The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > East Midlands > Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby

Browne Jacobson LLP is widely recognised as a market-leading powerhouse for corporate and commercial work, a reputation reflected by its outstanding track record of advising on n high-profile matters. Its diverse client roster includes private equity houses and management teams, international corporates, listed companies and local businesses. Gavin Cummings heads up the firm's private sector practice. Another key figure is Nigel Blackwell, who has expertise in private equity transactions, such as MBOs/MBIs and investor-led buyouts. Mark Hughes is also recommended for his private equity deal experience. The healthcare sector is a notable area of strength of the firm; Oliver Pritchard acts for public, private and third sector healthcare organisations. Recently appointed head of business services Richard Medd specialises in advising public authorities on matters such as incorporations, and constitutional and governance issues. The firm also stands out in the commercial sphere, with its wide-ranging workload including agency and distribution agreements, franchise agreements and consumer protection matters; Paula Dumbill and Selina Hinchliffe are names to note. Victoria Gaskell and Helen Morgan are among the highly regarded associates at the firm.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Nottingham-based corporate team, which is led by Jon Cox-Brown, has a standout reputation for corporate M&A and private equity transactions of the utmost complexity and significance for clients. It is particularly strong in matters with a nexus to sectors such as education, energy and natural resources, real estate M&A, TMT and diversified industrials. Cox-Brown is recommended for his knowledge about financial services and fintech-related deals. Matthew Hussey and Ian Moore are particularly experienced in technology sector transactions. Elsewhere, the group is a strong performer in capital markets matters, including IPOs and public takeovers. Multijurisdictional mandates form the bulk of the practice's work, and the firm's ability to leverage its international network is a significant value-add. Nick Blane, who heads up the commercial practice, has more than 25 years of experience handling IT, technology and outsourcing projects. Legal director Simon White is another notable individual.

Freeths LLP, whose Nottingham team is part of a large national practice, demonstrates particularly strong capabilities in the healthcare sector, and is notably active in its work for care operators and funders. Elsewhere, it acts for a number of household names in sectors such as retail, food and drink, construction and automotive. National corporate head Karl Jansen has a particular focus on UK mid-market transactions, such as corporate acquisitions and disposals, MBOs/MBIs and private equity investments, John Heaphy, who leads the group in Nottingham, has an excellent record of advising owner-managed companies on deals.

Equally strong in transactional and commercial contracts matters, Geldards LLP has a sizeable following of domestic and international clients. Team head Debra Martin covers the full spectrum of corporate transactions, and her previous experience of working as a senior in-house counsel at 3i makes her well-placed to advise on private equity deals. Another practitioner with significant corporate finance experience is Peter Seary, who has acted for clients in sectors such as food and drink, pharmacy and manufacturing. Paul Feenan and Jenny Chatten are also recommended. Michelle Craven-Faulkner, who heads up the firm's commercial group, has formerly served as senior in-house counsel at Alstom Transport, and has overseen the growth of the firm's work in the rail sector; clients in this space include rail consultants, prime contractors and OEMs. Elsewhere, the practice marks an uptick in work from IT sector clients. In addition, the firm is particularly well-known for its work in the tennis and football industries, and is also active in other sports; Jamie Goldberg spearheads the sports department.

At Shoosmiths LLP, the scope of the work includes M&A, joint ventures, corporate restructurings and corporate governance advice. In addition to handling domestic deals, cross-border transactions are a cornerstone of the practice, with the firm advising clients on inbound investments into the UK, as well as outbound matters; the firm's membership of the World Services Group and strong connections with law firms worldwide enable it to attract a high volume of cross-border work. In 2018, led by Crispin Bridges Webb, the team advised clients or handled transactions connected with markets such as Denmark, the US, South Korea, Germany and Norway, among various others. The firm acts for a broad base of clients, including UK and overseas-based private equity and venture capital investors, and public and private companies. Webb, who has 30 years of transactional experience, works alongside senior associate Gareth Cook.

Flint Bishop LLP has consolidated its reputation in Derby and surrounding areas, and has also built up key relationships with a significant number of national and international clients. On the corporate side, under the leadership of experienced dealmaker Martyn Brierley, the firm has become a go-to for M&A, joint ventures, MBOs and financing transactions. It has developed a particular niche in the education sector, where it advises large Multi Academy Trusts on academy conversions, second-generation acquisitions of academies and general governance issues; Rachel Bennett is a key contact in this space, and also handles transactions in the IT, telecoms and veterinary sectors. Elsewhere, David Miller and others provide commercial contracts advice, and also assist clients with ancillary issues, such as data protection and intellectual property.

Gateley Plc's team in Nottingham is part of a larger group in the Midlands, which is among the most active in the region on the deal front. Its reach also extends to national and, increasingly, international transactions, covering 'a broad spectrum of sectors'. Mark Rutherford leads the Nottingham team, which has strong relationships with a wide range of clients, including SMEs, banks and intermediaries, management teams and private equity houses. Rutherford, who is widely recognised in the East Midlands market for his strong track record in dealmaking, works alongside senior associates Victoria Elliott and Beth Mather.

Nelsons Solicitors Limited had an uptick in transactional work in 2018, with the firm acting for clients such as SMEs, listed companies and multinational organisations. Nottingham team head Duncan Taylor and recently promoted partner Alice Rees have expertise in acquisitions and disposals, shareholders’ agreements and secured lending transactions. In the commercial sphere, Harpreet Sandhu and associate Shelley Litchfield advise clients on supply and distribution agreements, collaboration agreements and IP licensing, e-commerce documents and franchising. The corporate group in Derby is led by David Kaplan, whose experience of negotiating complex deals includes those with a cross-border dimension.

Shakespeare Martineau LLP typically advises on transactions valued at up to £20m, but has an equally strong record on much larger deals. With Duncan James and Ed Wright leading on the corporate and commercial sides of the practice respectively, the firm undertakes mandates for clients in a wide range of sectors, including energy, logistics, life sciences, banking, engineering and manufacturing, and IT services. Roger Harcourt heads up the healthcare sector team. A notable strength of Wright's practice is that his core commercial contracts expertise is complemented by his knowledge about related areas, such as competition, intellectual property, IT and public procurement. Richard Vernon is another name to note. In addition to handling domestic corporate and commercial matters, the firm's overall offering is rounded out by its membership of the global Multilaw network, which enables it to attract cross-border work.

Austin Moore & Partners LLP handles a significant number of large and complex transactions in the Nottingham marketplace, thanks to the reputation of its founding partner, Austin Moore, who has been a specialist in corporate transactions for more than 30 years.  Associate Laura de Banke works with Moore on the firm's most significant deals, and also takes charge of day-to-day transactions, restructuring work and corporate governance matters. Moore's team also includes Louise Firth, whose arrival from Fishers in 2017 has been a catalyst for the growth of the firm's commercial practice. Firth advises on commercial law and intellectual property issues for clients across a wide range of sectors, including technology and energy.

Fraser Brown's longstanding presence in Nottingham has enabled it to develop lasting relationships with a broad cross-section of key clients from throughout the East Midlands (many of which operate nationally), including SMEs, entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses, directors and shareholders. The firm also now has a dedicated offering in Lincoln, having opened an office there in July 2018; in a related development, corporate partner Ed Capes joined the office from Sills & Betteridge LLP in September 2018. In Nottingham, head of corporate law Gavin White, Tom Gray and Peter Abel provide assistance with corporate acquisitions and disposals, private equity transactions, joint ventures and shareholders' agreements, among other matters. In addition to having a sizeable corporate offering in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, the firm has a particularly standout reputation for franchising work and acts for a number of multi-unit and multi-brand franchise clients. The firm was the first in the region to achieve affiliate status with the British Franchise Association. The 'commercially astute and pragmatic' Fiona Boswell heads up the specialist advisory franchise team.