The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Hampshire, tier 4

Recommended for his ‘attention to detail and customer service’, Leon Arnold now leads the ‘pragmatic’ team at Thomas Eggar LLP, with Caroline Armitage continuing to provide support from the Gatwick office. The team advised Micheldever Tyre Services on its acquisition of Copperdell in 2010.

Within Corporate and commercial: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thomas Eggar LLP is a first tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP’s six-partner team enjoyed a considerable increase in M&A activity in 2010, and saw corporate finance specialist Caroline Armitage return to the region. Highlights included a $70m convertible bond issue for Lonrho and a £14m refinancing package for Sussex Waste Recycling. Neil Hart heads the Sussex corporate and commercial group and is recommended alongside John Stapleton.

Within Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, tier 4

‘The best law firm in Newbury by a long way’, Thomas Eggar LLP won Centrix, Rebound Technology and English Provender as new clients in 2010. Led by John Riddick, the team advised AIM-listed company Lonrho on a $70m convertible bond issuance. It also advised Parker Knight Holdings on its sale to Survitec Group. Leon Arnold relocated to the firm’s Southampton office in 2010.

Within Licensing Licensing

Within Commercial litigation: Kent, Surrey and Sussex, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP’s ‘highly responsive and well-resourced’ commercial litigation group has a strong focus on cross-border disputes. Victoria Brackett ‘really looks after her clients’, and has extensive trial experience in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Clients include SportsDirect and Clydesdale Bank.

Within Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Thomas Eggar LLP is a third tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP advises on professional negligence, contractual, banking, company, defamation and IP disputes. The team acts for Rebound Electronics, Landscape Group and Fairbairn Private Bank, and is currently assisting an international bank in a multi-jurisdictional claim. The ‘very knowledgeable and helpful’ Andrew Jackson is singled out for his ‘pragmatic approach’.

Within Debt recovery Debt recovery

Within Banking and finance, tier 4

The ‘efficient and business savvy’ team at Thomas Eggar LLP has a combination of broad experience and niche expertise in consumer finance and private lending. ‘Top quality transactional lawyer’ Dan Bastide led in advising Sussex Waste Recycling on a £14m refinancing matter. Steven Clifford is ‘top class’.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Experienced in international insolvencies and fraud-related issues, Martin Cross now leads the ‘helpful’ team at Thomas Eggar LLP, which continues to act for FRP Advisory in the administration of Cliffgroup. PwC, Baker Tilly and KPMG are all clients. Gary Player left in 2010 to set up his own firm, Players Solicitors.

Within Employment: Hampshire, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Providing ‘outstanding service’, ‘first-class response times’ and ‘technically strong and confident advice’, Thomas Eggar LLP acts for Hastings Direct Insurance and Kuehne + Nagel Drinks Logistics. Esther Smith has ‘excellent professional expertise and customer service skills’. The team also includes qualified tribunal advocates. Associate Leon Deakin is recommended.

Within Employment: Kent, Surrey and Sussex, Thomas Eggar LLP is a first tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP covers the whole spectrum of employment work. Former Eversheds LLP partner Catherine Wilson joined the employment department in 2010, where she represents clients in the retail and higher education sectors.

Within Employment: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Heading the national employment practice at Thomas Eggar LLP, Simon Fenton leads an ‘exceptional employment team’ that provides ‘extremely practical advice based on a solid technical foundation’. It handles restructuring and redundancy cases for the likes of Vanco UK, Genus Pharmaceuticals, and Micheldever Tyre Services.

Within Health and safety, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

2010 saw Andrew Jackson’s team at Thomas Eggar LLP provide advice on the implications of noise in the workplace and associated regulatory provisions, as well as defend clients in HSE investigations.

Within Pensions Pensions

Within Personal injury: claimant, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Stephen Richards’ team at Thomas Eggar LLP increasingly deals with high-value catastrophic claims. Steven Eldred is ‘expert’ in occupational noise-induced hearing-loss claims, with an ‘unusual and impressive grasp of technical issues’.

Within Professional negligence, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Victoria Brackett’s team at Thomas Eggar LLP specialises in high-value solicitors special indemnity cases, and also acts for a number of leading insurers.

Within Regional review, Thomas Eggar LLP is a first tier firm,

Sole practitioner startups were also a key theme: private client specialist Nick Morgan left Clarkslegal LLP to set up on his own; insolvency and restructuring expert Gary Player left Thomas Eggar LLP to form Players Solicitors; while in Sussex, Lynne Passmore left DMH Stallard LLP to form Lynne Passmore Family Law.

Within Agriculture and estates, Thomas Eggar LLP is a first tier firm,

Highlights for Thomas Eggar LLP’s team in 2010 included sales, conversions and restructuring matters for estates including Knepp Castle, Shere Manor and Balcombe. Practice head Richard Venables Kyrke is ‘highly knowledgeable’ and ‘the ultimate professional’.

Within Charities, Thomas Eggar LLP is a first tier firm,

Headed by Julian Chadwick, the team at Thomas Eggar LLP advises clients on the creation and registration of charities, governance matters and specialist religious law issues. Clients include St Barnabas Hospice and Chichester Cathedral.

Within Family: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thomas Eggar LLP is a third tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP often acts for high-net-worth clients in complex cases involving multimillion-pound assets, and also has a strong international client base. Jill Goldman retired in 2010.

Within Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘utterly professional’ Thomas Eggar LLP handles work for high-net-worth individuals, and has experience in cross-border cases. Providing ‘top-dollar service’, Claire Hamilton-Russell has an ‘impeccable bedside manner’.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate: Hampshire, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP offers an ‘excellent service’, and advises high-net-worth individuals on tax and trust matters. Anthony Nixon leads the team with support from the firm’s regional offices.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thomas Eggar LLP is a first tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP advises high-net-worth individuals and families, in the UK and internationally, on the whole spectrum of tax, trust and probate matters, including contentious probate. The ‘creative and approachable’ James Quarmby is recommended, as is Patricia Woolgar, who is well known for her advice to elderly clients.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP delivers ‘high levels of service’ and a ‘great depth of knowledge’. Sarah Phillips is an ‘excellent listener’. Julian Chadwick is also recommended.

Within Education, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ team at Thomas Eggar LLP has been bolstered by the arrival of the ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Matthew Kelly and Catherine Wilson from Eversheds LLP. Wilson now heads the team, and in 2010 advised a number of colleges on issues arising from mergers.

Within Health Health

Within Commercial property: Hampshire Commercial property: Hampshire

Within Commercial property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thomas Eggar LLP is a third tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP has care homes sector expertise, and advised on the significant redevelopments of St Wilfrid’s Hospice and St Barnabas Hospice in 2010. Jeremy Wootton is the key contact.

Within Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40, Thomas Eggar LLP is a third tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP reports an increase in secure lending work. The Newbury team of Biddy Walker, Richard Hornsby and Garrath Reayer are all recommended.

Within Construction , Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP saw an increase in contentious work in 2010, acting on several claims involving defects, final accounts and delays. The team, led by Mark Clinton, is also assisting major banks such as HSBC and RBS on funding a number of significant construction projects.

Within Planning, Thomas Eggar LLP is a third tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP’s impressive client base features the likes of Asda, Dixons and News International. The practice is driven by Carl Dyer, who has expertise in retail and care home planning applications.

Within Property litigation, Thomas Eggar LLP is a third tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP’s client base focuses on insurers, banks, large property management companies and retailers. Chris Baker is recommended.

Within Social housing Social housing

Within Intellectual property Intellectual property

Within IT and telecoms IT and telecoms

Within Sport Sport

Within Aviation, Thomas Eggar LLP is a second tier firm,

Thomas Eggar LLP has ‘excellent technical and industry knowledge in aviation’. Its expertise includes private jet acquisitions, and it advises various African operators and aviation suppliers.