The Legal 500

Back to Legal500 home

Schofield Sweeney

CHURCH BANK HOUSE, CHURCH BANK, BRADFORD, BD1 4DY, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 01274 306000
Fax:
Fax 01274 306111
DX:
11755 BRADFORD
Web:
www.schofieldsweeney.co.uk
Email:
Leeds, Bradford

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Yorkshire and the Humber

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, Schofield Sweeney is a second tier firm,

Hailed as ‘the firm to watch’, Schofield Sweeney provides a ‘service far beyond what might ordinarily be expected’. It recently advised Headland Media on the strategic acquisition of Newslink Services. Chris Schofield heads the team, which includes the ‘outstanding’ David Strachan.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire, Schofield Sweeney is a third tier firm,

Schofield Sweeney’s practice is headed by James Staton, who is ‘always pragmatic, intellectually sparky, and a pleasure to deal with’.

Human resources

Within Employment: West Yorkshire, Schofield Sweeney is a third tier firm,

The arrival of Alexandra Clements from Ward Hadaway has bolstered the team at Schofield Sweeney. She and the ‘pragmatic’ Simon Shepherd lead an ‘excellent and very professional’ team whose clients include JD Sports Fashion and a major waste recycling company.

Overview

Within Regional review,

Other notable firms in Leeds include Cobbetts LLP; DWF LLP; Gordons LLP; Clarion; and Schofield Sweeney; and they are set to be joined by Dickinson Dees LLP, which has recently announced plans to move its Yorkshire base to the city from York. Harrogate is home to McCormicks, while Hull’s leading players include Rollits LLP and Andrew Jackson.

Projects, energy and natural resources (including PFI)

Within Project finance and PFI, Schofield Sweeney is a third tier firm,

Andrew Hurst at Schofield Sweeney is regularly called on to advise in relation to the property aspects of NHS LIFT, PFI and other PPP mechanisms.

Public sector

Within Education, Schofield Sweeney is a second tier firm,

Schofield Sweeney has a ‘very good’ team, and in 2010 continued to advise on the establishment of academies and trust schools, including Kings Science Academy in Bradford and the North Tyneside Learning Trust. Practice head Graham Shaw is ‘knowledgeable, and inspires confidence’.

Real estate

Within Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire, Schofield Sweeney is a third tier firm,

At Schofield Sweeney, the partners are ‘well connected’ and the practice ‘provides a seamless service’. The team is headed by Darren Birkinshaw and includes Richard Innes, who joined in 2010 from Walker Morris. Recent highlights include acting for Handelsbanken in the refinancing of a property portfolio valued at over £60m.

Within Property litigation Property litigation

Within Social housing, Schofield Sweeney is a second tier firm,

Schofield Sweeney’s Andrew Hurst is highly regarded in this area.

Further information on Schofield Sweeney

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Schofield Sweeney in other jurisdictions.

South East

Yorkshire and the Humber

Offices in Bradford and Leeds

Search News and Articles

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
© 2012 www.legal500.com