The Legal 500

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Davenport Lyons is a second tier firm,

While Davenport Lyons’ roster of media clients was to the fore in 2010, the team also advised on Millwall Holdings’ £7.5m cash raising, and Laximi BNS Holdings on the financing and acquisition of Colorama Pharmaceuticals. Michael Hatchwell leads the group.

Within Partnership, tier 4

Alon Domb’s team at Davenport Lyons ‘compares favourably on personal service and cost grounds’.

Within Fraud: civil , tier 5

Davenport Lyons has been advising in a high-profile fraud claim involving the application of the Gaming Act; and assisting MGN Limited in securing a worldwide freezing order.

Within Fraud: white-collar crime , Davenport Lyons is a third tier firm,

Davenport Lyons acted for Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly following his arrest as part of the SFO’s investigation into corruption by BAE, securing the withdrawal of all charges. Practice head Michael Hatchwell is ‘an inspirational team leader’, and Trevor Sears is also recommended.

Within Licensing, Davenport Lyons is a first tier firm,

Davenport Lyons acts for a large number of prestigious members’ clubs, restaurants and entertainment venues. It recently advised Westfield on a number of retail licences for its Stratford and White City premises, and continues to advise the Royal Household. The ‘proactive’ Thomas O’Maoileoin and the ‘excellent’ Alun Thomas are highly regarded.

Within Defamation and privacy, Davenport Lyons is a first tier firm,

‘Top-notch defendant practice’ Davenport Lyons provides clients with ‘commercial, sensible, clear and succinct’ advice, and has a ‘thorough understanding of the publishing industry’. It continues to act for notable clients such as MGN Ltd, Express Newspapers and Private Eye, and its ‘impressive’ client roster also includes HarperCollins, Carlton Books, and Macmillan Publishers. The ‘first-rate’ Kevin Bays and ‘personable’ and ‘dependable’ Robin Shaw are singled out, and the team’s more junior members are also ‘of the highest calibre’. Philip Conway left the firm in January 2011 to join Conway and Conway.

Within Employment, tier 7

At Davenport Lyons, practice head Marie van der Zyl and Nic Hart (a ‘very supportive, proactive adviser’) assist clients including Mott MacDonald and Penguin Books on contentious issues. The team recently acted for Stringfellows in a case concerning the employment status of lapdancers.

Within Immigration,

Also notable for their work in the area of immigration are: Clifford Chance; Davenport Lyons; Dundas & Wilson LLP; Eversheds LLP; Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP; Macfarlanes LLP; Paragon Law; Pinsent Masons LLP; RadcliffesLeBrasseur; Russell-Cooke LLP; Simons Muirhead & Burton; Steeles Law LLP; Travers Smith LLP; and Watson, Farley & Williams LLP.

Within Family, tier 6

John Burrell heads the family team at Davenport Lyons, which regularly handles pre-nups, divorce and cohabitation disputes.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, tier 5

The private client practice at Davenport Lyons advises the firm’s media clients on personal tax, trusts and probate. ‘Clever, knowledgeable and accurate’ practice head Jeffrey Cohen is ‘full of novel but workable ideas on tax and estate planning, and certainly thinks out of the box’. Leslie Powell and Linda Courtney are also recommended.

Within Commercial property, tier 6

Davenport Lyons, which ‘has a wide skills set for a firm its size’, acted for the Royal College of GPs on the multimillion-pound sale of its existing headquarters and the acquisition of Euston Exchange. Janet Ayres has ‘a professional approach and good strategic view’, Stuart Darlington pays ‘attention to detail and is very competent’, and Andrew Li is ‘extremely knowledgeable’.

Within Property finance, tier 5

Davenport Lyons is ‘very responsive, and provides good support on deals and understanding of the sector’. It joined HSBC UK’s corporate panel, acting for the bank on numerous investment and development debt facilities totalling £100m. Judith Gershon is ‘excellent, with a wealth of experience; very proactive’.

Within Property litigation, tier 5

Davenport Lyons recently advised the Berkeley Group on off-plan recovery work and litigation relating to developments in Caspian Wharf and Chelsea Bridge Wharf. Practice head Janet Ayres is recommended, and Janice Northover is ‘a real fighter’, particularly for LVT proceedings.

Within Franchising, Davenport Lyons is a third tier firm,

At Davenport Lyons, David Marchese is advising Dune and La Senza on international franchise agreements, and L’Occitane on UK franchise agreements.

Within Intellectual property, tier 5

At Davenport Lyons, Adam Glass advises designers such as William Tempest on trade marks and design rights. Jim Dennis, who joined from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP, represented mobile phone distributor Shebang Distribution against Google. Clients include Richemont International and Rude Health Foods. David Marchese is also recommended.

Within Media and entertainment, Davenport Lyons is a first tier firm,

Davenport Lyons’ expertise spans film, publishing and music. Its ‘very good’ film and TV team has expertise in financing and production, and is noted for its ‘quick response times’. Consultant Leon Morgan heads the practice, which recently advised on the production and financing of a film version of King Lear. Fraser Bloom advised Flutter Films on production and distribution issues, and Sam Tatton-Brown represented Coutts & Co regarding the financing for a children’s television programme. Robin Shaw advises publishers including HarperCollins and Random House, and the team also acts for MGN Ltd. Michelle Brown advised Bertelsmann/KKR on the £107m buyout of music publisher Chrysalis. Nigel Davies advises the management team behind Compact Media Group. David Marchese is ‘highly professional and well informed’, and Kevin Bays, Paul Mustafa, Richard Moxon and Adam Glass are also recommended.

Within Sport, tier 6

Davenport Lyons recently acted for Millwall FC and the London Marathon on broadcasting issues. Department head Stephen Hornsby ‘regularly goes way above and beyond the call of duty’.

Within Aviation, tier 5

The team at Davenport Lyons acts for IATA, which represents 93% of scheduled international air traffic, on day-to-day regulatory and governance issues, and was appointed as the sole adviser to IATA’s Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems. The group also acts for the Local Carrier Action Group and Agency Program Joint Council; serves as a facilitator with the Civil Aviation Authority; and has seen an increasing number of instructions regarding the acquisition and sale of executive jets. Trevor Sears is recommended.