The Legal 500

Within Corporate tax, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a second tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has ‘ excellent breadth of tax expertise’ and a well-rounded practice, with real estate and M&A key areas, and rises a tier following its hire of Clifford Chance’s Michael Wistow, Dorsey & Whitney’s Liesl Fichardt, and Jonathan Levy and Andrew Watters from specialist tax firm LevyWatters. Highlights included acting for AMEC on a £320m divestment of four non-core businesses, and acting on the take-private of Monsoon plc, with a market capitalisation of £750m. Practice head John Overs and Neal Todd(‘ very competent’) are highly thought of.

Within EU and competition, tier 5

Active in many of the key antitrust cases in Europe, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, led by David Harrison and Adrian Magnus, advised one client in connection with the freight-forwarding cartel investigation as well as the OFT investigation into construction bid rigging. The team stands out for the strength of its US client base, and in Brussels-based Michael Renouf it has one of the most recognised EU regulation specialists around. Becket McGrath(ex-OFT) is also recommended.

Within Financial services, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is ‘ up and coming’ in the market. Nathan Willmott leads the investigations work, and is known for his insurance market expertise. The firm saw an increase in mortgage mis-selling, insider dealing and market abuse work, and advised Citigroup on a US$5 billion hedge fund portfolio outsourcing. Non-contentious matters are headed by Jonathan Marsh.

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

Readers should also note that the majority of firms included in this section fall into one of two camps: those with high-volume, small-cap float practices, and those focusing more on complex, high-value transactions. Of the many firms active, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP and Norton Rose LLP stand out as having most successfully managed to combine work on the market’s highest-value deals with a consistently high level of activity.

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has ‘ absolutely established itself as a genuine market leader’. Led by the ‘ extremely visible’ David Collins, the ‘ huge’ team handled 11 IPOs in 2007, acting for both issuers and a range of NOMADs. Highlights included advising AsianLogic on its £53.9m IPO, Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings on its £69.9m admission to AIM, and DQ Entertainment on its £26.8m IPO. Murdoch Currie is also recommended.

Within Mergers and acquisitions: Upper mid-market and Premium deals, £250m+, tier 8

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is ‘ a good choice’ for mid-market work up to £500m, though it often advises on larger deals. It advised on 57 M&A deals in 2007, averaging around £120m, with trade buyers or sellers a dominant focus. AMEC, Balfour Beatty, Experian, and Macquarie are examples of active clients. David Collins heads a corporate finance group that can draw on the skills of 34 partners.

Within Overview,

Decent corporate and commercial teams must also go beyond the transactional side and also have strength in areas such as corporate tax, EU and competition, and financial services. It is here that strong corporate firms such as Simmons & Simmons and SJ Berwin LLP(for EU and competition, and financial services), and Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Macfarlanes LLP, and Travers Smith LLP(for corporate tax) can get an edge over the competition.

Within Private equity, tier 6

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s Daljit Singh heads a strong team which regularly acts for Close Brothers Private Equity and Mid Europa Partners.

Within Venture capital, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a second tier firm,

Ian Ivory runs the practice at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, which principally advises funds such as Close Ventures and Octopus Investments on their growth capital investments. In 2007, the active group advised on 30 VC deals.

Within Fraud: commercial and regulatory investigations, tier 4

The arrival of the ‘ experienced’ Nathan Willmott from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP adds regulatory capability to Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s fraud group. Segun Osuntokun also joined the firm, from DLA Piper UK LLP.

Within Licensing, gaming and betting, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is ‘ as close to a powerhouse as there is’, with the ‘ extraordinary’ Hilary Stewart-Jones working alongside David Collins on gaming and betting matters. It advised AsianLogic on its £53.9m AIM listing, while Betfair, William Hill and Sportingbet are other clients. Providing an ‘ exceptional service’, Craig Baylis is the key name for licensing, and acts for Tesco and JD Wetherspoon alongside new clients Apple and Mama Group (advising the latter on licensing issues for Hammersmith Apollo).

Within Arbitration, tier 8

Carol Mulcahy leads the team at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, which is recommended for general commercial and construction disputes.

Within Banking litigation, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s sustained growth over the last three years is particularly impressive. David Hughes established the group in 2005 and it has attained a fine reputation in the regulatory investigations arena. The firm also has a strong following of overseas banks, such as KBC Bank, and with the arrival of the highly regarded Segun Osuntokun from DLA Piper UK LLP, it is expected to consolidate this position; Osuntokun has represented numerous banks in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia. Back on the contentious regulatory front, Nathan Willmott heads the FSA investigations and enforcement team, and clients commend his pragmatic dealings with the regulators.

Within Banking litigation, tier 4

DLA Piper UK LLP(‘ works as our in-house team’, ‘ anticipates our needs’) lost the highly respected Segun Osuntokun to Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, but the firm maintains a strong focus on financial markets litigation, particularly in the international context; it represented the Republic of Zambia in high-profile and successful proceedings against vulture funds. It also remains a favourite of the clearing banks, with Janet Legrand relationship partner for Barclays and RBS, and instructions from investment banks are growing fast. Ioannis Alexopoulos is recommended, as are Daren Allen, for regulatory work, and Simon Boon, for asset finance disputes.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has sustained its investment on the finance disputes and regulatory front, and has also won new instructions from clients such as Thames Water. Leisure and hotels remains a key sector, with department head David Parkin having a particularly strong record. Ed Hood is recommended for risk and crisis management, and fraud work, while Alex Gordon is praised for his ‘ pragmatic advice’, availability and responsiveness. Clients praise the department’s ‘ excellent’ service.

Within Defamation and privacy

Within Overview,

Recent economic turbulence linked to the credit crunch has played its part in raising the spectre of a more litigious era. Over the last two years, an emphasis on banking and financial markets litigation has pervaded the City, with firms recognising that companies and individuals are looking to recover losses that have resulted from the excesses of the bull market, and the heightened regulatory crackdown by institutions such as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has also increased demand for defendant lawyers. In 2007, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP hired senior financial regulatory lawyer Nathan Willmott from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, and in 2008 recruited banking litigation specialist Segun Osuntokun from DLA Piper UK LLP, while other notable lateral hires include Clare Canning, Simon Willis and Matthew Lawson moving from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP to Mayer Brown International LLP. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP also recruited the former Attorney General and eminent barrister Lord Goldsmith QC.

Within Acquisition finance, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP significantly enhanced its capabilities with the recruitment of Norton Rose LLP leveraged finance partner Philip Whale. Marc Palley heads the ‘ excellent’ practice, which also includes Michael Ewart and John Hayward. The firm has a strong lender client base, and advised Merrill Lynch on the £367m financing of Consensus Business Group’s acquisition of Peverel Group.

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 4

Bolstered by the recent addition of John Baker, formerly head of legal at Air Canada, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s increasingly well-balanced team is instructed by a quality roster of clients including Barclays, AirSea Lines, and Bank of America. It is advising Boeing in a number of pre-delivery financings for various airlines in Europe, and is acting for Hitachi Europe in its bid for the Intercity Express Programme. Nicola Davies heads a team that includes Tom Budgett, Andrew Baird and Lisa Marks, recommended for aviation, shipping and rail financings respectively.

Within Bank lending - investment grade debt and syndicated loans, tier 4

Headed by the ‘ clear-thinking and constructive’ Marc Palley, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s nine-partner practice advises a balanced mix of banks and corporates. It has a regular flow of work from longstanding client Tesco, including recently handling an extension of its £1.6bn multicurrency facility, and has won some notable banking mandates from the likes of Bank of Scotland, Alliance & Leicester, and Standard Bank. The ‘ commercial and technical’ Jennifer Mackerras is an integral member of the team, as is Trevor Wood, following his recent arrival from Jones Day.

Within Commodities and futures: futures, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a second tier firm,

The commodity futures practice at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is centred on leading specialist Jonathan Marsh, who has attracted a number of new clients including Armajaro Trading, BNP Paribas, Gazprom Marketing & Trading, Sempra Metals, and Natixis Commodity Markets.

Within Corporate restructuring and insolvency, tier 4

A major force in the mid-market, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s lean three-partner team offers ‘ technically strong’, ‘ highly commercial’ advice to the likes of RBS, Lloyds, Tesco and KPMG, and advised on the restructuring of Henlys and the Bradstock Group Lloyds brokerage insolvency. ‘ Very bright, attentive, clear and patient’, department head Ben Larkin is the lynchpin of a team that includes the well-regarded David Leibowitz.

Within Debt capital markets, tier 6

At Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Marc Palley has handled a range of work for Tesco, including a £10bn Euro Note programme renewal, and a US$2bn notes issue.

Within Derivatives and structured products, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

At Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Mark Daley advised Merrill Lynch on innovative RPI and interest swaps for a £367m acquisition financing, and Marc Palley has for many years advised the likes of Absa Bank, Tesco British Land and Tesco on derivatives. Clients consider the team’s market knowledge and business acumen its key assets. The team includes Tamara Box, and Paul Severs, who joined from monoline Financial Guaranty Insurance Company. Jonathan Marsh has outstanding regulatory experience.

Within Hedge funds, tier 4

Peter McGowan at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP‘ understands the market’ and has ‘ immense technical skill’.

Within Investment funds, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is most noteworthy in real estate but has broadened its hedge fund and private equity fund capacity. Tim Simmonds’ eight-partner team includes hedge fund expert Peter McGowan. The firm lost Simon Firth, who followed Timothy Spangler to Kaye Scholer LLP. Clients include Barclays Wealth, Citigroup, JO Hambro and Abbey National.

Within Islamic finance, tier 4

Andrew Baird’s team at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP acts for Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank, and advised Bank of London and the Middle East on its first transaction, a murabaha for the acquisition of steel and the refinancing of existing facilities, since its authorisation in the UK.

Within Securitisation, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s arrivals in recent years include specialists Tamara Box and Nick Butler(from Lovells LLP and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP respectively). Five dedicated partners grew the roster of arranger, originator, borrower, monoline and rating agency clients in 2007, adding the likes of Ambac, the Bank of New York Mellon and Moody’s. Recent deals include an acquisition financing to securitisation for Merrill Lynch, two €2bn RMBS transactions for RBS, and the first Dubai CMBS for new client Arabian Real Estate Investment Trust.

Within Employee share schemes, tier 5

‘ Excellent and thorough’, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP excels in assisting quoted and unquoted companies in establishing option plans such as EMIs, and on M&A deals; recent highlights include establishing a restricted share plan arrangement for Stenham. Simon Pollock and David Dennison are both singled out for praise by clients.

Within Employment, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s rise to the third tier is a reflection of its diverse and growing client base, and high-quality service to clients. ‘ Guru’ Fraser Younson is consistently singled out, as is Rebecca Harding-Hill for her ‘ straightforward, proactive approach’. The past year brought new clients including AMEC, BP, Monsoon and Travelex. The team recently advised Coors Brewers in its Court of Appeal case involving 509 discretionary bonus claims, and Burberry in relation to the high-profile closure of its Welsh factory and relocation to the Far East.

Within Health and safety, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP lost rated health and safety partner Hilary Ross to Bond Pearce LLP; head of regulatory Craig Baylis is now the sole partner contact for a group that has recently advised Whitbread, Bhs and the HSE on health and safety issues.

Within Pensions (including pensions dispute resolution), tier 5

At Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, well-respected ‘ commercial’ and ‘ approachable’ partner Norman Russell heads a broad and high-quality practice. Fellow partner David Dennison is ‘ practical’, and associate Joanne Stern is ‘ sound and knowledgeable’.

Within Insurance and reinsurance litigation, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has a ‘ great reinsurance team’; Jonathan Sacher is ‘ very knowledgeable’ and Anthony Lennox ‘knows what he is doing’. It advised Lloyd’s Syndicate Goshawk on a major portfolio of business with a potential exposure of over US$1bn. Key clients include Munich Re, and Legal & General.

Within Insurance: corporate and regulatory, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s Pollyanna Deane is ‘ proactive and knowledgeable’. The team acted for BUPA on the sale of its Irish business to Quinn Direct. Nathan Willmott joined the firm from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

Within Insurance: insolvency and restructuring, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has a cross-departmental group including Pollyanna Deane, who has made a name for herself on Part VII schemes, while David Leibowitz has a ‘ measured approach’ and ‘ always reaches the right conclusion’, and Andrew Rose is also well known. Ben Larkin is noted for his ‘ can-do attitude’, and led the team that acted for the Lloyd’s broking business of PWS International and certain overseas interests of the PWS groups in the restructuring and sale of that business via a pre-packaged administration.

Within Charities and not-for-profit, tier 5

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s ‘ knowledgeable and approachable’ advises a long list of clients in the sector including educational institutes and religious charities, and in 2007 it advised on the restructuring of the Mental Health Foundation, the Macfarlane Trust, and Church of God UK. However it lost practice head Moira Protani to Wilsons in mid-2008.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, tier 4

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has an excellent reputation for its international work, and 2007 saw a raft of instructions involving the reorganisation of complex international trusts. Eight partners work together under the stewardship of Jonathan Kropman, including Paul Whitehead, Simon Phelps, Martin Paisner, and tax specialists Ron Downhill and Anthony Bunker. They have ‘ an extremely thorough knowledge of UK tax’, and a good mix of ‘ responsiveness and experience’. Andrew Walters recently joined the team from a boutique tax consultancy.

Within Electricity, nuclear and renewables, tier 4

Clients of Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s group include the Government of Oman, Clean Energy Brazil and Veolia Environment. Mark Saunders is a noted energy specialist, and recent highlights include advising Dalkia on a series of acquisitions.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI), Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Tessa Kimber’s group at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has seen an increase in regeneration and defence-related PFI transactions. The Olympic Delivery Authority is a new client, and the firm has recently won mandates to advise it on the delivery of the Athletes Village and the International Broadcast Centre and Media Press Centre.

Within Project finance, tier 6

Tessa Kimber leads a team at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP that has been seriously depleted over the past twelve months, with the departure of Jon Nash, Sohail Barkatali, Agnieszka Klich, Thomas Wexler and Kevin Jordan. Recent deals include advising Jubail Water and Power Company on the financing of the US$3.5bn Marafiq IWPP.

Within Healthcare, tier 5

Under Andrew Sherratt, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP demonstrates ‘ consistency across the disciplines’, bringing together finance, commercial, M&A and projects skills to advise both public and private sector clients on the provision of services and equipment. The firm advised InHealth Netcare on the government’s Phase 2 ISTC Diagnostics programme. Jim Buchanan is ‘ a good negotiator’.

Within Local government, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a second tier firm,

Led by Lesley-Anne Avis, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has amassed a significant number of client wins in the past year, including Central Croydon Regeneration LLP, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Mid Sussex District Council and the Ministry of Justice. The firm has strong expertise in regeneration work in particular, and Simon Allan attracts praise for his projects practice.

Within Parliamentary, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s diverse parliamentary group is led by Tim Pugh and Ian Trehearne. It advised Transport for London and London Underground Limited on the Islington Three Stations Project, and also advised Thames Water on the Thames Tideway Tunnel Project.

Within Commercial property, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP continues to lead the market with the hugely well-respected Robert MacGregor heading a team of 29 partners which features star players such as Chris de Pury. The team has real breadth, and long-term work involving regeneration and retail centres keeps it busy when the market dips. To its credit, the firm is making moves to up its international experience, and notably acted for Barclays Capital in the largest-ever Swedish property deal. Key clients such as Great Portland Estates, Tesco and Hammerson are part of a client base that any commercial property team would envy. The firm lost Vinay Vineik in January 2008 in a widely reported departure.

Within Construction, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

‘ Top firm’ Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP uses its dominance in real estate as a springboard to advise clients including Transport for London, AMEC and Land Securities Trillium. The ‘ expert’ eight-partner team includes Bob Maynard, Caroline Pope and Stella Mitchell, and is considered ‘ a strong team of associates expertly managed by the lead partners’. Currently advising EDF Energy on long-term extensive civil engineering works and acting on a range of complex disputes for London Underground, the balanced group is now focusing on international growth, with major projects underway for CCIC, JGC and Interhealth.

Within Environment, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Tim Pugh and Ian Trehearne’s planning-led team at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP represents a mix of standalone and firm-wide clients such as Cool Earth, Tesco, Natixis and PACE. Experienced in a range of environment disciplines, the group is currently advising 4Gas on a warranty and indemnity claim, and acting for Thames Tideway Tunnel on a £4bn environment-led project.

Within Overview,

Despite the best efforts of the doom-mongers, the market generally agrees that the situation has not as yet reached the dire straits of the 1991 recession, and is unlikely to do so. Many of the top firms - Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Lovells LLP, Clifford Chance and Linklaters LLP- remain active either working on long-term projects until the storm passes, or are looking further afield.

Within Planning, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s 30-strong team is led by the ‘very experienced and knowledgeable’ Tim Pugh and Ian Trehearne, and leads the planning market, covering the full spectrum of work for pre-eminent clients such as the Olympic Delivery Authority, Tesco and Shell. Part of an enviable portfolio of work, the firm is advising on the regeneration of Barking Riverside and improvements to three Underground stations for Transport for London. As well as groundbreaking projects, the firm is on a raft of national panels, with recent appointments including Thames Water, National Grid, London Urban Development Corporation, and the London Development Agency.

Within Property finance, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a second tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP fields a formidable team and enjoys an outstanding reputation in the market. The widely acclaimed Mark Waghorn leads the ‘ impressive’ team, which features leading lights such as Simon Kildahl. Newly made up partners Andrew Fleming and Jo Solomon are recommended by clients, Fleming for ‘ having good technical knowledge and being fun to deal with’, and Solomon for being ‘ technically strong, with a very bubbly personality’. The group has good relationships with a number of first-class financial institutions, including RBS, Capmark and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund, and was instructed on some stellar work last year, including acting for the Bank of Scotland Corporate on the £460m refinancing of Kandahar Real Estate. The group is increasingly extending its international reach, and notably advised Luxembourg-based Central European Industrial Fund on the funding of the largest multi-let distribution and industrial facility in Warsaw. The department has very impressive breadth and continues to leverage off its hugely successful commercial property team.

Within Property litigation, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a first tier firm,

At Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP- a ‘ can-do’ firm - Roger Cohen and Wendy Miller are formidable forces, as is ‘ brilliant lawyer’ Roger Hawkins. It recently advised Great Portland Estate and Minerva on development issues, and assisted Legal & General in obtaining vacant possession of its landmark building from 80 tenants.

Within Brand management, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has a solid practice across commercial contracts, in which brand exploitation is an underlying theme. It advises advertisers on matters including online marketing, is particularly visible in franchising in the international hotels sector, and recently advised Tesco on a major sponsorship agreement with the FA. Advertising clients describe a ‘ deeply credible team’, sponsorship clients say they are ‘ impressed’ by the firm’s ‘ sound advice’, and franchising clients speak of a ‘ first-class’ team in which they have ‘ strong confidence’. Adam Rose is recommended.

Within Intellectual property, tier 5

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s growing trade mark filing practice - headed by trade mark attorney Ian Gruselle- has won several new portfolios, including City Inn, reflecting the firm’s strong reputation in the hotels sector. ‘ Very good’ litigator Simon Clark heads the team, which is strong on design rights and increasingly active on technical and medical devices patents. Tamara Quinn is recommended for non-contentious work; the team has been advising Ascent Flight Training on a £6bn contract with the Ministry of Defence involving key IP licensing provisions.

Within IT and telecoms, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Adam Rose at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is highly regarded for his outsourcing and convergent technologies work. The team has made strides in the TMT market, winning work with Orange, Tata Consultancy and SouthWest Trains.

Within Media and entertainment, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s expanding media practice ‘ really understands commercial and technology issues’. Led by the ‘ extremely bright’ Simon Harper, the team advises Technicolor, Endemol, Fremantle Media, Electronic Arts, Netplay TV and new client Tesco Entertainment. Publishing expert Adam Rose advises Guardian News & Media and the Financial Times on online and new technologies. Former OFT director Becket McGrath specialises in regulatory and competition law.

Within Rail, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP is a third tier firm,

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP brings a background in corporate and project financing, as well as firm-wide expertise in real estate, to its rail work. The firm is also described as ‘ excellent for competition matters’ in the rail industry. Richard Lucas heads the group, which advised Hitachi Europe on its bid for the Intercity Express Programme.