Banking and finance in East Anglia

Birketts LLP has an eight-partner finance practice across its four offices, and handles a broad range of conventional lending, real estate and acquisition finance, as well as assisting clients in the agriculture and property development sectors. It also handles invoice discounting, trade finance, Islamic finance and a variety of banking matters for clients including HSBC and Lloyds Bank. Mark Henry in Ipswich is the lead partner and he works closely with James Allen in Cambridge, who has a niche practice in the financing of mobile home parks, and partners Alex Schaafsma in Cambridge and Andrew Tubb in Ipswich.

Mills & Reeve LLP is praised for providing 'the benefit of good lawyers without London prices or arrogance'. The firm's national banking and finance practice includes a highly regarded real estate finance team that handles complex and high-value transactions across the UK. The firm acts for large corporate borrowers and major universities in their funding activities, as well as advising banks such as HSBC. Corporate and acquisition finance partner William Roles leads the practice from Cambridge, where not-for-profit finance specialist Sarah Seed and real estate finance partner Laura Holdaway are pivotal figures in the practice. Zak Virgin in Norwich is the key contact for asset-based lending. Cambridge-based principal associates Matthew Howling and Frances Churchard also specialise in banking and finance.

Based in Bury St Edmunds, Greene & Greene handles a national portfolio of banking and finance work, with a growing number of matters for clients based in London. The firm acts predominantly for borrowers in domestic and cross-border transactions, with recent transactions involving the US, Hong Kong, Malaysia and many European countries. Solicitor advocate and barrister Simon Ratcliffe leads the practice. Corporate finance partners Neil Walmsley and Mark Daly, and corporate partner Mark Whittaker, who joined from gunnercooke LLP, are also involved in large transactions.

Howes Percival LLP has 'good communicators, internally and externally, providing efficient service'. The practice, which is spread across East Anglia and the East Midlands, advises on large term and revolving credit facilities, financial covenant resets and waivers of breaches, as well as the full range of real estate finance matters. Joanna Nicholls is the lead banking partner in Norwich. Head of real estate Tessa Haskey also handles commercial property and banking matters. She frequently acts for private lenders in relation to property security, as does property partner Steven Beach in Cambridge.

Greenwoods GRM in Peterborough is heavily involved in portfolio refinancing and finance-related litigation. As well as acting for banks and borrowers, the firm has also recently handled disputes alleging that investors were fraudulently misled in share acquisition transactions. Corporate partner Alastair Gunn and litigation senior associate Jamie McConnell are the main contacts. Partner Samantha East specialises in development and investment funding for real estate clients.