The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘very good’ Nigel Williams heads up Dickinson Dees LLP’s corporate practice in the Tees Valley, and recently represented Wilton Engineering Services in its £16m disposal of a minority stake to Barclays Private Equity.

Within Corporate and commercial: Newcastle, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The team at Dickinson Dees LLP recently represented Grainger plc on Grainger Equity Release’s £40m takeover of Sovereign Reversions plc and its associated joint venture with Moorfield Real Estate. Adding to the firm’s strong record in public company work, Jamie Pass acted for OpSec Security Group plc on a £15.7m investment into the company by Investcorp Technology Partners, the first private investment in public equity transaction to be concluded in the North. Simon Watts and Tom Fitzpatrick jointly lead the team, which has also been active in the life sciences sector. Nigel Bellis retired in 2010, and the team has also seen the recent departure of leading individual John Flynn, who is set to join DWF LLP.

Within Corporate tax, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP recently acted for the University of York in a complex, high-value joint venture arrangement for the provision of student accommodation. Jeremy Smith is the key figure.

Within EU and competition, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP is advising on a merger clearance for a plc, a Chapter I cartel case, and compliance programmes for Arriva and Go-Ahead. The experienced Neil Warwick is the central figure.

Within Licensing, Dickinson Dees LLP is a third tier firm,

At Dickinson Dees LLP, Stuart Wardlaw’s team represents applicants and objectors at licensing hearings, and handles new premises licence applications.

Within Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in the North, Dickinson Dees LLP is a second tier firm,

Craig Monty divides his time between Dickinson Dees LLP’s Newcastle and Tees Valley offices, and continues to have a flourishing pensions litigation practice.

Within Commercial litigation: Newcastle, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Craig Monty, who provides ‘sound and pragmatic advice’ and splits his time between the firm’s Newcastle and Tees Valley offices, leads the ‘impressive’ team at Dickinson Dees LLP. Key highlights included representing PD Teesport in the high-profile trial relating to a £300m deficit in the Pilots’ National Pension Fund.

Within Debt recovery, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Associate Terry Phillips heads the ‘excellent’ team at Dickinson Dees LLP, which successfully acted for a school in recovering unpaid tuition fees and for a caravan site in relation to unpaid sites fees. New client gains include HM Plant and Street North East.

Within Banking and finance, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ team at Dickinson Dees LLP is praised for its ‘strong commercial approach’. Key highlights included acting for the University of Durham on its £70m funding facility from Barclays, and for RBS, HSBC and Lloyds TSB on several multimillion-pound funding facilities. Deborah Kirtley and John Ralph jointly lead the team, which includes a dedicated asset finance group.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery , Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP’s growing insolvency practice is ‘head and shoulders above the rest’, with ‘senior members who think outside of the box when required to generate pragmatic solutions’. The firm continues to represent banks, Big Four accountants and niche insolvency practitioners, and counts the Law Society, SRA and CBI as clients. Clients single out the ‘unique’ John Pennie as a ‘class act’.

Within Employment, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ team at Dickinson Dees LLP, which provides ‘prompt, appropriate, professional and rational’ advice, attracted IT and consulting services giant IBM as a new client, and was reappointed as the sole adviser to Durham University. It continues to act for Darlington Borough Council in equal pay litigation; recently defended the NHSLA in a test case concerning its 2004 pay and grading scheme; and advised a prominent social housing group on the reorganisation of its terms and conditions for 1,700 employees. The ‘outstanding’ Glenn Calvert heads the department, and Claire-Jane Nicol is ‘personable and incredibly knowledgeable’.

Within Health and safety, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP’s client roster includes several high-profile players in the manufacturing, agriculture, care home, retail and public sectors. Alison Gray’s team recently advised on multiple fatalities investigated by the HSE, and on various serious workplace injuries.

Within Pensions, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

At Dickinson Dees LLP, practice head Martin Poore recently led a team that advised a major multinational company on the merger of two multimillion-pound pension schemes. Notable clients include IBM, Procter & Gamble, Taylor Wimpey plc, and the Trustees of the Hiscox Pension Scheme. The practice now includes a dedicated litigation arm.

Within Regional review, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP is a ‘top-class outfit’ and is recognised as housing the region’s leading corporate and commercial practice, among others. Its pensions and wealth management practice groups also had a particularly impressive year. The firm has notably decided to move away from family and personal injury work.

Within Agriculture and estates , Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Simon Kirkup heads up the market-leading team at Dickinson Dees LLP, which includes Stefan Bainbridge, Andrew Farquharson, David Towns and Harry Chrisp on the non-contentious side, and Jen Smurthwaite and Elizabeth Allen on the contentious side. The team represents substantial estate owners and landowning organisations, and was recently instructed by various public and quasi-public bodies in connection with their rural property portfolios.

Within Charities , Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

At Dickinson Dees LLP, practice head Ros Harwood and Emma Moody are praised for their ‘exceptional communication skills and knowledge of the sector’. Recent highlights include advising new clients Senhouse Museum Trust and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle on incorporation matters.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP’s Alexander Dickinson ‘inspires complete confidence in clients, and gives clear and diplomatic advice in difficult situations’. David Dale leads the ‘first-choice’ team, which has a specialist offering in landed estates and heritage property, and provides bespoke wealth management services.

Within Energy, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Jonathan Hewitt’s team at Dickinson Dees LLP continues to advise CE Electric UK on initiatives for smart grids and low-carbon electricity works, and EDF Energy Renewables on its onshore wind farms.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI), Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP continued to advise St Helen’s Council on its BSF scheme, and Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside Fire and Rescue on its £60m joint procurement of 16 new community stations. Iain Greenshields heads up the ‘fantastic’ team.

Within Education, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘outstanding’ team at Dickinson Dees LLP provides education and procurement clients with ‘exceptional support’. The team is currently advising Newcastle County Council on the conversion of Gosforth School to an academy, and has a substantial practice advising university, college and school clients. ‘Education expert’ Rowan Ferguson, who is ‘second to none’, heads up the team.

Within Commercial property: Elsewhere in the North, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP’s Barbara Painter recently advised Croda Chemicals International on the sale of a redundant contaminated chemical site, and Buccleuch Property Fund on the sale of nine industrial units to Shell Pension Trust for £7.4m.

Within Commercial property: Newcastle, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

At Dickinson Dees LLP, Duncan Fisher specialises in private housebuilding matters, and practice head John Ralph is a property finance expert. The team secured new instructions from North Lincolnshire Homes and Homes for Heroes in 2010, and acted for Bellway in several multimillion-pound residential developments. Clients are quick to highlight its SIPP expertise.

Within Construction , Dickinson Dees LLP is a second tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP has a mixed transactional and contentious construction practice led by Simon Rowland and Nick Henderson respectively. Key highlights included advising FATA Spa on major worldwide construction projects, and closing the final new-build school for Middlesbrough Council under its £100m BSF programme. Simon Lewis is the national practice head.

Within Environment, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Stuart Wardlaw’s team at Dickinson Dees LLP advises major clients in the automotive, climate change and waste sectors, and also provides environmental compliance and regulatory enforcement advice.

Within Planning, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP’s Frank Orr and Katherine Brooker are praised for their ‘comprehensive and specialist knowledge, and their commitment to clients’. Key highlights included advising Hartlepool Borough Council on a compulsory purchase order relating to 200 plots of land, and acting for Culsmore on a stop notice and an application for planning permission.

Within Property litigation , Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The team at Dickinson Dees LLP advises housing associations, trusts and local authorities on a wide range of issues. Clients rate Jen Smurthwaite and Charlotte McMurchie.

Within Social housing, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Russell Hall heads up the strong team at Dickinson Dees LLP. It acts for many regional and national registered providers, such as Four Housing Group, Places for People and Gentoo.

Within Intellectual property, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘remarkable’ Mark Pearce heads up the team at Dickinson Dees LLP, which drafts IP licences and collaboration agreements, and undertakes trade mark filing and prosecutions. It is currently acting for Technical Fibre Products and Cropper plc in a complex action for misuse of confidential information, patent entitlement, database right infringement and passing off.

Within IT and telecoms, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Andrew Scott at Dickinson Dees LLP is praised for his ‘candour and open communication style, which allows for stimulating debate and swift decision making’. The team recently advised clients in the healthcare and banking sectors on outsourcing systems and services, and on the development and implementation of new systems. Key clients include Danske Bank A/S, AIB Capital Markets, and the NHS Business Services Authority.

Within Media , Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

Dickinson Dees LLP advises clients in the television and radio broadcasting sectors, and in the provision of media content via mobile networks. Key clients include CN Group, Zed Worldwide SA and Nova International, and recent highlights include advising new client Coolmore Productions on a £2m EIS fundraising matter. Jeremy Swift leads the team.

Within Sport, Dickinson Dees LLP is a second tier firm,

Peter Clark’s team at Dickinson Dees LLP advises Newcastle United FC, Nike UK and Umbro, together with international sportsmen and local sport and leisure clubs.

Within Transport, Dickinson Dees LLP is a first tier firm,

David Rewcastle is an expert in heavy rail matters and heads up the specialist team at Dickinson Dees LLP. Recent highlights include advising Southeastern Railways on the modification of its fleet. It also continues to act for Nexus on the tendering of a new operating concession for the Metro light rail transit system, and the introduction of £300m infrastructure improvements. Other clients include Go-Ahead, Arriva and the Department for Transport.