The Legal 500

Clarke Willmott LLP

25 SOUTHAMPTON BUILDINGS, LONDON, WC2A 1AL, ENGLAND

What we say about the firm's legal practice in London

Dispute resolution

Within Debt recovery, Clarke Willmott LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘well-organised’ and ‘efficientClarke Willmott LLP acts for local authorities, managing agents and a number of utility companies. Previous work for longstanding client the London Borough of Harrow helped the firm win new instructions from the London Borough of Enfield, which has subsequently instructed the Taunton-based team in the recovery of unpaid liabilities in the region of £25m. The group continues to receive instructions from Welsh Water, and has recently taken on approximately 17,000 fresh cases for another new client, Thames Water. ‘Outstanding’ department head Jane Dunlop ‘runs a very tight ship’. Her team is praised for ‘quick response times’, and its ability to ‘grasp the intricate details of the more complex issues’.

Real estate

Within Social housing: finance, tier 4

Clarke Willmott LLP was appointed by Paradigm Housing Group and The Guinness Partnership to undertake charging work. It also acts for venture capital firm M3. Anne Hayward heads the team.

Within Social housing: local authorities and registered providers, Clarke Willmott LLP is a third tier firm,

Bristol-based Clarke Willmott LLP gives ‘excellent advice’. It recently opened a London office and has ‘strengthened its knowledge base’. It handles high-profile development work, such as advising East Thames on acquiring a 0.52-hectare site in Walthamstow with historic contamination. It also represents CityWest Homes, and undertakes charging work. Team head Anne Hayward is recommended, as is the ‘exceptional’ Jonathan Hulley.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

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

Clarke Willmott LLP’s ‘brilliant’ and broad-based team won new clients including Birmingham City FC, The Jockey Club, the London Wasps rugby union club, and Middlesex County Cricket Club. Newly promoted partner James Earl, who is a ‘good communicator’, recently advised Northern Racing and Arena Leisure. The ‘impressive’ Ben Harris, based in Bristol, advises on niche commercial issues, such as using social networking as an advertising platform. Practice head Trevor Watkins advised athlete Richard Whitehead on his attempt to challenge an International Paralympic Committee decision.


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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
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  • 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:
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue: