The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares (previously Berryman) has a strong corporate finance practice. Roger Harcourt takes the lead on panel work from Santander and Lloyds TSB, and advice to the group’s healthcare-sector clients. Head of corporate Duncan James focuses on MBOs, MBIs, and business sales and purchases. Patrick Billyeald’s insolvency expertise is brought to bear on corporate reorganisations and disposals in the group’s £1m-£30m deal range. Highlights for 2010 included advising the shareholders of technology company Managed Communications on its sale to Daisy Group; and acting on the €22.5m disposal of a Purico Group subsidiary to Finnish Ahlstrom Corporation.

Within Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares is ‘very client friendly, has a good understanding of its clients’ business needs, gives sensible and practical advice, and goes the extra mile’. New practice head Marie Evans joined from Roythornes LLP, replacing John Frith and adding to the existing team of Steven Skiba – noted for his ‘competence, clarity, avoidance of pitfalls’ – and ‘absolute terrier’ Kendal Litherland.

Within Debt recovery , Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares handles recovery work for businesses and landlords locally, and was strengthened by the arrival of Marie Evans from Roythornes LLP.

Within Banking and finance, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares’ team features Roger Harcourt, whose expertise includes healthcare sector financings. Clients include Lloyds TSB and Santander Corporate.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Carl Mifflin at Shakespeares specialises in corporate and personal insolvency and turnaround work. Work highlights in 2010 included the £3m sale of a caravan park by its administrators, and successful claims against the former directors of a company totaling £1m.

Within Employment, tier 4

Regional employment guru Hilary Campion has resurfaced at Shakespeares following the move of Ginny Hallam and her team to Geldards LLP in 2010. Areas of focus include senior executive severance packages, TUPE matters and tribunals.

Within Health and safety, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares’ business defence unit continues to represent several large plcs and bulk providers on health and safety, contentious environmental and regulatory matters. In 2010, Alan Millband’s Court of Appeal case R v Bodycote HIP clarified several sentencing principles.

Within Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant, Shakespeares is a second tier firm,

Shakespeares handles public authority instructions and is developing a dedicated motor trade claims unit under Virginia Harvey.

Within Regional review,

On the merger front, November 2010 saw the tie-up of Berryman with West Midlands firm Shakespeare Putsman LLP, the combined firm becoming known as Shakespeares in July 2011.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Shakespeares is a second tier firm,

The ‘speedy, efficient and friendly’ team at Shakespeares delivers a ‘first-rate service’ concentrating on tax and succession planning. The ‘sympathetic, knowledgeable, efficient’ Jacqueline Lewis and ‘incisive’ John Pears recently advised on the implications of shari’ah law in relation to a disputed estate, and the formation of a community interest company in the context of a charitable trading entity.

Within Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares has experience acting for a range of developer and investor clients, and assisted Bildurn Properties in relation to site assembly and development aspects of a mixed-use scheme, as well as acting on the purchase of investment properties from Wales to East Anglia, but recently saw the departure of practice head Adam Youatt to Gateley.

Within Construction, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

Shakespeares has the highly experienced Richard Brackenbury as its Nottingham-based practice head, advising medium-sized developers and contractors on mainly contentious issues. The firm also handled non-contentious matters relating to waste-to-energy projects and processing plants. The team was boosted by the addition of engineering and adjudication specialists in Birmingham, through its merger.

Within Property litigation, Shakespeares is a third tier firm,

With the departure of specialist property litigator John Frith, Marie Evans now leads on contentious issues for Shakespeares’ real estate clients, drawing on support from the West Midlands.

Within Intellectual property, Shakespeares is a second tier firm,

At Shakespeares, Ed Wright handles non-
contentious instructions relating to the creation and commercial use of IP in bioscience, engineering and pharmaceuticals. Scott Farnsworth left the firm to set up his own IP practice.

Within IT and telecoms, Shakespeares is a second tier firm,

At Shakespeares, Ed Wright acts for several leading-brand telecoms, engineering and motor clients, on matters such as outsourcing and turnkey agreements.

Within Sport, Shakespeares is a second tier firm,

Shakespeares advises on IP, licensing and employment issues, and is ‘great’ at putting in place commercial and constitutional documents for sports bodies, charities and individuals.