The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

‘Cool under pressure‘, Jonathan Procter leads a team at DLA Piper UK LLP that is described by clients as ‘one of the most professional around. Its business-focused attitude and responsiveness to client needs differentiates it from its competitors’. The team attracts a broad base of work, including some of the most enviable pieces of work going. Most notably, the team advised Foodvest on the £1.2bn sale of Foodvest Equity, one of the largest private equity deals of 2008.

Within Corporate and commercial: Sheffield, South Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s ‘overall level of service is exceptional’, and Richard May, who leads the four-partner team, is highly rated by clients for ‘his accessibility and speed of making things happen’. At the vanguard of the Sheffield market, the work handled in 2008 was of a typically high-calibre nature. Highlights included advising the management on the £945m institutional buyout of the Firth Rixson Group. Jon Kenworthy, Andrew Morris and Catherine Simister are all recommended.

Within Licensing, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP regularly advises clients on licensing applications and reviews, with particular expertise in cinema licensing and licensing issues arising from complex corporate transactions and disposals.

Within Banking litigation, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

Adam Ibrahim leads DLA Piper UK LLP’s banking litigation practice, which is said by clients to ‘handle situations superbly’. ‘Ahead of the pack’, the team acted on some very high-profile work including advising on a claim worth £100m.

Within Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

Headed by Paul Stone, DLA Piper UK LLP’s Leeds team enjoyed a fruitful year. Highlights included a major piece of international litigation valued at £1.4bn. The group provides ‘imaginative solutions that enhance the traditional client/solicitor relationship’.

Within Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

Ashley Mott’s team at DLA Piper UK LLP offers a ‘very good overall level of service, with excellent response times and a wide range of experts’. The group advised the Coal Authority in a high-profile case involving compensation claims. It is also well known for its expertise in relation to shareholder disputes. Stephen Sly is ‘extremely incisive and commercially minded, a real hard-hitter’.

Within Banking and finance, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s ‘very professional’ banking practice is headed by Sarah Day, who is praised for her ‘natural rapport with clients’. With particular experience in cross-border financings - such as its recent advice to a banking syndicate on the £130m purchase of CPP Group Holdings - the practice has capabilities in the sale and purchase of mortgage assets, asset-based lending and project finance. Mark Smith is recommended for his ‘great expertise’ in real estate finance.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

Headed by Mark Jackson and Duncan Mosley, DLA Piper UK LLP specialises in advising on high-value, complex bankruptcies and restructurings. The team is advising the administrator in the £1bn multi-jurisdictional restructuring of Dawnay Day.

Within Employment: South Yorkshire, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

‘Second to none’, DLA Piper UK LLP advises on the employment issues relating to business restructurings, industrial relations, and discrimination cases. Headed by the experienced Alan Chalmers, the team recently defended ICI in a unique age discrimination case involving redundancy issues.

Within Employment: West Yorkshire: , DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP targets high-value, complex assignments, and delivers ‘pragmatic, technically robust solutions’. The ‘sensibly commercial’ Adam Hartley demonstrated the firm’s capabilities when advising RBS on various multi-jurisdictional employment issues.

Within Health and safety, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

2008 saw DLA Piper UK LLP defend corporate manslaughter cases, in addition to handling incident-related advisory work, training, and company strategic reviews. The ‘excellent’ Teresa Hitchcock heads the practice, with Paul Burnley recommended for his contentious expertise.

Within Pensions, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s Vikki Massarano and Kate Payne regularly advise clients on complex pensions issues. The team recently advised Bovis Lend Lease in a strategic review of its pension arrangements, as well as Cape Industrial Services in relation to a ‘buy-in’ of pension liabilities by an insurance company.

Within Personal injury - defendant: North, East and South Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s Alan Dury heads a team that specialises in disease cases, as well as costs and motor claims. Also recommended is Alison Moss, who advised insurers, including Norwich Union and Zurich, on setting up a new protocol to deal with services and loss of earnings claims arising from the British Coal hand-arm vibration syndrome.

Within Professional negligence - claimant, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP has leveraged relationships with financial institutions to capitalise on an upsurge in banking and building society claims against professionals, placing it firmly in the first tier. Hugh Evans heads an expanding team.

Within Projects, energy and natural resources (including PFI), DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

Well-respected practitioner Sarah Day heads DLA Piper UK LLP’s broad-based projects team. Strengths include social housing, highways and waste management work. The team is also experienced in BSF, and recently advised Leeds City Council on the PFI elements of one such scheme. Other highlights included acting for Birmingham City Council on its highways maintenance and street lighting project, the largest of its kind to be procured.

Within Education, DLA Piper LLP is a third tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s Nick Maltby advises Leeds City Council on its ongoing BSF projects, while IT specialist Andrew Dyson is an active practitioner in this field.

Within Health, DLA Piper LLP is a third tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP continues to act for NHS Connecting for Health, the Department of Health agency, on its national IT programme, as well as on other projects including procurement. Mark Vipan is highly rated.

Within Local government, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP is the sole adviser to Leeds City Council on PFI/PPPs, and closed six during 2008 under partner Nick Maltby. The firm is also advising Sheffield City Council on its £650m PFI credit street lighting and highways maintenance project, and was instructed by a number of councils on the procurement for the South Yorkshire Digital Broadband project.

Within Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

The very well-regarded Tim Field leads DLA Piper UK LLP’s Leeds property team, offering ‘consistently exemplary promptness, attention to detail and attitude’. Despite a difficult market, the firm advised on one of the biggest investment disposals around, acting for the administrators of Dawnay Day on its property portfolio. The team attracts some exceptional clients, including Virgin Atlantic Airways and Arcadia Group. Neil Mclean is also recommended.

Within Commercial property: Sheffield, South Yorkshire:, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

With great public sector expertise, DLA Piper UK LLP’s Sheffield office has broad exposure in the local market acting for key clients such as Sheffield City Council. Nigel Howard heads the team, which has been advising on the regeneration of ahuge former steelworks site in Yorkshire. The firm continues to up its development expertise, and attracted a number of solid new clients such as Keepmoat andJ F Finnegan.

Within Construction, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s construction team, led by the well-respected Julie Morrissy, continues to operate at a high level. 2008 highlights included acting for the Olympic Delivery Authority on aspects of the North Olympic Park. The group attracted some high-calibre new clients, such as Jones Lang LaSalle, Sheffield Hallam University and GrantRail. Bruce Bentley is also rated.

Within Environment, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

At DLA Piper UK LLP, Teresa Hitchcock is very popular across the region, and her team continues to operate at the top of the market handling a spread of safety, health and environment work. The group is capable of handling cross-border mandates, and regularly advises a carbon fund client with operations across Eastern Europe. It is also highly rated for its experience in contaminated land issues and waste regulation.

Within Planning, DLA Piper LLP is a second tier firm,

‘The delight of DLA Piper UK LLP is that every member of their team offers the same friendly service and high quality of work’, says one client. Glenn Sharpe leads the team, advising clients such as Kirklees MBC on a major town centre regeneration scheme.

Within Property litigation, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s eminent property litigation practice is respected in the region, with clients saying the team ‘consistently provides very sound, appropriate and timely advice’. As well as winning a panel appointment for all of the University of Sheffield’s property work, 2008 highlights include advising Ibstock Brick in a dispute against Rotherham MBC. Petra Billing ‘is a very personable individual who has a happy knack of being able to explain the most complicated of legal principles in a very down-to-earth way’.

Within Intellectual property and information technology, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP’s respected IT department advised the Department for Work and Pensions on IT contracting strategies, as well as attracting private sector clients. IP matters included brand strategy and patent litigation instructions. ‘Problem solver’ Mark Vipan heads a team that includes ‘knowledgeable’ IP lawyer Chris Tulley.

Within Sport, DLA Piper LLP is a third tier firm,

DLA Piper UK LLP handles sponsorships, sports finance and restructuring. The firm recently advised Sheffield United on a £12.8m fundraising. Iain Bowler advises on sponsorship matters.

Within Regional review, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

The region still offers an excellent level of legal advice. After Leeds heavyweights Addleshaw Goddard LLP, DLA Piper UK LLP, Eversheds LLP, Hammonds LLP, Pinsent Masons LLP and Walker Morris, there is a comprehensive range of firms that stand as effective alternatives to the ‘Big Six’. These include a number of national firms, such as Cobbetts LLP, Watson Burton LLP, DWF LLP and Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Within Regional review, DLA Piper LLP is a first tier firm,

In Sheffield, a number of big names dominate. DLA Piper UK LLP, Nabarro LLP and Irwin Mitchell LLP all operate at the top of the market, followed closely by Halliwells LLP. However, a number of firms, most notably HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP, Taylor & Emmet LLP and Keeble Hawson, are hot on their heels.