The Legal 500

HLW Keeble Hawson

1 CITY SQUARE, LEEDS, ENGLAND

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Yorkshire and the Humber

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire

Within Corporate and commercial: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, HLW Keeble Hawson is a third tier firm,

HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP has one of the largest corporate teams in Sheffield, headed by the firm’s managing partner Roger Dyson and with the added expertise of Nick Goulding. The group recently acted for Pressure Technologies in the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Al-Met from ABS Industrial Resources. It also advised on the £3.3m acquisition of Hydraton.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire

Within Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, HLW Keeble Hawson is a second tier firm,

HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP’s practice is led by Simon Lockley Warne, and is valued for its ‘excellent level of service’. Recent highlights include acting for a Sheffield engineering company in a claim against former directors for breach of fiduciary duty.

Within Debt recovery, HLW Keeble Hawson is a third tier firm,

Keeble Hawson acts for a number of the major UK steel stockbrokers as well as several large commercial groups.

Finance

Within Banking and finance, tier 5

HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP’s practice is led by Roger Dyson. It advises clients including Santander, Lloyds and Bank of Ireland.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, tier 4

HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP acts for a number of major insolvency practices including The P&A Partnership, Wilson Field and Abbey Taylor. Sheffield-based Ron Whitlam and Leeds-based David Guest are recommended.

Human resources

Within Employment: South Yorkshire, HLW Keeble Hawson is a second tier firm,

HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP gained Wilkinsons Hardware Stores and Cathelco as new clients in 2010. Barry Warne leads the four-fee-earner team.

Within Employment: West Yorkshire Employment: West Yorkshire

Insurance

Within Clinical negligence: claimant, HLW Keeble Hawson is a second tier firm,

The ‘first-class’ team at Keeble Hawson provides ‘very good customer service’, advising on specialist areas including birth injury cases and surgical and diagnostic errors and delays. The ‘superb’ Janet Baker, who leads the department, ‘works hard to achieve fantastic results’.

Within Personal injury: claimant , HLW Keeble Hawson is a third tier firm,

Keeble Hawson’s team, headed by the ‘well-respected and more than competent’ David Jones, continues to work for a range of trade union clients, and specialises in employers’ liability and occupiers’/public liability matters.

Private client

Within Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire:

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, HLW Keeble Hawson is a third tier firm,

Keeble Hawson’s ‘excellent’ team focuses on planning and offshore asset preservation matters for high-net-worth clients, as well as Court of Protection work. The ‘very professional’ George Connell heads the department, and the ‘approachable and professional’ Michele Todd is also recommended.

Real estate

Within Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire

Within Commercial property: Sheffield, South Yorkshire Commercial property: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Intellectual property , HLW Keeble Hawson is a third tier firm,

Keeble Hawson’s team advises on IP licensing agreements, notarisations and contentious matters. Rosemary Downs leads the team, which provides a ‘high-quality service’.


Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW
  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW
  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW
  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.