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Darbys Solicitors LLP

52 NEW INN HALL STREET, OXFORD, OX1 2DN

What we say about the firm's legal practice in South East

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40: , tier 5

Darbys Solicitors LLP has continued to consolidate its position in the marketplace, appointing Stuart Malcolm to head up the corporate practice in April 2008. The team recently advised a world-renowned charity on a £25m venture fund formation. Clients highlight the team’s ‘professional, yet informal and responsive‘ approach, singling out ‘user-friendly‘ partner Nick Hedges.

Crime, fraud and licensing

Within Crime, Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP fields a large, four-partner practice headed by Jenny Harvey, who specialises in cases of fraud and serious sexual offence. As well as defence work, the practice has acted for prosecuting authorities; Michael Geeson successfully prosecuted a publican flouting the smoking ban on behalf of a local authority in 2008.

Within Licensing

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40: , Darbys Solicitors LLP is a third tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP’s Henry Mendus is recognised as a ‘good commercial litigator‘.

Finance

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Elizabeth Taylor is a ‘very wise head‘ at Darbys Solicitors LLP, backed by Howard Roberts and ‘rising star‘ Caroline Benfield. The team includes two licensed insolvency practitioners.

Human resources

Within Employment Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40: , Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Clients rate Darbys Solicitors LLP’s employment team for its ‘responsive and reasonably priced‘ service. The team acts for a number of Oxford’s colleges and independent schools, as well as the London Welsh rugby team. David Parry ‘gives practical advice that draws a clear distinction between legal niceties and practical consequences‘.

Insurance

Within Clinical negligence - claimant, Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP’s team was strengthened by the arrival of former Boyes Turner partner Richard Money-Kyrle in September 2008. Practice head Helen Niebuhr can ‘cut through a case and see the key elements‘.

Private client

Within Family Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40: , Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP’s three-partner team has the capacity to advise on complex, high-value matters, and has recently been involved in assets in the US. Catherine Eddy, Victoria Smith and William Selby-Lowndes are recommended.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40: , Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP’s well-respected private client practice has been handling the intestacy of a UK-domiciled Spanish resident with an Eastern European spouse, involving assets in a number of jurisdictions and immigration issues. Siân Jeffrey leads the team, with Gail Donaldson also recommended.

Public sector

Within Local government , Darbys Solicitors LLP is a second tier firm,

Deborah Ceadel at Darbys Solicitors LLP acts for local authority clients on planning law matters, while the firm also advises clients on social housing and council tax fraud issues.

Real estate

Within Commercial property Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40: , Darbys Solicitors LLP is a third tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP is highly active in the Oxford area, working for educational institutions, charities and local authorities on sales, acquisitions and secured lending. ‘Speedy in his response and commercial in his advice‘, Mark Taylor recently acted on the sale of a site to Tesco on behalf of a pension fund.

Within Planning, Darbys Solicitors LLP is a third tier firm,

Darbys Solicitors LLP’s Deborah Ceadel is ‘very able and reliable‘.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Sport

What we say worldwide

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South East

Offices in Oxford

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
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