The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the East Midlands, Gateley is a first tier firm,

A highlight of 2010 for Gateley in Leicester was its appointment by Chinese car manufacturer Changan to advise on the establishment of its UK R&D subsidiary. A big draw for clients is the ‘commercial and very realistic’ Gareth John, who has ‘a very good, non-confrontational style and is an accomplished negotiator. Importantly, he is accessible and responsive’. The cross-office team also advises Aurum Group and Dunelm.

Within Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby, Gateley is a second tier firm,

A steady stream of transactions, with a combined deal value of £100m, kept Gateley busy in 2010, with clients awarding ‘very high marks for pragmatism, no-nonsense advice and drive to get things done on time and to budget’. Practice head Austin Moore stands out ‘particularly for his vast experience, charisma and pragmatism. He drives deals proactively and makes things happen’. Corporate finance specialist Mark Rutherford acted on several secondary buyouts and acquisitions for PJD Group and Paul Kilbride in 2010; and Anna Mayfield’s international financing and transactional experience was called into play on matters involving jurisdictions ranging from the Netherlands (a joint venture for the Thameling Group) to Cyprus and the US.

Within Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in the East Midlands, Gateley is a first tier firm,

Gateley is a force in complex tax and banking litigation, fielding specialist James Baird for asset recovery and related complex fraud actions. The group recently assisted a plc and a national lender in substantial professional negligence claims, and also handled a number of complex contentious probate matters. ‘Technically strong street fighter’ Chris Greenwell is highly rated.

Within Debt recovery , Gateley is a first tier firm,

Gateley’s experience includes high-value and complex cases, often involving intricately planned frauds with cross-border aspects. James Baird leads the team in providing legal advice and strategic guidance to prominent clients in the asset finance and leasing sector. Melanie Chell has moved to Shoosmiths.

Within Banking and finance, Gateley is a first tier firm,

Gateley provides a ‘first-class service’ in acquisition and property finance, with Gareth John, Mark Rutherford and Andy Matthews noted as ‘leading individuals – all are very commercial’. 2010 saw a significant amount of refinancing as well as lending work; highlights included advising Leicester University on a £20m loan from Barclays.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Gateley is a first tier firm,

Gateley’s dedicated corporate recovery practice acted for most of the UK clearing banks as well as various accountants in 2010, on financial restructuring and security enhancement matters.

Within Employment, Gateley is a first tier firm,

The ‘focused team of lawyers’ at Gateley handles tribunal work for BT, and also advises individuals on matters such as unfair dismissal and discrimination. Chris Finlay is ‘an extremely knowledgeable lawyer’ who gives ‘reasonable, prudent and pragmatic advice’.

Within Regional review, Gateley is a third tier firm,

Consistently strong in corporate and banking, Gateley’s East Midlands teams can now call on an increased national capacity; the firm added a new Manchester office through its acquisition of Halliwells’ commercial practice.

Within Commercial property: Elsewhere in the East Midlands, Gateley is a first tier firm,

Gateley’s recent activity has been based around corporate transactions, where associate Colin Gittus ‘seems to know his subject matter very well indeed’, across portfolio, development, transactional and secured lending matters. Development specialist Michael Park advised on the acquisition of a 350-acre warehouse site.

Within Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby, Gateley is a second tier firm,

Increasingly active in corporate recovery property transactions in 2010, Gateley receives instructions from nearly all the national lending banks and handles acquisitions for pension trustees. Andy Matthews acted on the acquisition of Corngreaves Hall for development in 2010; and ‘outstandingly good’ associate Elly Duggins advised a luxury goods retailer on store lettings. The ‘responsive, accurate, attentive and very reliable’ Adam Youatt joined from Shakespeares in May 2011.

Within Construction, tier 4

Gateley’s real estate and banking practices are complemented by associate Alex Smith’s capabilities in the negotiation and documentation of building contracts and construction security.

Within Intellectual property, Gateley is a second tier firm,

Jill Tomasin at Gateley is highly experienced in assisting major brands (including Aurum Group/Mappin & Webb) in the protection and exploitation of IP. In 2010 she dealt with trade mark disputes in Brazil, and defended parallel import claims in the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors.

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

Gateley demonstrates strong IT credentials, with instructions in 2010 including the licensing of an electronic trading platform to financial institutions; trading and website terms for online marketing; and software/hardware outsourcing advice in the public healthcare sector. Jill Tomasin is the key contact.