The Legal 500

Within Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a third tier firm,

Manchester-based Jan Levinson heads the well-respected team at Beachcroft. Clients include various NHS trusts and a variety of insurers. The practice has ‘a good reputation in the market’, as a ‘strong performer’.

Within Employment: West Yorkshire, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a second tier firm,

Beachcroft’s ‘consistently good’ 26-fee-earner employment team extended its reach in the commercial, insurance and local authority sectors in 2010, and sits on several prominent panels, including the BUPA panel. National head of health employment Rachael Heenan heads the department in Leeds.

Within Health and safety, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a second tier firm,

Ruth Winterbottom heads the ‘very good’ group at Beachcroft, which has been acting for a number of trust boards and health estates as well as NHS trusts. Associate Chris Baranowski is recommended.

Within Clinical negligence: defendant, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a second tier firm,

Beachcroft’s ‘excellent’ team handled a significant volume of work for NHS bodies in 2010, and also assists clients in the private sector. Its expertise includes catastrophic injury, birth and spinal injury cases. Paul Taylor heads the practice.

Within Personal injury: defendant: Leeds, West Yorkshire, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘very knowledgeable’ team at Beachcroft represents major insurers including Aviva and Zurich Insurance, and in 2010 made significant changes to its claims department, creating 11 specialist product lines including credit hire and strategic litigation. Associate David Williams is ‘very impressive’, and Ruth Winterbottom, who leads the team, is ‘excellent in both the regulatory field and with civil claims’ and ‘a very safe pair of hands’.

Within Professional negligence: defendant, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a first tier firm,

Noted for his ‘good level of expertise’, associate Duncan Greenwood heads Beachcroft’s well-regarded professional negligence practice, whose significant clients include Aviva, Countrywide and QBE.

Within Project finance and PFI, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a second tier firm,

Beachcroft’s practice is led by Frank Suttie and includes Eve Gregory, who joined in 2010 from Eversheds LLP. Recent highlights include advising Johnson Service Group in its acquisition of eight PFI contracts from administrators to Jarvis. It is also advising Liverpool City Council and other local authorities on BSF projects.

Within Education, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a second tier firm,

Beachcroft has benefited from the arrival of Eve Gregory from Eversheds LLP, who jointly leads the team with Frank Suttie. It has been busy working on student accommodation schemes, and was also appointed by Bradford City Council on the transfer back to the authority of its education service functions.

Within Health, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a first tier firm,

Led by Rachael Heenan, the team at Beachcroft advises both public and private sector clients, including BUPA. It acts for some 80% of the trusts in the Yorkshire and Humber area, including Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and Leeds PCT.

Within Local government, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a second tier firm,

Frank Suttie leads the team at Beachcroft, which in 2010 advised on a package of local authority PFI projects to be salvaged from the Jarvis plc administration. It also won new instructions from the councils of St Helens and Bradford. The team was bolstered by the arrival of Eve Gregory from Eversheds LLP.

Within Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a third tier firm,

Beachcroft is renowned for its capabilities in the public sector, and also has private sector clients including The General Practice Group and DB Schenker Rail. Simon Sherwood provides ‘a pragmatic, client-focused service, and demonstrates commitment’. Virginia Clegg is also recommended.

Within Construction, DAC Beachcroft LLP is a third tier firm,

Beachcroft’s practice is led by the ‘extremely impressive’ Andrew Marsh, who specialises in contentious work alongside Simon Arnold. Associate Christine Burrows focuses on the non-contentious side. Clients include Liverpool City Council and General Practice Group.