The Legal 500

Within Flotations - small and mid-cap, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a third tier firm,

New entrant Bircham Dyson Bell LLP advised Zyzygy and Marinetrack on its reverse into XSN Holdings and subsequent admission to AIM. John Turnbull is recommended.

Within M&A - smaller deals up to £50m, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a second tier firm,

Though fewer than the year before, acting on 22 deals at an average of £13m each nevertheless represented a satisfactory haul for Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s five-partner team, headed by John Turnbull. Bruce Jones is also recommended.

Within Employment, tier 7

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP boasts an impressive stable of large transport clients. In 2008 it received instructions on several large corporate restructurings and acted for nine separate London bus companies on successful challenges to proposed strike action by UNITE in late 2008. Jesper Christensen and Marc Meryon are recommended.

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

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP was appointed to the National Farmers Union legal panel in 2008. The group, which is led by Christopher Findley, has assisted with high-value sales and the drafting of farm business tenancies. The six-partner team also handles landlord and tenant and farming partnership disputes.

Within Charities and not-for-profit , tier 4

At Bircham Dyson Bell LLP, practice head Penny Chapman offers 'expert knowledge' and 'good client communications', and 'always meets timescales'. Clients include the Arts Council England, The Law Society, Relate and University College London, and the group has taken on No Smoking Day and the Royal Horticultural Society as new clients. Simon Weil is recommended, and Benjamin James was promoted to partner in 2008.

Within Contentious trusts and probate, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a third tier firm,

Simon Weil heads Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s practice, which handles trustee and offshore litigation, and complex family disputes. John Darton recently assisted the surviving spouse in an Inheritance Act Claim.

Within Family, tier 5

Siân Jones heads Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s family practice, which handles ancillary relief and children work. Recent work includes a cross-border matrimonial case.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a third tier firm,

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s ‘personal service and the expertise of its leading partners makes it a first choice when it comes to international clients with UK connections’. The ‘first-class’, and ‘very professional’ practice is led by James Johnston, who is ‘excellent at handling clients with complex problems’, and ‘particularly strong on cross-border problems involving UK-France and UK-Switzerland’. The group assists entertainment industry and landed estate clients, and also European and Middle Eastern families. Consultant Peter Goodwin is ‘astute and detail-orientated’.

Within Water, tier 4

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s water practice leverages off the firm’s strong reputation in public affairs to advise UK water and sewage sector clients on projects, and environmental and regulatory matters. Clients include South East Water and Thames Water.

Within Administrative and public law, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a third tier firm,

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP provides ‘excellent legal acumen and knowledge’ and is ‘strong in depth as well as breadth’. Key partners include ‘excellent’ practice head David Mundy, and litigator Richard Langley, ‘a top-notch negotiator who does not like to lose’. The practice represented the Association of Chief Police Officers in a judicial review brought by the family of Mark Saunders, and began working with the National Audit Office.

Within Education - institutions, tier 4

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s team is currently advising an educational trust on property issues and a college in relation to governance matters. The department also represented a number of universities on the implications of the recent public benefit guidance. Penny Chapman leads the education practice.

Within Education - schools, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a third tier firm,

Penny Chapman and her team at Bircham Dyson Bell LLP represent schools on employment, constitutional and governance, discrimination and data protection issues.

Within Healthcare, tier 5

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s healthcare work has a strong leaning towards the charitable sector, and includes notable clients such as AgeCare, Breast Cancer Care, St Dunstans and The Salvation Army. The practice also advises St John & St Elisabeth, Middlesex, and Moorfields Eye hospitals. Practice heads Imelda Moffat and David Darvill are recommended.

Within Local government, tier 5

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP has a ‘good reputation for planning work’ and excels in infrastructure projects, recently advising Cambridgeshire County Council on the construction of a guided busway. The practice offers ‘good value for money’ and is ‘excellent at working as part of a team with council officers’. Clients praise Robbie Owen, David Mundy and Nicholas Evans.

Within Parliamentary , Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a first tier firm,

Clients praise Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s ‘thriving parliamentary practice’ for its ‘excellent, informed and timely advice’ and ‘strength in depth’. Headed by ‘leading light’ Robbie Owen, the practice is advising new client Metro on the initial stages of a major transport project in West Yorkshire, and promoting a private bill on behalf of St Austell market. Clients praise Paul Thompson’s ‘depth of knowledge and experience’, alongside Ian McCulloch, Nicholas Brown and David Mundy.

Within Public affairs, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is a second tier firm,

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP has ‘a team to be reckoned with’, comprising Jonathan Bracken, ‘a heavyweight in his field’ and ‘the Bismarck of public law’, and the ‘exceptional’ Robbie Owen. It advises Greengauge 21, a not-for-profit organisation which promotes high-speed rail, and advised several clients on Select Committee appearances.

Within Commercial property, tier 5

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP, which acts on a high number of publicly funded projects, has benefited over the past year from the firm’s wider relationship with public sector clients. The team, led by Michael Parker, is also recommended particularly for leasehold enfranchisement, and was appointed to a number of panels, including National Grid.

Within Environment, tier 4

Paul Thompson heads a ‘first-rate’ practice at Bircham Dyson Bell LLP, which is regularly engaged by statutory bodies to advise on complex areas of regulation, most notably water law. Thompson advised the Environment Agency on matters including flood defence and fisheries, and helped devise new national land drainage bylaws. Other clients include Thames Water, South East Water, and Esso. Robbie Owen and Nicholas Evans are recommended.

Within Planning, tier 4

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP’s enviable client base includes Transport for London and London Underground, which the firm advised on the £500m Victoria Station redevelopment. Thames Water Utilities instructed the team in relation to a major new reservoir in the Upper Thames region. The team, led by Robbie Owen, regularly contests development plans, achieving success for The Aggregates Industry and the Port of London Authority in quashing a planning consent given by Greenwich Council for a Greenwich Millennium Village residential development. New clients of the firm include South East Water.

Within Property finance

Within Property litigation, tier 4

Bircham Dyson Bell LLP recently enjoyed two high-profile leasehold enfranchisement victories in the House of Lords. Andy Couch and Simon Painter are recommended.

Within Rail, tier 7

‘Personable and able’ senior partner Robbie Owen at Bircham Dyson Bell LLP is recommended.