a third tier firm,

Speechly Bircham LLP receives a substantial flow of work from RBS, and also recently advised Telular Corporation on lease termination and break clauses. Practice head Graham Ling specialises in landlord and tenant work, and ‘instils confidence in clients’. Jeremy Hudson is ‘a delight to work with’, and is recommended for enfranchisement matters.

Within Intellectual property, tier 5

Speechly Bircham LLP’s team, led by the ‘imaginative and insightful’ Alexander Carter-Silk, successfully defended World Programming Limited against SAS in a software copyright infringement case which has been referred to the ECJ. Louise McAdam joined from Simmons & Simmons.

Within IT and telecoms, tier 5

At Speechly Bircham LLP, ‘imaginative, insightful’ practice head Alexander Carter-Silk successfully represented WPL against SAS in a landmark case about the copyright in computer programming languages. The team is commended for its ‘dedication and customer care’. Mark Bailey is ‘easy going and pleasant’.

Within Media and entertainment, Speechly Bircham LLP is a third tier firm,

Nicholas Tall at Speechly Bircham LLP advises longstanding client Coolabi on matters such as broadcasting and merchandising agreements relating to its popular children’s television programme Poppy Cat, and the sale of film rights. Other clients include Zorilla Entertainment Limited and Elle Macpherson. Consultant David Wills handles theatre-related matters, and acts for Trevor Nunn. Team head Alexander Carter-Silk has a ‘keen and thorough sense of understanding of his practice area’. Tall and Robert Bond advise Touch Press, a new client in the e-publishing business, on arrangements with rights owners. Assistant Michelle Lewiston is also recommended.