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Devonshires

30 FINSBURY CIRCUS, LONDON, EC2M 7DT, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7628 7576
Fax:
Fax 0870 608 9390
DX:
33856 FINSBURY SQUARE
Web:
www.devonshires.com
Email:

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

Human resources

Within Employment, tier 8

Devonshires stands out for its ‘unrivalled knowledge of high-end employment issues in social housing’. Amanda Harvey is ‘charismatic and full of drive’; and Nicola Philp ‘has proven a steely negotiator’.

Private client

Within Charities and not-for-profit , tier 6

Andrew Crawford has a notable charities focus at Devonshires, which has particular expertise in regulatory issues.

Projects, energy and natural resources

Within Private finance initiative (PFI) , tier 6

Devonshires is strong on the housing and health side. In 2010, the team completed a share purchase on behalf of two registered providers relating to an existing PFI project.

Real estate

Within Social housing: finance, Devonshires is a second tier firm,

Devonshires advises on private placement and own-name bond issues for housing associations, with recent work including Circle Anglia Group’s £124m tap issue. Practice head Andrew Cowan is ‘a mine of useful information’. He and Julian Barker are outstanding.

Within Social housing: local authorities and registered providers, Devonshires is a second tier firm,

Adopting ‘an expert, comprehensive approach’, Devonshires’ ‘first-rate’ group advised the Salvation Army Housing Association (a registered provider) on becoming a subsidiary of The Salvation Army (a non-registered provider). Nick Billingham is a ‘recognised expert’, Mark London is ‘outstanding’, and Gareth Hall and practice head Andrew Cowan are also recommended.

Further information on Devonshires

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

London

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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