The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Manchester, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

‘Very client-centric, combining practicality and commerciality, with sound understanding of the law’, Addleshaw Goddard LLP handles significant transactions and commercial matters for clients such as Wolseley, Capita Group and Gazprom. Highlights included acting for Tata Chemicals on its £93m acquisition of British Salt, and advising PZ Cussons on setting up an international joint venture. The team includes Richard Thomas, ‘a superb lawyer – excellent at isolating and managing the key commercial issues, and he has a very good manner when dealing with others’; and the ‘technically excellent’ Richard Lee. M&A and private equity lawyer Neal Shepherd joined from DLA Piper UK LLP.

Within Corporate tax, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP acts for a cross-section of clients, including Standard Life, Bruntwood Estates and The Co-operative Group. Practice head Ed Jenkins advises on private equity deals.

Within EU and competition, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP handles a wealth of matters, including public procurement and state aid issues, and merger filings. The Mars Group, Manchester City Council, adidas, PZ Cussons and Brunner Mond are key clients. National practice head Phil McDonnell is ‘exceptionally good, and has pragmatism and the ability to identify issues quickly’. Jonathan Davey focuses on EU procurement and competition advice.

Within Banking litigation, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s practice spans financial regulatory, fraud, professional negligence, and mis-selling claims. It successfully defended a bank against a £40m claim in relation to a development project. Michael Isaacs leads the team, which acts for major UK banks and achieved new panel appointments with HSBC and Santander.

Within Commercial litigation: Manchester, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has ‘very good bench strength’. The team worked with colleagues in London in representing a number of defendants in the BTA Bank v Ablyazov litigation. Department head Susan Garrett is ‘of the highest calibre, and the best pensions litigator in the North of England’, and is currently acting for ITN on Part 8 proceedings. The ‘very able’ Mark Molyneux handles fraud matters, while John Gosling represents corporates in professional negligence claims.

Within Banking and finance, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

‘A first-choice firm’ with great strength in depth, Addleshaw Goddard LLP handles a wealth of corporate banking, real estate, acquisition and asset finance mandates, as well as financial restructurings for major lenders and corporate borrowers. Amanda Gray and Martin O’Shea are both ‘very knowledgeable, practical and proactive’ on leveraged and real estate transactions. Andrew Maskill is ‘a very commercial lawyer with considerable experience and expertise in asset finance’.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP is experienced in complex matters, and is noted for its focus on delivering ‘the best solution’ to issues. National head John Joyce advises lenders on restructurings, and Ged Barnes is also recommended. The firm acted for the administrators of TJ Hughes and Sports Media, and for JD Sports as purchaser of Blacks Leisure. Clients include major UK banks, and firms such as BDO LLP and Grant Thornton.

Within Employment, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has a ‘very good and very responsive’ team, and an impressive client list. It often appears on panels alongside Magic Circle firms, and is now the sole appointed firm for Barclays Bank’s tribunal work. Key partners include Andrew Chamberlain; and Malcolm Pike, who is ‘a first-rate lawyer, delivering great client service’, and a main adviser to British Airways. Jamie Hamnett successfully defended a high-value whistleblowing case. New panel appointments include HSBC and Santander.

Within Health and safety, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP remains active in HSE investigations and prosecutions, and has a large blue-chip client base, with representative names including Barclays and Amlin Insurance. Recent work includes acting in a gross negligence manslaughter case arising from a fatality at a manufacturing site. Adrian Bever left for a District Judge appointment.

Within Pensions, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has a strong pensions practice in Manchester, delivering an ‘exceptional level of service’. Rachel Rawnsley heads the practice, while Paul Carney heads the public sector team and is noted for his ‘practical attitude’. Clients include The Co-operative Group.

Within Professional negligence, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a second tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s John Gosling mainly acts for claimants. Clients include major lenders pursuing claims for negligent valuations and advice.

Within Regional overview, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has a strong regional brand, with strength and depth across the board in commercial services and a team able to compete effectively for national work. It continues to handle some of the most significant matters in the region, with particular strengths in corporate, finance and commercial property work.

Within Agriculture and estates, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s Alan Sturrock has considerable experience in agricultural and rural issues. The practice acts for a number of major estates, recently advising on a proprietary estoppel matter concerning a multimillion-pound estate and farm.

Within Charities, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a second tier firm,

Recent work for Addleshaw Goddard LLP includes advising charities increasing their involvement with commercial lenders and sponsors. Alan Sturrock is recommended.

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

Addleshaw Goddard LLP advises high-net-worth individuals on tax and trust issues, often handling work with an international element. The team also has expertise in succession planning matters for owner-managed businesses. Practice head Alan Sturrock delivers ‘excellent support’, and ‘very good-quality outputs’. Yorke Eaton is ‘very knowledgeable in trust law, and very user friendly’.

Within Project finance and PFI, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP continues to handle major public and private sector projects, including in healthcare, waste, housing and education. New client wins include Macquarie Capital, the Homes and Community Agency, and the City of London. Michael O’Connor heads the practice, with Richard Fleetwood focusing on education PPP ventures. Caroline Hilton moved to an in-house with Leighton Construction.

Within Education, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a second tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has a dedicated national team handling education matters for public and private sector clients, led by Nancy McGuire. Highlights included advising Manchester Metropolitan University in relation to its £60m business school. The Building Schools for the Future team remains busy, despite the demise of such schemes, with work continuing for sponsors and funders. Richard Fleetwood is recommended.

Within Health, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s team, led by Michael O’Connor, is ‘exemplary’, and gives ‘a depth of service’. It acts at the forefront of major PFI/PPP health projects, recently acting for Liverpool Life Sciences Park on a joint venture scheme and on the LIFT project in west London. As public funding diminishes, the practice has increasingly focused on privately funded work, for clients such as Assura Group and Mouchel Group plc.

Within Local government, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP continues to dominate the Building Schools for the Future and PFI markets, recently assisting Bradford MBC and Salford City Council with major projects. The team maintains its LIFT projects portfolio, and has acted on the majority of the scheme’s procurement projects in the north of England. In other sectors, it has become increasingly involved in outsourcing and regeneration projects. During 2011, it attracted a number of instructions relating to housing schemes, including advising councils and lenders on Extracare housing schemes.

Within Commercial property: Manchester, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

With six partners, the ‘well-regarded’ team at Addleshaw Goddard LLP is ‘large, but with good client focus’, and has remained busy thanks in part to a strong institutional client base. It advised The Co-operative Group on a large-scale mixed-use regeneration scheme near its HQ, and is also involved in Manchester Corridor project schemes, including the First Street and Manchester Business School redevelopments. Mark Haywood is noted for his ‘unquestionable knowledge and succinct advice’, and has ‘a solid commercial understanding’. Stephen Kinsey acts for Bruntwood and other regional developers and investors.

Within Construction, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘client-focused’ team at Addleshaw Goddard LLP is appreciated for its ability to deliver ‘bespoke solutions’, handling high-value projects and complex PFI/PPP disputes. The ‘commercially well informed’ Nancy McGuire gives ‘technically precise advice’, and leads on non-contentious matters, recently advising Abakus Solar on a wind farm development. Jonathan Tattersall handles contentious matters for contractors, investors, engineering companies and local authorities.

Within Planning and environment, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a second tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP fields a cross-office team, with Grant Anderson providing a ‘tactical and commercial perspective’ on planning matters. He acts for Sainsbury’s, and advised Muse Developments on the £220m Talbot Gateway regeneration project. Environmental lawyer Michelle Headridge’s focus includes regulatory investigations.

Within Property litigation, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s Charles Jagger heads a practice experienced in heavily contested litigation, and recently acted for Standard Life in High Court proceedings against a subsidiary of a US finance group. Key clients include United Utilities, Barclays Bank and the Health and Safety Executive.

Within Intellectual property, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s ‘efficient and diligent’ team has a very strong name for IP, and acts for high-profile clients such as Harrods, British Gas and Sainsbury’s on non-contentious matters. On the contentious side, Nick Rudgard provides ‘a wealth knowledge and experience’, and acts for Primark and BA. Recommended on the non-contentious side are Martin Lewis, who is ‘a safe pair of hands’; Paul Bentham; and James Whittaker.

Within IT and telecoms, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s team, led by Paul Bentham, acts for purchasers, and provides a ‘very good service that is always delivered in a professional manner’. Recent work includes advising The Co-operative Group and Peel Media on the creation of IT and telecoms infastructure for MediaCityUK. James Whittaker advised Sainsbury’s on a business-wide WAN/LAN with BT.

Within Media and entertainment, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a first tier firm,

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s team is increasingly active in advertising and marketing work, recently acting for ITV on advertising airtime sales agreements and also acting for British Gas. Other highlights included advising Sainsbury’s on event staging, broadcast and sponsorship arrangements for its ‘Super Saturday Concert’ event. James Whittaker is recommended.

Within Sport, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a third tier firm,

IPS Law is a niche sports firm with a ‘wealth of knowledge and contacts’. Chris Farnell is ‘second to none’, and assists leading football clubs in large commercial deals, disputes and complex regulatory issues. Paul Fletcher is ‘sharp, with a strong work ethos’; ‘his experience safeguards clients’ interests’. Addleshaw Goddard LLP has a focus on the commercial side, and recently acted for the Football League-owned FL Interactive on its digital platform for 86 football clubs’ websites. James Whittaker is ‘very bright and very efficient, and gives unambiguous advice’.