The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North West, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Bolstered by the recent arrival of Gill Gardner from Oglethorpe Sturton & Gillibrand, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s two-partner Preston-based team goes from strength to strength, and is picking up increased market share in Lancaster and Cumbria, with advisory work a more prominent factor over the past 12 months. Department head John Boydell advised Blackpool Borough Council on the £5m investment in Blackpool Pleasure Beach to fund a new theme park.

Within Corporate and commercial: Liverpool, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s nine-partner team has a strong offering for a predominantly owner-managed and SME client roster. Although its focus is on the mid-market, notably the group recently advised Nationwide Autocentres on its £73.2m sale to Halfords. Team head Denise Walker is recommended. The firm recently joined forces with the Steve Stuart Partnership to create a complementary corporate finance advisory service.

Within Corporate and commercial: Manchester, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a third tier firm,

One of the largest offerings in the region, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s nine-partner team benefits from deeply entrenched ties with the local business community, and has been kept busy with a steady flow of largely mid-market transactions. Team head Tony Harper advised ASK Development Group on the disposal of residential development company Abito, while David Bowcock acted for Daisy Group on its acquisition of Fone Logistics. On the commercial side, the department continues to advise a number of well-known brands.

Within Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in the North West, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Headed by Stuart Irons, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP handles a range of commercial litigation and contentious probate matters.

Within Commercial litigation: Liverpool, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

Responding to increased client demand, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP bolstered its offering with the recent recruitment of three assistants. The ‘very helpful and responsive’ Jacqui Lloyd is regularly involved in the most significant mandates handled by the team, such as its recent success for an engineering company seeking monies outstanding following services provided. Mark Manley is well regarded for mediation, while team head Paul Lunt has an excellent pedigree in shareholder disputes.

Within Commercial litigation: Manchester, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a third tier firm,

‘Excellent in all respects’, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP handles work across the piece including commercial fraud, contract and professional negligence disputes. Litigation involving the recruitment industry is a growing area of strength, with a team led by Jeff Lewis successfully recovering a six-figure sum for Frontline Recruitment in a dispute with Seabrook Crisps relating to unpaid fees.

Within Debt recovery, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, under Tony Foley, has been focusing on tailor-made debt collection services for the firm’s commercial clients. Clients include Deloitte and McArthur Group.

Within Banking and finance, tier 4

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s five-partner banking team, across Manchester and Liverpool, provides a ‘good service’ to a lender-focused client roster that includes Lloyds, RBS and Santander. Team head Tony Harper has an excellent reputation for corporate finance and, along with Charlotte Round, recently advised a major bank on the acquisition finance facilities provided to a healthcare provider.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, tier 5

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s Paul Lunt ‘understands the law and gets results’.

Within Employment, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

The team at Brabners Chaffe Street LLP undertakes a large volume of tribunal litigation work, and was recently appointed as sole provider of employment litigation services to AXA. The team also has a strong reputation in the sports sector. Lydia Edgar and Nick Campbell are both recommended.

Within Regional review, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

With offices in Manchester, Liverpool and Preston, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP has excellent coverage in the region, and the fact that the firm has not had to make any significant staff cutbacks during the past 18 months is indicative of a strong pipeline of work, particularly in corporate and commercial property. The firm has a very accomplished private client offering, and can also lay claim to one of the best sports practices not just in the region but also nationally.

Within Agriculture and estates, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s team continued to grow with the addition of Claire Gregory from Squire Sanders Hammonds and Rachel Watkin from Halliwells.

Within Charities, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP has an extremely strong team, advising a diverse range of clients on complex issues. The highly recommended Stephen Claus has substantial experience in litigation, regulatory matters, and formation and governance issues.

Within Family, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

Helen Marriott is ‘superb in the field of ancillary relief’’, and heads up the family team at Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, whose clients include a number of high-profile sports clients.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

The already strong team at Brabners Chaffe Street LLP was bolstered by the firm’s merger with David Bishop & Co, bringing trusts, wills and tax specialist David Bishop, and the hire of David McGurnaghan from Halliwells. Mark Feeny, Duncan Bailey and David Renison are all highly recommended.

Within Health, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a third tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP has continued to strengthen its corporate capabilities in the sector, with the addition of Gill Gardner in the Preston office from Oglethorpe Sturton & Gillibrand. The team is currently undertaking cutting-edge work involving corporate structures for public-private joint ventures for healthcare practitioners.

Within Commercial property: Elsewhere in the North West, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s Ross Shine has an excellent reputation across the full spectrum of commercial property work, including development, landlord and tenant matters, and infrastructure projects. Clients include CSL, Dixon Adflow, and Lancashire Police.

Within Commercial property: Liverpool, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

At Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, Jeff Gillbanks’ ‘strong’ team has the critical mass to handle a wide variety and high volume of deals, and has been particularly active recently in public sector regeneration, retail and development work. Clients include Maple Grove Developments, Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority and SITA UK. Chris Parkinson focuses on the development and regeneration of urban and brownfield sites, and has handled a slew of mandates for Ainscough Strategic Land. Mark Glenville leads on property finance matters, while Karen Murphy leads the residential development team following the firm’s merger with specialist property firm Murphy Hodgkinson.

Within Commercial property: Manchester, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a third tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s Peter Marsden deals with Manchester United FC’s property work, including the club’s major stadium expansion projects, and the presence of the well-respected Tony Fitzmaurice has considerably raised the team’s profile in the market. Matthew Dobson has a particular expertise in development and investment property and acts for Ask Developments, Seddon Development and Nationwide Building Society, among others.

Within Construction, tier 4

At Brabners Chaffe Street LLP in Liverpool, Ian Hardman has a good reputation for both contentious and non-contentious matters. He recently advised Westville Developments on the procurement of new student accommodation in Liverpool.

Within Planning and environment, tier 4

At Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, Kevin Halewood advises public and private sector clients on planning appeals, CPOs and development work. On the environmental side, associate Claire Gregory recently joined from Squire Sanders Hammonds and heads up the team.

Within Property litigation, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

Recently strengthened by the arrival of Rachel Watkin from Halliwells, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP has strength across its Manchester, Liverpool and Preston offices. Jeff Lewis has an excellent reputation for landlord and tenant disputes, and is currently representing St James Securities and Bridgewater Place in the defence of a £1m dilapidations claim.

Within Social housing, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Based out of the firm’s Liverpool office, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s ‘professional and knowledgeable’ five-partner team provides ‘clear and unambiguous advice’ to an impressive client roster including Arena Housing Group, Cosmopolitan Housing Association and South Liverpool Housing Group. Team head Alistair Fletcher and Ian Alderson are ‘unafraid of making difficult decisions, and are approachable and very understanding’.

Within Intellectual property, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a second tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is best known for its advice in relation to brand protection in the sports industry, but acts for a number of other household names in other sectors, including Corgi Group Limited. The practice includes patent, unregistered design rights and copyright issues. Nik White is ‘extremely knowledgeable about the games industry’, and ‘an excellent negotiator’.

Within Media and entertainment, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP acts for some high-profile clients in this area, including Bauer Media, and Rippleffect (now part of Trinity Mirror Group). Nik White and Jason Smith lead the teams in Liverpool and Manchester respectively.

Within Sport, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP is a first tier firm,

The team at Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, led by Maurice Watkins, has a strong track record in football and now acts for more than three quarters of the clubs in the Premier League. Its regulatory practice is spreading to include other sports such as rugby union, rugby league, swimming and cycling.