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Clarke Willmott LLP

138 EDMUND STREET, BIRMINGHAM, B3 2ES, ENGLAND
Taunton, Southampton, Manchester, London, Bristol, Birmingham

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

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial: Birmingham, tier 4

Clarke Willmott LLP acts for clients such as Evergreen Extra Group, Ingersoll Rand and West Midlands Special Needs Transport. The ‘knowledgeable and experienced’ Andrew Beedham is recommended for his private equity and private company M&A work, with Tony Powles the other key contact.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation: Birmingham, tier 4

Clarke Willmott LLP advised Ben Collins (The Stig) in his dispute with the BBC concerning the publication of his memoirs. Other clients include CSJ Planning Consultants and DTZ Debenhams Tie Leung. Owen Williams leads the team. Tom Read is now at Higgs & Sons.

Within Debt recovery Debt recovery

Finance

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery , tier 4

Clarke Willmott LLP has a ‘commercial and pragmatic approach’. It counts major names such as Bank of Ireland, BDO Stoy Hayward and Butcher Woods as clients, and continues to receive regular instructions on the personal insolvency side. Newly promoted partner Stephanie Slinn is a ‘strong team leader’.

Human resources

Within Employment, tier 5

Clarke Willmott LLP is ‘good value for money’. The group advised Trane on a redundancy programme, and also acted for clients such as Cotswold Lifts and Capital Dynamics.

Private client

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Clarke Willmott LLP is a third tier firm,

Against the background of the loss of the firm’s family practice in Birmingham, Robert Smeath’s team at Clarke Willmott LLP hired senior associate Gursharan Bunger from Young & Lee, and was appointed as successor to Arnold & Co Solicitors. Its focus is on advising Islamic clients.

Real estate

Within Commercial property: Birmingham, Clarke Willmott LLP is a third tier firm,

Clarke Willmott LLP is strong in the retail sector, with Jonathan Morton the lead partner. It advised Trine Developments on the refinancing and forward sale of part of a proposed mixed private and public sector residential apartment scheme. Significant clients include easyGroup, Gloucestershire PCT and Pochin Homes. Kathy Toon is now at Martineau.

Within Planning, Clarke Willmott LLP is a second tier firm,

Rebecca Warren heads a ‘strong team’ at Clarke Willmott LLP, which advised Evergreen Extra MSA Holdings on the planning and environmental due diligence for nine motorway service areas, and secured two significant wins for major clients at public inquiries. The Crown Estate is a client.

Within Property litigation, Clarke Willmott LLP is a third tier firm,

Clarke Willmott LLP represented a large-volume discount supermarket in successfully resisting a tenant’s application to proceed with a second arbitration. The ‘excellent’ Paul Knight heads the practice, whose other clients include Bruton Knowles.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Sport, Clarke Willmott LLP is a second tier firm,

Clarke Willmott LLP’s client base includes names such as Aston Villa FC, Birmingham City FC and Warwickshire County Cricket Club, while recent panel appointments include UK Sport and The Jockey Club. Trevor Watkins has ‘an excellent understanding of the commercial needs of clients in the sports sector’.

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Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • HOUSING

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
    - 11KBW

  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW

  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW

  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW

  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW

  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW

  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW

  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
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