The Legal 500

Within Financial services, tier 5

The team at Withers LLP expanded with the arrival of ex-FSA internal troubleshooter Harvey Knight. The practice advised the chief executive of Keydata Investment Services in relation to the FSA’s investigation.

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Withers LLP is a second tier firm,

Allied to its private client and luxury brand expertise, Withers LLP has focused on building out its ties into the CIS and Italy, and is beginning to punch above its a weight on a number of deals. Paul McGrath led a team that advised the founders of Sophos on its $830m sale to Apax Partners.

Within Fraud: civil , tier 4

Withers LLP undertakes a variety of work advising foreign governments, and acting in relation to frauds committed in the arts, property, and finance sectors. Team head Andrew Ford advises on contentious trust/foundation matters and frauds involving complex offshore structures.

Within Defamation and privacy, Withers LLP is a third tier firm,

The team at Withers LLP is ‘excellent in all respects’; its ‘ability to assimilate and engage makes it easy and effective to deal with’. Key clients include the RSPCA, Renault Formula 1, Anton Du Beke, and Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. Practice head Amber Melville-Brown has ‘excellent technical and commercial acumen’, and Jennifer McDermott is also recommended.

Within Investment funds Investment funds

Within Employment, tier 5

Withers LLP is strong in the senior executive field; headline instructions included Antonio Horta-Osario’s move from Santander to Lloyds Banking Group; and Sir Stuart Rose’s departure from Marks & Spencer. Elaine Aarons is singled out for her ‘tenacity, dedication in the pursuit of her clients ’ interests, and sheer hard work and ability’. The ‘amazingly shrewd’ Meriel Schindler has ‘a wealth of practical and tactical strategies up her sleeve’. Clients include Tate and Lotus Renault GP.

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

Withers LLP’s ‘very experienced’ team is valued for its ‘excellent response times’. It successfully represented Andrew Prynne QC and Oliver Campbell in a case relating to compensation claims made by injured coal miners. Team head Christopher Coffin is ‘calm and extremely reassuring’, but ‘gets straight to the point’.

Within Agriculture and estates, Withers LLP is a second tier firm,

The landed estates group at Withers LLP provides a comprehensive service, drawing on the firm’s international expertise in tax, trusts and estate planning. Highlights included advising a Dutch family on the purchase of a sizeable estate in the north of England, including on the ownership structure and tax implications from a Dutch perspective. Clients value Matthew Woods’s experience in advising family estates, and find his co-practice head Bertie Hoskyns-Abrahall to be ‘hugely qualified’ on agricultural property matters, as well as ‘approachable and easy to deal with’.

Within Charities and not-for-profit , Withers LLP is a third tier firm,

Withers LLP has a strong charities and philanthropy practice headed by Alison Paines, the ‘doyenne of charity lawyers’. The firm advises on the full scope of charity and non-for-profit issues, including international and contentious matters. The team continue to advise Cancer Research UK on a groundbreaking new joint venture charity to develop and operate the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation. Paul Hewitt is an acknowledged expert.

Within Contentious trusts and probate, Withers LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘highly capable’ Dawn Goodman heads the 16-lawyer team at Withers LLP, which covers every facet of contentious trust litigation, from large-scale international disputes to cross-border succession issues, domestic disputes and charity legacies. The team acted for the trustees in Futter v Futter, which has significant ramifications for trustees; and also acted in Re MN, the leading case on cross-border incapacity welfare decisions. Paul Hewitt is noted for his ‘in-depth knowledge and sensitive handling of the issues’. The team benefits from the firm’s wide-ranging international network.

Within Family, Withers LLP is a first tier firm,

The premier practice at Withers LLP encompasses every facet of family work, handling groundbreaking international cases such as Imerman, high-value pre-nups, and ‘leave to remove’ applications. The eight-partner practice receives superb client feedback, with its international reach particularly appreciated. Head of the practice Julian Lipson is ‘brilliant, practical and shrewd’; Suzanne Todd is ‘of exceptional note, full of sympathy and insight’; and Mark Harper, Gill Doran, Michael Gouriet and Diana Parker are noted for their ‘analytical approach while being commercially astute and practical’. In April 2011 the team was further boosted by the arrival of Suzanne Kingston from Dawsons LLP.

Within Heritage property, Withers LLP is a second tier firm,

The art and cultural assets practice at Withers LLP is headed by the ‘exceptional’ Pierre Valentin, who is ‘prompt to respond and concise in his advice’, and ‘creative and conscientious’. The practice has a broad remit, covering not only tax-related work for chattels but also art transactions, art regulatory issues and art finance. Highlights included resolving a Holocaust-related ownership dispute, and advising on the return to Italy of the Benevento Missal, which was unlawfully removed during WWII.

Within Overview,

The market is divided between firms with international offices in fertile hunting grounds for wealthy individuals such as Geneva or the Middle East – the likes of Withers LLP and Charles Russell LLP – and those which operate, very successfully, from a UK office, such as Macfarlanes LLP and Farrer & Co. Withers LLP stands out for its superb international reach, with offices in Milan, Hong Kong, Zurich, Geneva, the British Virgin Islands and the US, and covers every conceivable aspect of private client: multi-jurisdictional pre-nups, charitable legacies, landed estates, complex tax and trust structuring, cross-border probate, succession planning and international trust disputes. Macfarlanes LLP is unusual in its dedication to maintaining market-leading corporate and private client practices, and has a strong entrepreneurial client base. Farrer & Co is well known for advising members of the Royal Family and aristocracy, and is also a forward-looking and comprehensive private client practice with international expertise.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Withers LLP is a first tier firm,

Withers LLP has an ‘exceptional’ practice, led by Richard Cassell and ranging from personal tax and succession planning to charitable legacies, international probate and family offices. Clients appreciate the firm’s international reach, particularly in the US, and consistently rate Penelope Williams, Samantha Morgan, Katie Graves, John Riches and Sophie Dworetzsky. Recent hires include Olga Boltenko from Hogan Lovells International LLP.

Within Administrative and public law, Withers LLP is a third tier firm,

At Withers LLP, Jennifer McDermott advises the Spoliation Advisory Panel on fair process and freedom of information issues. The team continues to advise the Barclay brothers on a judicial review brought against the amendments of the feudal constitution of Sark, and in a further complaint relating to Sark’s shipping regime. Consultant Harvey Knight acts for individuals being investigated by the FSA. Paul Matthews is recommended for his coronial law expertise.

Within Commercial property Commercial property

Within Brand management, tier 4

Hugh Devlin at Withers LLP is a leading player in the luxury brands sector, advising on Emma Watson’s collaboration with People Tree and Aitor Group’s collaboration with Umbro for the England 2010 World Cup strip. Kenneth Mullen is commended for his ‘commercial approach’.