The Legal 500

CARLTON HOUSE, 16-18 ALBERT SQUARE, MANCHESTER, M2 5PE

What we say about the firm's legal practice in North West

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial: Manchester , tier 5

Nexus Solicitors recently advised on the £5m sale of Multidesign Holdings Limited to Mott McDonald Group, and acts for a number of clients in the media sector. Practice head Jamie Lloyd is recommended.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation: Manchester , tier 6

Nexus Solicitors’ three-partner team has recently handled shareholder disputes and professional negligence claims.

Finance

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, tier 4

Nexus Solicitors has made good progress since the arrival of Andrew Tonge. Clients include KPMG, BDO and Leonard Curtis.

Human resources

Within Employment, tier 4

Nexus Solicitors recently acted for 60 claimants in a multimillion-pound TUPE claim. Carl Moran is the lead partner.

Real estate

Within Commercial property: Manchester, tier 5

Nexus Solicitors represented car park operator APCOA on the leasehold acquisition of a multi-storey car park in Sheffield in 2008. Des O’Driscoll heads the three-partner department.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Intellectual property and information technology, tier 4

Also recommended are: Berg Legal, where Stephen Foster is the lead partner; Gorvins, where Tim Dennis is recommended; JMW Solicitors LLP, whose clients include Jemella, owner of the ghd haircare brand; Lawson Coppock & Hart, which advises on copyright, trade marks and other intellectual property rights; Neil Myerson Solicitors, where Carl Newton handles IP matters; Nexus Solicitors, where Tony Brook is the lead partner; Ralli Solicitors, where Stephen Kuncewicz is the key contact; and Weightmans LLP, where John Schorah handles IP and IT matters.

Within Media and entertainment, tier 4

Nexus Solicitors acts for stadium and arena operator SMG.

Within Sport, tier 4

Nexus Solicitors advises a number of sports personalities on privacy, defamation and IP issues. The team also acts for sports management consultancies and sports newspapers. Tony Brook is recommended.


Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • Changes to the child visitor immigration rules from 1 January 2010

    From 1 January 2010, students from countries outside the European Economic Area will be able to apply to enter the UK for up to six months on an exchange or educational visit to a state-maintained school, a non-maintained special school, an independent fee-paying school or an independent non fee-paying school. They will not require entry clearance, unless they are nationals of countries who require a visa to enter the UK.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
  • Introduction of biometric processing for tier 2 in-country applications  - a reminder

    Regulations extending identity cards for foreign nationals (ICFN) to skilled workers came into force on 6 January 2010. All tier 2 applications made inside the UK now involve the enrolment of the applicant's biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
  • Pulling the plug on a television documentary:a case study

    Out of the blue, you receive a call from a broadcaster proposing to feature your company in a prime-time documentary. The broadcaster tells you that they have footage covertly filmed inside the company by a former employee, accompanied by sensational stories from the same source. After carrying out initial enquiries, you ascertain that the former employee left on bad terms, the footage is staged and the stories are, in some instances, untrue and, in others, wildly exaggerated. You must stop the broadcast. Your next two calls are to your PR or communications team and your media lawyers. These teams will work alongside each other to apply just the right amount of pressure on the broadcaster to ensure that the story is dropped. You gather your team around you and prepare as much information as possible to hand over to the media lawyers.
    - Schillings
  • Stop the press:the Reynolds defence

    Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd & ors [2001] established a new defence for libel claims in which the story is in the public interest and the publisher acted ‘responsibly’. The Reynolds defence is designed to protect serious investigative journalists acting in good faith and reporting on matters of public interest. Even where allegations are false and hugely damaging to the subject of the publication, publishers can make use of this defence. However, Reynolds has also provided a useful tool for subjects to delay, if not prevent, publication of defamatory allegations.
    - Schillings
  • Fire safety: a burning legal issue

    Heralded as the biggest overhaul of fire safety legislation in 40 years, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) 2005 was introduced in April 2006 with the intention of streamlining existing legislation, reducing the burden on business and improving safety by allowing fire authorities (the bodies responsible for fire brigades in each area) to concentrate on high-risk premises; all of which are laudable aims. But over three years on what’s been the reality?
    - Bond Pearce LLP
  • Terminal traps in insurance contracts

    The terms of any insurance contract can be categorised as conditions, conditions precedent, warranties, or terms delimiting the risk. The status of conditions and warranties in mainstream contract law is reversed in insurance law. Breach:
    - Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  • Samsun Logix and developing cross-border insolvency issues

    With the ever-increasing trend towards globalisation, it is often observed that there are few businesses of reasonable size that do not trade across borders. At this difficult economic time, many are likely to have overseas suppliers, contractors, counter-parties and customers undergoing financial difficulties. For these businesses, cross-border insolvency issues are cropping up frequently. At the same time, the law is rapidly developing, with cases on cross-border insolvency issues regularly brought before the English and foreign courts.
    - Holman Fenwick Willan
  • Agreement finally reached on EU telecoms reform package

    On 5 November 2009 the European Commission announced that the European Parliament and Council of Ministers had finally reached an agreement on the issues outstanding in the reform of the EU Common Regulatory Framework for Communications (CRF). Disagreement between the European Parliament and the member states (via their position in the Council) earlier this year had threatened to significantly delay the vital reform of the CRF.
    - SJ Berwin LLP
  • Dispute resolution clauses in IT contracts

    Given the relatively frequent occurrence of disputes over contracts for the supply of software and IT services, dispute resolution provisions are an important feature. In the recent case of Ericsson AB v Eads Defence and Security Systems Ltd [2009], the High Court had an opportunity to consider such provisions and their relationship with rights of termination and remedies under the contract.
    - SJ Berwin LLP
  • Under review: current consultations and market studies

    THE EU and UK competition authorities are carrying out several consultations on revised legislation and guidance, as well as a number of market studies.
    - Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP