The Legal 500

Within Defamation and privacy Defamation and privacy

Within Mediators Mediators

Within Professional discipline, Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is a second tier firm,

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP ‘stands out for its depth of experience, consistency in talent, ability, and quality of service’. With a ‘renowned’ healthcare practice, the firm advises clients including Dental Protection, Abbey Legal Protection, the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians, Vision Express, Boots UK, and the Medical Protection Society. Gary Allison has ‘a wealth of experience and good tactical ability’; Vicki Swanton is ‘first rate’; Juliette Mellman-Jones is ‘an effective lawyer with excellent client-management skills’; and Manchester-based Michael Brown is a ‘clever and analytical lawyer’. Mark Shaw recently joined the firm from Hempsons.

Within Health and safety, tier 4

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP focuses on the defence of prosecutions and advice on investigations for insured clients such as Comet and Tata, and for insurers such as Aviva and AXA. Clients appreciate the personal touch of the team, and recommend Jonathan Edwards (‘strong on interactions with regulators’) and Jennette Newman.

Within Clinical negligence: defendant , Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is a third tier firm,

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP has a rapidly growing team of ‘extremely helpful and competent’ solicitors. Instructions come from organisations such as the Medical Protection Society, the Royal College of Nursing, Mitsui and RSA. Practice head Gary Allison is ‘simply an excellent technician’; and he and his team ‘go the extra mile in order to provide an excellent service’. Juliette Mellman-Jones, Rosie Shapiro and Vicki Swanton are also recommended.

Within Insurance and reinsurance litigation, tier 6

Property recovery is a ‘particular strength’ of Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP, which provides a ‘very efficient service with a very capable team of partners and solicitors’. Warren King and Catherine Hawkins are ‘both excellent lawyers who provide a detailed technical opinion’, and ‘effective litigators’. Hawkins’ practice includes fire and explosion losses, and related coverage issues and litigation defence.

Within Personal injury: defendant, Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is a first tier firm,

‘One of the most specialist, expert and experienced firms’, Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is ‘at the top of the pile in this area of work’, and represents numerous well-known insurers and public sector clients. Michael Pether is ‘well organised and well liked’, and ‘an excellent manager of his team’. Boris Cetnik is highly intelligent, and widely regarded as ‘a disease claim guru’, and Jennette Newman is ‘personable, pragmatic and incredibly customer focused’. Terry Renouf is another well-established figure.

Within Product liability: defendant, tier 5

Jim Sherwood heads Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP’s London practice, which predominantly represents insurers, including Mitsui, Zurich and QBE.

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

The ‘calm and experienced’ Charlotte Capstick has ‘a real ability to get things done’, and heads the 12-partner team at Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP, which houses specialist groups focusing on legal services, financial services, insurance, construction, property, social services and trade unions. The ‘reliable’ team includes Caterina Yandell, who is ‘brilliant at client handling’, and has a ‘highly proactive and effective approach to dispute resolution’. Martin Jensen and Alex Traill were promoted to partner in October 2010.

Within Education: institutions, Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is a third tier firm,

Charlotte Capstick’s ‘excellent’ contentious practice at Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is adept at ‘defending robustly and negotiating tenaciously’. Work highlights included successfully defending King’s College London in a race discrimination case. The team includes Richard Wilkins and Elliot Pound, whose negotiating skills are ‘second to none’.

Within Education: schools, tier 4

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP advises both state and independent schools, such as Drayton Manor High School and Wakefield MDC, on matters including conversions, expulsions and policy.

Within Construction, tier 5

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is highly rated for its experience in professional indemnity matters. The team represented Central Bedfordshire Council in a £3m claim alleging that highway works caused a neighbouring quarry to collapse. Michael Salau and Keith Lonsdale are recommended.

Within Environment, tier 5

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP has a strong position within the growing area of environmental insurance, including defending environmental prosecutions by local authorities and the Environment Agency. Michael Salau ‘gives well-balanced advice on environmental law’.