Addleshaw Goddard’s dedicated commercial group provides ‘strong commercially focused advice, and demonstrates a keen willingness to get into the operational side of the business’, covering a varied range of high-value contract agreements. Leveraging its expertise across the retail, financial services, industrial and health sectors, the team recently advised Asda on the creation launch and roll out of its first customer loyalty reward scheme, and also assisted Volkswagen with its global joint venture with Ford Motor Company. Michael Lowry heads up the national team from Leeds, Jonathan Davey is a key contact in Manchester for retail and transport clients, and in London, David Berry focuses on technology, retail and financial services clients. Rachel Scott joined the team from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP in mid-2022, and, at a junior level, managing associate Andrew Carter focuses on the transport sector.
Commercial contracts in London
Addleshaw Goddard
Practice head(s):
Michael Lowry
Other key lawyers:
Jonathan Davey; David Berry; Andrew Carter; Andrew Smith; Paul Bentham; Simon Lofthouse; Damon Rosamond–Lanzetta; Georgina Powling; Rachel Scott
Testimonials
‘Pragmatic and practical advice demonstrating a good understanding of the underlying business drivers.’
‘Jonathan Davies was quick to understand the commercial drivers of the commercial contracts and ensure that advice balanced risk and reward.’
‘The Commercial Team at AG provide strong commercially focused advice, and demonstrate a keen willingness to get into the operational side of the business to help frame their advice.’
‘Paul Bentham is a solid operator who knows what questions to ask to get to the point.’
‘Excellent support from this team in assisting us with our contract transformation project. Very in depth knowledge of contract lifecycle management and the use of technology to improve the contracting process.’
‘Georgina Powling has been extremely helpful in assisting us with our contract transformation project, both in terms of delivering quality work but also sharing her in-depth knowledge in the area and insight from other businesses.’
Key clients
J. Carter Sporting Club Limited T/A Castore
Volkswagen AG
ASDA
Britvic Soft Drinks Limited
Dunhills (Pontefract) Plc, trading as Haribo
GHA (Global Hotel Alliance)
MedAccess Guarantee Limited
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Market Harborough Building Society (MHBS)
Work highlights
- Advising Volkswagen’s leading commercial advisers on its global joint venture with Ford Motor Company.
- Advising Asda on the creation, launch and roll out of its first customer loyalty rewards scheme.
- Supported Britvic with Project Optimus, which aims to revamp end-to-end contract creation, approval and management to prevent value leakage.
Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie ‘makes a real effort to understand their clients’ business and structure’ to have ‘a thorough appreciation for an in-house lawyer’s role and the difficulties faced’. ‘Stand-out partner’ Duncan Reid-Thomas heads up the practice, which has a notable focus on handling complex and high-value outsourcing, procurement and services contracts for high-profile clients; key examples include Google, Hitachi and Marriott. The firm’s global network also gives the group an advantage on significant cross-border mandates. Helen Brown and Julia Hemmings work together as co-heads of the consumer advisory practice, assisting retail, fashion and consumer brands; and Sue McLean is a go-to name for financial services and fintech clients.
Practice head(s):
Duncan Reid-Thomas
Other key lawyers:
Helen Brown; Julia Hemmings; Sue McLean
Testimonials
‘There is a wide range of good in depth knowledge about not just commercial law, but how other laws and regulations interact including for overseas countries. They have the ability to reach out to many of their contacts to obtain the breadth of advice that is relevant to each client.’
‘Helen Brown is accessible and has the skills and perseverance to tackle challenging topics and contracts – being mindful of both the commercial and legal side.’
‘The Commercial Contracts team at Baker McKenzie makes a real effort to understand their clients’ business and structure. This means they have a thorough appreciation of an in-house lawyer’s role and the difficulties faced in internal positioning. This makes the team very supportive to their clients and their input is highly valued.’
Key clients
Hitachi
KKR
Marriott
L’Oréal
Tapestry
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Dentons
Dentons ’ team of ‘high-quality performing lawyers’ recently saw a changing of the guard with Martin Fanning and Henrietta Baker taking over as co-heads of the practice. The specialist commercial contracts team acts for a broad range of national and global clients across the financial services, retail, transport, energy and technology sectors and also counts multiple governmental departments on its client roster. Recent highlights include advising Frasers on its international distribution and e-commerce agreements with The Hut Group for certain portfolio brands, and assisting the Royal Mail Group on its mails distribution agreement with Post Office Limited. Scott Singer is a key name for retail clients, Catherine Bingham regularly acts for public sector clients, and Sarah Lima is active in outsourcing mandates. Dan Burge, Andy Lucas and Tristan Jonckheer also lead on some of the firm’s key highlights, and Rachael Morris is the key name at senior associate level.
Practice head(s):
Martin Fanning; Henrietta Baker
Other key lawyers:
Scott Singer; Catherine Bingham; Sarah Lima; Dan Burge; Andy Lucas; Tristan Jonckheer; Rachael Morris
Testimonials
‘Great experience overall with Sarah Lima. I appreciated the collaborative relationship she fostered with the internal team and myself (as the in house counsel). Sarah understood our project, gave prompt responses and was knowledgeable in the subject matter. We were happy with our outcome and would not hesitate to work with Sarah again.’
‘High quality performing lawyers with excellent commercial and regulatory expertise. Able to come up with innovate solutions to address needs. Firm offered support on a strategic project and was able to deliver in a cost effective manner.’
‘Key individuals supporting our business included Tristan Jonckheer. He offered exceptional legal advice, was responsive and delivered on a strategic repapering project. In addition to exceptional legal services, Tristan was able to bring market colour and a commercial layer to the advice.’
Key clients
Avis Budget Group
Daily Mail Group / DMG
EDF / EDF Renewables
John Lewis Partnership
TopGolf
Royal Mail Group
Secure Meters
Frasers Group
M&S
Wella
Work highlights
- Advising Frasers (the holding company for Sports Direct, Jack Wills, GAME, Flannels, USC, Lillywhites and Evans Cycles as well as the Everlast, Lonsdale, Slazenger and No Fear brands) on its international distribution and e-commerce arrangements with The Hut Group for certain key brands within Fraser’s portfolio.
- Advising Wella on its intended arrangements to outsource key business processes to third party suppliers, with particular focus on those in the finance and admin areas.
- AdvisingDMG Events on global events arrangements, including terms for virtual and hybrid events and its events platform product into the digital events industry.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper’s large specialist commercial contracts team draws on the firm’s global resources to handle a range of multi-jurisdictional mandates relating to all aspects of a company’s supply chain, strategic alliances, development agreements and joint ventures. The team also has notable regulatory expertise, particularly in the life sciences, financial and consumer sectors. Mark Dewar heads up the department and has a notable focus on consumer product issues, Anthony Day handles outsourcing transactions, Chloe Forster is active in the technology sector, and Sophie Lessar is a key name for retail financial services clients. Chris Rennie is the primary name at associate level.
Practice head(s):
Mark Dewar
Other key lawyers:
Anthony Day; Chloe Forster; Sophie Lessar; Chris Rennie
Testimonials
‘DLA Piper has an outstanding commercial contracting team. Exceptionally knowledgeable, technically strong, whilst also being pragmatic.’
‘Chloe Forster is excellent. She has complete mastery of any contract which she works on and a real asset to have on our side.’
Key clients
Genesis Cancer Care
Guerbet
Tokyo Electron Limited
iDirect
Lego Systems A/S
Phillip Morris
Dexcom
Hurtigruten
Fast Radius
Specialized Bicycle Components Inc.,
Burberry
IAG Avios
RCI
Work highlights
- Handled a wide range of complex commercial, competition, IP and patent issues to secure a land mark agreement for Guerbet.
- Advised Philip Morris International on the acquisition of Fertin, a Danish nicotine substitute gum manufacturer, including all major manufacturing and licensing and supply agreements of the products.
- Advising Genesis Cancer Care UK on a multi-faceted contract for the purchase by Genesis of a number of ViewRay’s stereo ablative scanners to be used for the treatment of scanner, at locations in the UK, US, Spain and Australia, using MRI Guided Linac technology.
Hogan Lovells International LLP
Hogan Lovells International LLP fields a ‘very approachable’ team, which has ‘clear and specific communication’ and ‘a can-do outlook’. Consumer goods sector expert Richard Welfare leads the dedicated commercial practice, which is integrated into the firm’s global network and regularly handles international supply chain issues and cross-border outsourcings. Recent noteworthy highlights for the team include advising Mars on its contracts relating to its expansion into new markets, and assisting Novartis’ biotechnology and CMO division on cell and gene manufacturing contracts relating to drug products. Other key practitioners include life sciences specialist Jane Summerfield, and newly promoted partner Penny Powell.
Practice head(s):
Richard Welfare
Other key lawyers:
Jane Summerfield; Penny Powell
Testimonials
‘All our contacts at Hogan Lovells are very approachable, with a can do outlook on challenges we present with them. Their communication is also clear and specific and they are a really great set of people to work with.’
‘Richard Welfare is our lead partner and always makes time for us, whatever the situation. He provides supportive guidance and advice and is always happy to help.’
Key clients
British Paralympic Association
Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK Limited, Mars Petcare UK, Crown Pet Foods and Mars Food UK
Novartis AG
ViacomCBS
Work highlights
- Providing ongoing support to Mars in relation to its contractual arrangements relating to the UK and its expansion into new markets (including the Middle East).
- Advising Novartis’s Biotechnology & CMO division in relation to Cell & Gene manufacturing contracts in relation to drug substance and drug product (Covid vaccine) manufacturing for Curevac Real Estate GmbH and separately in relation to drug substance manufacturing (Covid Therapy) for F. Hoffmann-La Roche.
- Advised ViacomCBS, a global media and entertainment company, on a joint venture to launch a new subscription video on demand streaming service, SkyShowtime, in partnership with Comcast, a global media and technology company.
Pinsent Masons LLP
Clients praise Pinsent Masons LLP’s team as ‘fantastic to work with’ and a ‘one-stop shop’ for high-profile and complex commercial contracts. Benefitting from the firm’s national and global network, the group attracts a roster of high-profile clients including the Ministry of Justice, Tesco, Rolls-Royce and World Athletics; at an international level, the team also recently advised Dubai Road Transport Authority on a long-term strategic alliance for the development and deployment of an autonomous robo-taxi service in Dubai. Samantha Livesey in Manchester leads the global commercial team, and Clare Francis leads the Birmingham practice; global TMT head Simon Colvin, outsourcing expert Laura Ayre and head of the universities commercial, regulatory and governance team Gayle Ditchburn also contribute to the practice.
Practice head(s):
Samantha Livesey
Other key lawyers:
Clare Francis; Simon Colvin; Laura Ayre; Gayle Ditchburn
Testimonials
‘The team is fantastic to work with. They are accessible, offer pragmatic advice and are experts in their field.’
‘Gayle Ditchburn is an absolute joy to work with and I cannot commend her highly enough. She is a leading expert in the education sector and has great contacts throughout the sector. Gayle is highly skilled at distilling complex ideas into an easily understood language and takes the time to understand how the business works meaning she can offer pragmatic and specific advice to the business.’
‘Strength and breath and expertise across the patch. A central partner who is able to reach out to experts across the organisation to support all requirements. A one-stop shop.’
Key clients
The Ministry of Justice
Career Partner Group
Tesco plc
Rolls-Royce Plc
Honda Motor Europe
North Lanarkshire Council
Dubai Road Transport Authority
Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority
NEST
World Athletics
Work highlights
- Advised Dubai Road Transport Authority on a long-term strategic alliance agreement for the development and deployment of an autonomous robo-taxi service in Dubai.
- Advised EICC on the contractual documentation relating to the operation of a 349 bedroom sustainable upper upscale hotel in the Haymarket development to be operated under the Hyatt Centric brand pursuant to a 25 year Franchise Agreement with Hyatt Hotels.
- Advising World Athletics on a wide selection of commercial, intellectual property and media contracts.
RPC
For the ‘responsive and supportive’ team at RPC, ‘no task is too big or small’ thanks to the ‘hugely commercial’ practice, which is ‘tuned in to what in-house lawyers need’. Under the leadership of the ‘extremely professional’ Tom Purton, who ‘makes the taxing rigour of legal contracts more bearable’, the standalone commercial group excels in the firm’s key sectors spanning the technology and media, retail and insurance industries; key clients include Google, Meta and House of Fraser. Former group head Oliver Bray, now senior partner at the firm, is still highly active in the department across a range of sectors, Paul Joukador and Mark Crichard handle outsourcing and technology mandates, Ciara Cullan is active in the luxury goods sector, and Charles Buckworth leads the fintech practice. Sourcing specialist Tania Williams joined the team in mid-2022 from Deloitte Legal.
Practice head(s):
Tom Purton
Other key lawyers:
Oliver Bray; Paul Joukador; Mark Crichard; Ciara Cullan; Charles Buckworth; Tania Williams; Simon Edwards
Testimonials
‘The team has supported our organisation for a number of years. It knows our organisation and the environment in which we operate extremely well. This knowledge together with their own specialist knowledge and skills makes for a formidable team which has helped us successfully deliver a number of complex solutions.’
‘Charles Buckworth and the team understand our business and the environment in which we operate extremely well. They work tirelessly, often against pressing deadlines with numerous stakeholders, to help us successfully deliver solutions to complex matters.’
‘Tom Purton has a very able and knowledgeable team to call upon and is able to assemble the correct people to deliver on the task at hand.’
‘The team is very responsive and supportive.’
‘Simon Edwards is our organisation’s “go to” lawyer for all commercial projects and is an invaluable resource for the in house legal function and management team. He provides clear, technical advice whilst retaining a commercial approach and is always mindful of the needs of the business.’
‘I love this team, they’re down to earth and treat us like real people.’
‘Practical, helpful, no task is too big or small.’
‘I have worked regularly with Oliver Bray and Ciara Cullen. Both are always available and happy to taken on work at short notice even where it is not a high value assignment. They are both always ready to use their knowledge and experience of the sector to suggest builds and alternatives to the work required, adding value as well as providing sound legal advice.’
Key clients
Google and YouTube
Meta, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus
BOC Limited
Wincanton plc
Coca-Cola European Partners
Shepherd Neame Limited
LINK
Dow Jones International Limited
Zensar Technologies Limited
Pernod Ricard Group
Charlotte Tilbury
Gist Limited
News UK (The Times, The Sun)
Four Marketing
House of Fraser
NCP (National Car Parks Limited)
Work highlights
- Advised Meta on a vast range of commercial agreements and projects including vendor service agreements, continuing to advise on the core agreement with the independent Oversight Board.
- Advised Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, on an exclusive agreement to brew and distribute Singha, the leading Thai beer, in Europe including complex profit sharing arrangements, sale and business development obligations and sponsorship deals.
- Advising and assisting Link with numerous projects and a wide range of work including NDAs, consultancy agreements, supplier contracts and transactional work such as amendments to the Link Scheme’s contractual framework and support with its newly appointed role as “Co-Ordinating Body”.
Travers Smith LLP
Travers Smith LLP ‘brings vast experience and breadth, protecting risk whilst being pragmatic and seeking mutually beneficial outcomes’ for a client roster of household names including Pret, Burger King and Trainline.com; in a recent highlight, the team acted for the latter on the implications of a new carnet-style ticket being introduced by the Department for Transport. Team head Dan Reavill is active in contracts involving technology, data and IP elements; Richard Brown, who has ‘a calm air of authority’, has notable expertise in joint venture and outsourcing contracts, particularly in the infrastructure, media and retail sectors; and ‘top-rate lawyer’ Ben Chivers leads the firm’s leisure and hospitality group.
Practice head(s):
Dan Reavill
Other key lawyers:
Richard Brown; Ben Chivers
Testimonials
‘Richard Brown was practical, easy to work with a calm air of authority.’
‘Travers Smith work as part of our team. They bring vast experience and breadth, protecting risk whilst being pragmatic and seeking mutually beneficial outcomes. They always respond quickly and turn round substantive items to tight timescales when ever required.’
‘Richard Brown is exceptional. He very quickly understands each challenge and the desired outcomes, then leads the team to a comprehensive conclusion.’
‘This practice offers us a unique ability to fully understand our business and future needs, it offers its services in a way that compliments our activities and deadlines. The practice also demonstrates values that align with ours.’
‘A firm that thinks practically and commercially rather than just legally. Helps the client secure a practical outcome that works commercially.’
‘The team headed by Ben Chivers has assisted in various ad hoc situations which required swift input. The team was quick to respond, provided concrete and to the point input and thought along with what was needed. In short, they provided useful input and take part of the burden while assisting.’
‘Ben Chivers: very commercial, turned things round ludicrously fast. Dropped into the deep end at the end of a transaction and felt like he’d been there since the beginning. Pragmatic and able to solve issues quickly. Top rate lawyer.’
‘The responsiveness of the Travers Smith team is second to none. Their ability to consider and advise quickly makes all the difference to our work and our ability to deliver our work and enhances our reputation as an effective, agile and on the ball charity.’
Key clients
Xoserve Limited
Shell EV Charging
Safestore
Smart Meter Assets
University of Oxford
Foresight Group
Trainline.com
Boatfolk Marinas
K2 Corporate Mobility
ES Pipelines
Bell Rock
Incubex
Vescor
G.Network
Channel 4
Moto Hospitality
Dennis Publishing
Benchmark Holdings
BKUK
Gong Cha
Power On Connections
The BOC Group
OVO Energy
London Resort Company Holdings
Sage North Sea Limited
BUUK Infrastructure
THE World Universities Insights
Brewin Dolphin
Caffè Nero
AJ Capital
Ambassador Theatre Group
Burger King
Gist
Benson Elliot
Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc
Pret
Linde plc
Ancala
Premier Rugby Limited
Vionic
Konica Minolta
Pepkor Europe
Poundland
The Gap Partnership
Cheque and Credit Clearing Company
Pension Protection Fund
Association of British Insurers
BACS Payment Schemes
Bannatyne Fitness
TES Global
ETF Securities
Oy Aga
Medco Regis
Essentra plc
Work highlights
- Advised Xoserve Limited, the Central Data Service Provider for the UK’s gas market, on a long term, large scale and highly complex outsourcing relating to critical infrastructure in the energy sector.
- Advised Trainline on the implications of a new “carnet”-style ticket being introduced by the Department for Transport and train operating companies for the client’s market-leading platform, which sells over £2 billion in rail tickets annually.
- Advising Shell EV Charging, a division of the Shell Group, on a wide range of issues relating to its roll-out of thousands of electric vehicle charging points across the UK by 2025 in both commercial and residential locations.
Ashurst
With ‘seamless collaboration between different specialist areas necessary to support a strategic project’, Ashurst’s commercial expertise sits within the digital economy team, led by Nick Elverston. Christopher Bates leads the commercial contracts group, which handles bet-the-shop commercial arrangements at a national and international level. Noteworthy clients for the group include McLaren Racing, HM Government and Babcock International Group; the team advised the latter on a suite of contracts relating to the supply of marine support services to the Ministry of Defence. David Futter, who focuses on the financial services sector, and senior associate Richard Holmes, who leads the Glasgow team, are also key names to note.
Practice head(s):
Christopher Bates; Nick Elverston
Other key lawyers:
David Futter; Richard Holmes
Testimonials
‘Very high level of commercial experience and expertise. Seamless collaboration between different specialist areas (commercial contracts, employment, commercial property etc) necessary to support a strategic project.’
‘Chris Bates is always good to work with and his team’s work comes with a high level of assurance.’
‘Responsiveness to clients, grappling issues quickly, dealing with contractor appropriately.’
Key clients
McLaren Racing
British Business Bank plc
Babcock International Group
Goldman Sachs
Lafarge Holcim
The Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs
HM Government/UK Treasury
Sopra Steria Limited
Nomura International PLC
Prudential PLC
Shawbrook Bank
QinetiQ
BP plc
General Nuclear System Ltd
NM Rothschild & Sons
Barclays Bank PLC
Gett Taxi
Marco Polo Network (formerly TradeIX)
Work highlights
- Advised Babcock International Group in relation to its supply of maritime support services to the UK Ministry of Defence under a suite of contracts worth approximately £3.8bn.
- Advised the UK Government (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and British Business Ban on the design, implementation and operation of the technology platform and managed services for outsourced administration of the UK’s suite of Coronavirus emergency loan schemes (CBILs, BBLs and CLIBLs) and its Future Fund Scheme.
- Acting for Shawbrook Bank, a leading retail and commercial challenger bank, as Shawbrook’s exclusive legal advisor for all of the bank’s commercial contracts requirements.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s commercial transaction department handles the full breadth of strategic commercial arrangements, technology deals, sourcing matters and supplier arrangements for a roster of household names clients including Estee Lauder and the Clorox Company. The group specialises in the firm’s wider sector focus areas, which span the technology, financial services, sport, media, retail and hospitality industries. Richard Shaw leads the technology and commercial transactions team, while Marcus Pearl heads up the technology and commercial team and Carol Osborne focuses on the luxury retail sector and leads the technology, commercial and government affair practice group.
Practice head(s):
Richard Shaw; Marcus Pearl
Other key lawyers:
Carol Osborne
Key clients
Estee Lauder
The Clorox Company
Ultra-MTS
Tnuva Central Cooperative for the Marketing of Agricultural Produce in Israel
Carrefour
Work highlights
- Advised Carrefour in relation to its long-term franchise arrangement with Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yenot Bitan, which currently operates over 150 supermarkets in Israel.
- Advised on a highly significant deal between The Clorox Company and e-commerce giant The Hut Group prior to the latter’s IPO.
- Advised Ultra-MTS, a technology transport company, in connection with its development of a transport hub at the new International Airport at Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP ‘always provides first-class advice’ that is ‘timely, thoughtful and challenging where appropriate’. The dedicated commercial team focuses its efforts on the firm’s key sector strengths in the sport, retail and TMT arenas, acting for a high-profile client roster including Nike, Caffe Nero and the Samaritans. Mark Bailey heads up the commercial group and handles technology and infrastructure work, Jason Saiban leads the tech, digital and brands group and Megan Paul excels in large-scale commercial agreements, particularly relating to outsourcing transactions. Mark Hill in the firm’s Dubai office also contributes to the practice.
Practice head(s):
Mark Bailey; Jason Saiban; Megan Paul
Other key lawyers:
Mark Hill
Testimonials
‘The team are incredibly helpful and always provide first class advice. Their advice is timely, thoughtful and challenging where appropriate.’
‘Jason Saiban is a great lawyer who is a pleasure to deal with. Humble and always willing to adjust your thoughts in a positive way, he is a great partner for our business.’
‘The CRS Commercial Contracts team takes the time to understand our position and approach in terms of contracting and they then apply that in a commercially pragmatic manner. They have further supported us in identifying where our processes and guidelines could be improved. They are also extremely personable and approachable and this combination of factors gives us an ‘extension of the in-house’ team approach which is welcomed by our legal team and business colleagues.’
‘Megan Paul picked up our business and contracting approach very quickly and she has drawn praise from our business team about the commercial and effective solution-oriented approach she takes.’
Key clients
Nike (Nike European Operations Netherlands BV)
The International Tennis Federation (ITF)
Caffe Nero Group Limited
Bowers & Wilkins
Farfetch
HelloFresh
Samaritans
Work highlights
- Advising Nike across the full range of areas including digital transformation, technology contracts, sponsorship, sports marketing, advertising, e-commerce and data protection.
- Provided ongoing advice to Caffe Nero on its Heads of Terms and Manufacturing and Distribution Agreement with Greencore for all of its UK stores after the administration of Adelie (Caffe Nero’s previous authorised distributor).
- Reviewed all Farfetch’s commercial contracts in order to identify the impact of and amendments required as a result of Brexit.
CMS
CMS’ practice is ‘adaptable and integrates seamlessly with in-house teams’ when handling complex and high-value commercial contracts at a national and international level, where the group benefits from the firm’s global network. The team counts numerous household name clients on its roster and recently advised a leading energy company on the global procurement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Iain Stansfield leads the practice, Matthew Bennett focuses on the retail and technology sectors, Dominic Dryden focuses on technology and sourcing matters, and of counsel Suparna Bhattacharjee is the key name at a junior level.
Practice head(s):
Iain Stansfield
Other key lawyers:
Matthew Bennett; Dominic Dryden; Suparna Bhattacharjee; Carina Healey
Testimonials
‘Adaptable and integrate seamlessly with in-house teams.’
‘Consistently excellent advice. Carina Healey is a standout in client care.’
‘Stand out individuals in the London team include Dominic Dryden. He leads on our strategic procurements and has done since our relationship began. He is also relationship partner for the firm, so he knows us and our business well, and leaves no stone unturned in helping us deliver on our business goals.’
Key clients
Scottish Event Campus
M&G Real Estate with M&G UK Residential Property Fund
LDMS (Link Data Management Solutions)
University College London
Marks & Spencer Plc
Onfido
Work highlights
- Advising M&G Real Estate on the negotiation of its property management and facilities management arrangements with Birchgrove Holdings.
- Advising an international insurance group on a multi-jurisdictional critical business process outsourcing arrangement.
- Advising a leading energy company on its global procurement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG’s ‘commercially savvy’ and ‘modern, forward-looking practice’ is ‘continually thinking about how best to meet the client’s requirements’ on large-scale and business-critical commercial agreements. The team has experience in route-to-market issues, supply chain contracts, strategic alliances, outsourcings and procurement arrangements and in handling large national and international projects; in a recent highlight, the team acted for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on all commercial issues relating to the delivery of the games. David Lowe heads up the group, which also fields the ‘pragmatic and commercial’ Sarah Riding and Robert Breedon, who advises public sector and healthcare clients.
Practice head(s):
David Lowe
Other key lawyers:
Sarah Riding; Robert Breedon
Testimonials
‘Gowlings is a modern, forward-looking practice which is continually thinking about how best to meet their client’s requirements. The team is commercially savvy and provides reliable and timely advice.’
‘Sarah Riding has a pragmatic, commercial approach.’
‘David Lowe has a pragmatic, common sense approach, informed by the commercial realities of a matter, which is absolutely key for commercial contracts advice.’
‘David Lowe always delivers concise and commercially pragmatic advice. He has a deep understanding of the national and international commercial sector which has proved invaluable for our business.’
‘The team is flexible and make themselves available when you need them. Their approach is pragmatic and efficient.’
‘Strong automotive practice.’
‘Working with David Lowe is a real pleasure. He is knowledgeable, pragmatic, solution orientated and most importantly he is not afraid to speak his mind. He does not mince his words and tries to get to the bottom of operational issues in order to find contractual solutions. More private practice lawyers should be like this.’
Key clients
AstraZeneca
All Saints Retail Limited
Azumi Restaurants Limited
Baylis & Harding
Bentley Motors Limited
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Bloor Homes Limited
British Red Cross
Baylis & Harding
Cadent Gas
CBI
CBRE
CCEP (Coca Cola)
Chips Away International Limited (Franchise Brands plc)
Church & Dwight
Cummins
Ford
GSK
Hermes (Parcels)
Hill & Smith Holdings plc
Hovis
Hyde Housing Association
Hydrafacial UK Limited
Jaguar Land Rover
Made.com
Mazda Motors UK Limited
Midcounties Co-operative
Molson Coors
NCP Limited
NFU Mutual
Nomad (Birds Eye)
Oxfam
Pandora
Pret A Manger (Europe) Limited
Premier Foods
Regional & City Airport
Rodan & Fields
SMMT (The UK automotive trade association)
Saint Gobain
Spirit AeroSystems
St Modwen
Tarmac
Taylor Wimpey
The Office Group
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Transport for London
Triumph Motorcycles Limited
United Biscuits
Upfield
The Office Group
Transport for London
Weetabix
Work highlights
- Acting as official legal advisers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to help deliver a successful Games on time and to budget.
- Advising the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in relation to the drafting of a number of urgent contracts for the supply of goods and services in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Providing commercial contract advice on a range of issues, on a retainer basis, to Williams Advanced Engineering.
Lewis Silkin
At Lewis Silkin, Jo Farmer and ‘valued partner’ James Gill jointly lead the ‘friendly, helpful and always available’ digital, commerce and creative team, which ‘understands how to deliver commercial, pragmatic advice’ and has ‘a huge amount of in-depth expertise’. The team excels in the firm’s core industry sectors spanning the retail, hospitality, brand, media, marketing, technology and sports industries; key clients include Unilever, Twitter and Asos. The group is also highly regarded for its knowledge of agency and distribution agreements, consumer law, logistics outsourcing work and issues arising from social media platforms and apps.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Huge amount of in-depth expertise in the areas that we need. Great to work with, quick to turn things around.’
‘They have been a guiding light and we have been able to quickly build a level of trust as well as learn huge amounts from them. Even though we are likely a small account for them, it never feels that way.’
‘The team understand how to deliver commercial, pragmatic advice, which is invaluable for businesses. Communication is suburb and I know I can trust the team with my internal clients to deliver what is needed. They feel like an extension of the in-house team – friendly, helpful and always available when I need them.’
‘James Gill is a valued partner to the business and provides solution-focused, pragmatic advice that enables contracts to be concluded efficiently, whilst ensuring the business understands any inherent risk. He is able to simplify complex negotiations and understand the root cause of any disputes, to ensure parties do not get side-tracked on minor points. As a result, supplier relationships start off on a positive foot and all parties are happy on signature.’
Key clients
Unilever
Harvey Nichols
Recast
Howdens Joinery Group plc
Snap Inc
London Fashion Week
Liberty
British Fashion Council
ASOS
Work highlights
- Advised the British Fashion Council on its partnership with Roblox to create an experience based around the awards themselves, in addition to awarding the first ever Fashion Award for Metaverse Design.
- Advising Unilever on its global media buying contracts with agencies worldwide.
- Advised Smartr on the full range of its commercial, tech and data requirements, including complex arrangements with global information vendors, tech vendors, nationwide mortgage clubs, and numerous UK banks and building societies.
Linklaters LLP
Linklaters LLP’s global practice, which sits within the firm’s TMT and IP department, excels at handling supply chain arrangements, outsourcings and procurements at a national and international level, with particular expertise in highly regulated sectors including the financial services, healthcare and technology industries. Richard Cumbley heads up the TMT group, which includes the highly regarded Marly Didizian, who leads the London sourcing practice and co-heads the healthcare group; outsourcing and technology deal specialist Georgina Kon, and technology and fintech specialist Julian Cunningham-Day.
Practice head(s):
Richard Cumbley
Other key lawyers:
Marly Didizian; Georgina Kon; Julian Cunningham-Day
Key clients
Teneo (administrators of Bulb Energy Limited)
MFM Investment Limited
Refinitiv
Alix Partners
Nestle
Ola UK Private Limited
Visa
Citi
BNPP
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance
Lloyd Banking Group
Barclays Bank
HSBC
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
Sainsburys
Vodafone
BP
Work highlights
- Provided urgent advice to Teneo, administrators of Bulb Energy Ltd, on the emergency tech licensing and support arrangements needed to ensure that Bulb can continue to service its customers.
- Advising Nestle in relation to the implementation of its ‘lighthouse’ digital warehouse transformation project, which involves the design, development and ongoing management and service provision of a new ‘intelligent’ UK logistics and distribution centre with third party logistics supplier, XPO.
- Advising Ola, an online mobility company, in its appeal against TfL’s finding that Ola UK is not fit and proper to hold a private hire vehicle operator’s licence.
Slaughter and May
Slaughter and May ‘always provides very commercial advice in a timely manner’ and fields ‘a first-class team of talented individuals’ led by Duncan Blaikie and Oly Moir; Blaikie is active in the IP, technology, financial services and retail sectors, while Moir excels in the infrastructure, energy and natural resources arenas. The group is particularly well regarded for its experience in cross-border mandates, leveraging the firm’s global strength, acting for a roster of household names including John Lewis, Asda and Vodafone. Other key practitioners include Rob Sumroy, who is head of the firm’s technology and strategic sourcing practice, and David Ives, who focuses on the retail and technology sectors.
Practice head(s):
Duncan Blaikie; Oly Moir
Other key lawyers:
Rob Sumroy; David Ives; Laura Houston
Testimonials
‘Always provides very commercial advice and in a timely manner.’
‘First-class team of talented individuals.’
‘Strong intellect, high integrity, demeanour of utmost confidence.’
‘Slaughter and May provide a high quality service. They listen to the nuances of the ask and respond accordingly.’
‘Laura Houston is simply excellent. She understood exactly what I needed and delivered on time, with a great quality product – bravo!’
‘Duncan Blaikie provides a really commercial focus and filters out the unnecessarily distracting components.’
‘Superb client service. Likeable, knowledgeable lawyers who are always prepared to go the extra mile and challenge the thinking of their clients.’
‘First-class lawyers while remaining grounded and modest. Working with them is always a pleasure.’
Key clients
abrdn plc
Afreximbank SAE
ASDA Stores Limited
Aviva
FNZ Group Services Limited
John Lewis
Johnson Matthey
Legal & General Investment Management
Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc
Richemont International SA
Standard Chartered Bank
Tata Steel
UK Asset Resolution Limited
Vodafone
Zurich Insurance Plc
Work highlights
- Advised the African Union on all aspects of its program required to procure Covid-19 vaccines, including the conception and establishment of novel contractual framework.
- Advised Legal & General Investment Management on all aspects of its regulated, enterprise-wide outsourcing to State Street in respect of its front office services, middle office services and technology solutions.
- Advised John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose Limited on the roll-out of a long-term product supply and distribution arrangement with Shell in relation to the operation of Waitrose concessions on Shell forecourts.
Bristows LLP
Bristows LLP’s ‘excellent knowledge of the life sciences and technology space’ attracts a high-profile roster of clients including Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Facebook. Matthew Warren and Toby Crick lead the practice, which covers the full range of contractual work from large business-critical transactions to daily operational contracts. The group also bolsters its commercial expertise with experience in the commercialisation of IP rights, competition-related work and regulatory issues.
Practice head(s):
Matthew Warren; Toby Crick
Testimonials
‘Excellent knowledge in the life sciences and technology space. Team is reliable and strong at all levels. I enjoy working with the team.’
‘Matthew Warren knows his stuff and is involved in a wide variety of life science transactions. He is very reliable.’
Key clients
Johnson & Johnson
Diageo
Guardian News & Media
AstraZeneca
De Beers
Oxford University
Genomics England
Anglo American
Aston Martin
Novartis
Work highlights
- Acted for the tech transfer subsidiaries of the three academic institutions (Imperial College Innovations, UCL Business, Cambridge Enterprise) and for IP2IPO Innovations, an IP Group company, in the revision of the Apollo Therapeutics partnership.
- Advised high precision metrology and healthcare technology group Renishaw in relation to a complex international deal, with Swedish company Nova Diamant.
- Assisted Six Continents (Intercontinental Hotels) with the creation of a commercial template for cooperation with its preferred brands and suppliers for events and meetings.
Clifford Chance LLP
Clifford Chance LLP’s ‘highly commercial’ practice handles highly strategic and high-value contracts with particular expertise in the TMT, energy, pharmaceuticals, financial services and fintech sectors. The group also works closely with the firm’s corporate department, with recent work including advising on the commercial elements of the merger of Telefonica’s O2 UK mobile company with Liberty Global’s Virgin Media UK broadband and cable TV provider. Corporate practitioner André Duminy heads up the group, and Simon Persoff excels in the technology space.
Practice head(s):
André Duminy
Other key lawyers:
Simon Persoff
Testimonials
‘The availability of senior partners together with the seamless integration of advice across multiple Clifford Chance practice groups was a key part of the success of our recent acquisition.’
‘Highly commercial. Diligence. Clear understanding of client objectives and timelines. Creative and solutions focused while being flexible and nimble.’
Key clients
State Street
FIS
Telefonica
Epic Games
HQLAx
Anchorage Capital Partners
Cellnex
Knight Frank
Block.one
Domestic and General
Phillip Morris International
LZ Labs
Cinven
Her Majesty’s Government
Work highlights
- Advised FIS on its mega outsourcing transaction (initial 10-year term) with Franklin Resources, Inc.
- Advised Telefónica on the mega merger of Telefónica’s O2 UK mobile phone company with Liberty Global’s Virgin Media UK broadband and cable TV provider, creating the 50:50 JV “Virgin Media O2”.
- Advised Essity on a long-term digital transformation project.
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
With ‘strong technical skills’ and an ‘excellent all-round service’, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP’s dedicated commercial team is active at a national and international level, leveraging the firm’s large network of offices to act for noteworthy clients including AstraZeneca and the Department for Transport. The group’s large size allows for key specialist expertise across a variety of sectors – Matthew Gough focuses on the financial sector, Agnes Koko excels in transport mandates and Kelly Holmes is active in property issues. Peter McCormack heads up the national strategic contracts practice and Richard Prowse is the key name in London, along with principal associate Ed Tompkin.
Practice head(s):
Peter McCormack; Richard Prowse
Other key lawyers:
Kelly Holmes; Simon Crossley; Matthew Gough; Tom Bridgford; Nick Blane; Ed Tompkin; Agnes Koko
Testimonials
‘Excellent all-round service – IP, corporate, disputes, commercial contracts.’
‘Tom Bridgford – excellent deal lawyer and team leader, solution-focused and committed to us a client. Very highly recommended.’
‘The team displayed strong technical skills and understanding with a depth and breadth of experience that enabled them to provide clear and concise guidance on market best practice. The team were always available, including after hours on short notice, which was immensely helpful when working on a global project across multiple time zones.’
‘Ed Tompkin was highly professional and a pleasure to work with. He brought strong knowledge and experience to the team and managed and ran with a number of negotiations independently. He provided sound project management skills and great communication. He was often available at odd hours on short notice.’
‘They have expertise in all areas and so are able to pull knowledge to deliver on complex legal matters.’
‘They are a very pragmatic, commercially aware team who understand the requirement for mutually beneficial outcomes in any contract negotiation.’
‘Commercially astute and responsive. Invests in the relationship and understands our business culture, including demands and pressures.’
Key clients
Legal & General
AstraZeneca, plc
Compass Group
Croda International
DXC Technology, Inc.
University of Manchester
Department for Transport
Mitchells & Butlers
Transport for London
Hammerson
Network Rail
Greater London Authority
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Under the joint leadership of Nick Pantlin and Stephen Rayfield, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP’s commercial contracts team sits within the commercial, procurement and outsourcing practice and handles a range of complex work. The group’s client roster spans blue-chip corporations, financial institutions, start-ups and technology companies; key examples include IBM, Uber and Sky. Other key individuals include technology and telecoms specialist David Coulling, and Hayley Brady, who leads the UK media and digital group.
Practice head(s):
Nick Pantlin; Stephen Rayfield
Other key lawyers:
David Coulling; Hayley Brady
Testimonials
‘You can always count on this team to deliver high-quality service in a timely and cost-efficient manner. They are extremely client-focused and supportive and I would thoroughly recommend them.’
‘Nick Pantlin and Hayley Brady are wonderful to work with. They are responsive, supportive and take the time to get to know you and your business.’
‘A highly professional organisation.’
Key clients
IBM
Uber
Ministry of Defence
Transport for London
Sky
DeBeers
BP
The Ardonagh Group Limited
ClearBank
Huozhi
TSB
Telefonica
UBS
British American Tobacco
The Digital Pound Foundation
Standard Chartered Bank
bp Pulse
Shaw Communications
K&L Gates LLP
K&L Gates LLP’s practice takes a sector-focused approach to its commercial work, excelling in the retail and fashion, logistics and manufacturing, technology, sports and travel industries. The team has been notably busy advising on distribution agreements and supply chain mandates, with ESG-related agreements increasingly common in its workload. Group head Catherine Adam is a key contact for retail, fashion and leisure sector clients and has notable expertise in handling outsourced logistics issues for e-commerce clients. Competition expert Jennifer Marsh also contributes to the practice.
Practice head(s):
Catherine Adam
Other key lawyers:
Jennifer Marsh
Testimonials
‘Very strong, timely, and pragmatic advice.’
‘Catherine Adam was excellent to work with. Very responsive, experienced, and had good business judgement as well as legal expertise.’
‘Catherine Adam is very knowledgeable in all things logistics. This was a strategic initiative for our company, and her insights were extremely helpful and educational, and allowed us to gain a thorough understanding of key positions and risks, both contractually as well as from an industry perspective. Catherine is sharp, pragmatic, prompt and personable, and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with her.’
‘The K&L team is fantastic to work with. They are responsive, practical, and efficient.’
Key clients
Cannondale
Foodles
Kinship
CaaStle
Coty
Work highlights
- Assisting CaaStle on its expansion into the UK market.
- Advising Coty on the global launch of the Kylie Skin and Kylie Cosmetics businesses, following from representation of the client in its $600m licensing and collaboration deal with Kylie Jenner, on the ongoing roll-out of the Kylie Jenner business in international markets via e-commerce and retail partners, including in the UK, EU, Asia and Australia.
- Instructed by global bicycle company Cannondale to advise on its spare parts outsourced warehouse in The Netherlands.
TLT
TLT ‘gets on with the work quickly and efficiently and offers practical solutions’ across a range of strategically important arrangements including joint ventures, franchising issues, outsourcings and supply and distribution agreements. The group also has notable industry expertise in the retail, financial services, leisure, digital and clean energy sectors and also acts for public sector clients; high-profile names on its client roster include Sainsbury’s, the Metropolitan Police and Superdry. Perran Jervis leads the team from Bristol; he also heads up the firm’s retail and consumer goods team.
Practice head(s):
Perran Jervis
Other key lawyers:
David Gardner
Testimonials
‘The team fits in very well with the client department, working hand in hand with them. TLT get on with the work quickly and efficiently and offer practical solutions.’
‘Advice is technically adept, commercially driven, timely and provided at extremely competitive rates. Senior personnel are always available and go above and beyond to provide assistance, suggestions and various options where required.’
‘David Gardner is a standout partner. He understands the intricacies and competing interests within the industry in great detail, and is able to tailor and provide advice with the same in mind. His availability is second-to-none, and he proactively seeks out ways to provide greater insight and value to the client wherever possible.’
Key clients
Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd
Department of Health and Social Care
Government Legal Department
Superdry plc
WH Smith PLC
Boohoo Group PLC
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Metropolitan Police
Yorkshire Building Society
Checkout.com
Elavon Financial Services
Imperial Brands PLC
Greene King Limited
Police ICT
Matthew Clark Bibendum Limited
UK Finance
C&J Clark International Ltd
Iceland
Pets at Home
Merlin Entertainment
Ministry of Justice
TSB
Tim Hortons
Work highlights
- Supported the Sainsbury’s Gift Card team with the preparation and negotiation of a valuable and strategically important agreement for the supply and sale of third-party retailer gift cards across Sainsbury’s estate and related merchandising services.
- Appointed by the ICO to advise on the procurement of a number of business-critical solutions covering a wide range of technology solutions, from commodity hardware and software purchases, through to complex ERP solutions, case management systems, replacement WAN services and business applications for a wide variety of use.
- Engaged to support Superdry in the renegotiation of its FE Origin Logistics operations in the Far East.
Burges Salmon LLP
Burges Salmon LLP’s high-profile national client base spans the rail, public, energy and financial services sectors with the cross-departmental commercial group acting for noteworthy names including John Lewis, transport operator FirstGroup and the Central Government. Helen Scott-Lawler leads the practice and is a key contact for clients in the retail, food and drink, and wider consumer facing sectors.
Practice head(s):
Helen Scott-Lawler
Other key lawyers:
Richard Hugo
Testimonials
‘The team have a practical approach and quickly grasp the commercial objectives we are trying to achieve. They work well with in-house lawyers and avoid doubling up so that their scope of work is clearly defined which in turn is more cost effective. In contrast to other firms, their advice and drafting style is always very clearly presented, relevant and concise.’
‘Helen Scott-Lawler (Partner) and Richard Hugo (Senior Associate) were able to understand firstly the unique and complex nature of our business and then work out how to apply our requirements in a practical way to a contract template we needed.’
Key clients
John Lewis Partnership including John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners
Central Government – Ministry of Defence, Department for Transport, Department for Education, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Home Office, Department for Health & Social Care, DEFRA and BEIS (including The Vaccine Taskforce)
Phillips 66 (JET petrol stations)
FirstGroup (TOC owner group) and its TOCs (First Capital Connect, First Greater Western, ScotRail, First/Keolis Transpennine and Hull Trains)
Bath & Body Works
University of Bristol
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Yeo Valley
Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL)
Bristol City Council
Work highlights
- Advising the Ministry of Defence on Dreadnought: the largest, most strategically significant programme in the UK defence sector, forming the replacement to the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (Trident).
- Advising Waitrose on its logistics, warehousing and home delivery arrangements, including the transfer of warehousing operations to a third party operator, and establishing a new third party operated hub for home delivery.
- Advising UK Government (BEIS) in relation to a number of nationally significant, ground-breaking projects for the development and manufacture of vaccines and antibodies as part of the national effort to fight Covid-19.
Deloitte Legal
Deloitte Legal‘s team is able to draw on the firm’s wider consultancy and technology capabilities to advise on commercial issues arising from all stages of the business process, including procurement matters, supply chain agreements, advertising and marketing work, and distribution issues. Paul Hinton and Calum Murray jointly lead the practice, focusing on financial services and digital clients respectively, while Andrew Joint and Paul O’Hare advise clients on technology contracts.
Practice head(s):
Paul Hinton; Calum Murray
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Joint; Paul O’Hare; Chris Hill
Testimonials
‘Highly recommend the following: Andrew Joint, Paul Hinton, Chris Hill.’
Key clients
Vivobarefoot
QVC International Limited
TripAdvisor
Fladgate LLP
Fladgate LLP’s commercial contracts offering handles a broad range of bespoke contracts including business process outsourcings, supply chain contracts, joint ventures and collaboration, warehousing and data centre agreements. The group regularly acts for blue-chip corporates and multinationals including GlaxoSmithKline, which the team advised on the global facilities management and scientific services outsourcing agreements relating to its consumer health spin-off. Tim Wright heads up the department.
Practice head(s):
Tim Wright
Other key lawyers:
John Evans; Nathan Evans
Testimonials
‘The team provided plenty of hands-on support in a complex series of arbitrations. The willingness to roll up their sleeves was impressive, as was the legal analysis and assembly of the evidence. It would have been easy for the detail to cloud what really mattered in the case, but proper analysis meant the focus was always on the points that were material to the dispute.’
‘John Evans was superb as the partner. He was well-versed in the detail, and his analysis really assisted the case in cutting through the mountain of material provided by the other side.’
‘Tim Wright – highly commercial and pragmatic lawyer.’
‘The Fladgate team have a deeply commercial outsourcing practice. The team are collaborative and worked very well with my project team.’
‘Tim Wright is the most knowledgeable lawyer I have worked with in the commercial outsourcing space. The broader team’s associates are diligent and always meet or exceed expectations.’
‘Nathan Evans is extremely dependable – he talks the talk and walks the talk. He has invaluable experience in IT and the finance sector and always provides pragmatic advice. He is our go-to person for all deals in the financial sector and for complex deals.’
‘Nathan Evans is an outstanding legal professional.’
‘Nathan Evans is proactive and dedicated which means we know that we are in a safe pair of hands. Moreover, he has a very good knowledge of our industry and managed to build affinity not only with our legal team but also with our business. He is considered as part of the (extended) team!’
Key clients
GlaxoSmithKline plc
WSP Global Inc.
Zouk Capital LLP
3i InfoTech Ltd
Allocate Software Limited
Carl Zeiss
Knauff Group
DZ Bank
Equitix
Work highlights
- Advised longstanding client GlaxoSmithKline on a range of global facilities management and specialist scientific services outsourcing agreements for GSK’s consumer healthcare spin-off Haleon.
- Advised WSP Global on the UK aspects of a global outsourcing with Accenture under which WSP is outsourcing certain finance, accounting, payment and other business services, with a particular focus on UK data protection and tax law.
- Advised Dr Reddy’s Labs in connection with various supply agreements with NHS England which were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
HFW
Leveraging the firm’s wider transport and shipping sector strength, HFW’s cross-departmental commercial contracts practice advises on a notable volume of global agreements, particularly supply, distribution and joint venture agreements, utilising the firm’s international network of offices. Alistair Mackie leads the group, which includes Matthew Gore, who specialises in the port, transport and logistics sectors.
Practice head(s):
Alistair Mackie
Other key lawyers:
Matthew Gore; Matthew Wilmshurst; Catherine Emsellem-Rope
Testimonials
‘Alastair Mackie is very technically and commercially astute.’
‘The team led by Matthew Gore are my go to lawyers for all logistic work – they are experts in this area. They are constantly striving to improve their client offering through increased billing transparency and proactive queries with a view to determining what would be most helpful for me as a client. I am very impressed by their service and their expertise in logistics.’
‘Matthew Gore has great industry knowledge in logistics – he is my go to person not only for logistics legal advice but also with a view to understanding generally what is going on in the market. He is extremely responsive – even where we require extremely urgent responses with somewhat unreasonable turnaround time requests. Always commercial in his approach and pragmatic.’
‘Matthew Wilmshurt is another go-to person within HFW. He has excellent industry knowledge, helpful and responsive – always willing to meet tight deadlines and is pragmatic and commercial in his approach.’
‘HFW has helped our startup with a diverse range of abilities and offerings that has allowed us to grow with a legal partner very focused on aiding us and our needs as we mature. The team at HFW have worked carefully to understand our trajectory and help us problem solve in a manor that preemptively sets us up well for the future. Their insight and attentiveness have been incredible considering we are a small start up with limited cash flow availability.’
‘Alistair Mackie has been exceptional in his work, leadership and guidance for our team. We feel that Alistair has approached his work with our group as though he was a member or owner of our business.’
The commercial contracts team were exceptional to deal with in helping us review our customer SAAS agreements and our DPAs. Their knowledge of the industry and subject matter was on point and they clearly communicated throughout the entire process providing the business insights and asking questions about contractual eventualities we might not have covered otherwise.’
‘Catherine Emsellem-Rope was very approachable and knowledgeable throughout the process and effectively managed the interaction between our business and the rest of HFW’s subject matter experts.’
Key clients
Exelon Generation Limited
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Foundation
Marks & Spencer
Solent Stevedores
Work highlights
- Advised Exelon on its involvement in a project to deliver at scale the next generation of low cost, low carbon nuclear power technology within the United Kingdom. Investment worth £195m.
- Advised the ICTSI Foundation on a landmark public-private agreement to acquire 7 million Covid-19 vaccines for a consortium of 300 private sector organisations in the Philippines.
Howard Kennedy LLP
With substantial expertise in the fashion, entertainment and culture sectors, Howard Kennedy LLP’s contractual expertise spans franchise issues, supplier contracts, distribution agreements, endorsements and content distribution mandates. Group head Robert Lands regularly handles retail, technology and creative industry matters, and Alex Watt is a key contact for advertising, marketing and brand work.
Practice head(s):
Robert Lands
Other key lawyers:
Alex Watt
Testimonials
‘The advice is thorough; solicitors are knowledgeable, personable and easy to work with.’
‘Robert Lands is very knowledgeable on a number of areas relevant to our business.’
Key clients
Cox London
Pandora
Wicked Foods, Inc
Work highlights
- Advised Wicked Foods Inc, the business behind the WICKED brand, on its exclusive relationship deal with TESCO and the upcoming plans to use the brand globally.
- Advised the high-end London atelier Cox London on procurement terms that it could incorporate into its standard procedure in order to protect the high-quality of the products and maintain confidentiality of its work.
- Advising leading jewellery manufacturer and retailer Pandora on a range of UK legal matters, including advising on all supplier contracts and on key commercial partnerships for the brand.
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Mishcon de Reya LLP’s cross-departmental commercial practice is equally adept at handling business critical contracts and standard operational agreements at a national and cross-border level. The group is also active in advising on emerging trends including sustainability and ESG issues and NFT-related work. Lewis Cohen leads the commercial, technology, data and sports practice, which also fields data protection expert Adam Rose and sports head Simon Leaf.
Practice head(s):
Lewis Cohen
Other key lawyers:
Adam Rose; Simon Leaf
Testimonials
‘Core strength in software as a service contractual negotiations and privacy.’
‘Simon Leaf & Adam Rose – knowledge, flexibility and approachable. Also consistency under pressure on contractual negotiations.’
‘We have had a successful partnership with our team at Mishcon de Reya over the years, with Simon Leaf at the head. We rely on the team to solve a variety of legal work, which they accomplish with outstanding results often with very tight deadlines. Their understanding of our business and the environment we operate in is unparalleled, which combined with our long-standing relationship has made it possible for us to rely on the team for virtually any legal challenges we need support with.’
‘Simon Leaf and his team has a deep understanding of our business. His relentless focus on the core business problems produces results quickly and within short timeframes.’
‘The right balance between commercial reality and protecting us from risk.’
‘Prompt, efficient responses, open discussion on where they can add most value.’
Key clients
LWPO Limited
Capital & Counties PLC (Capco)
Simon Kucher & Partners (SKP)
Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield)
Topland Neptune Limited
Alfred Franks & Bartlett
Casamata LLC
Exosuit
Skyports
KERB
Quinyx AB
Castore (J Sporting Club Ltd)
Global Radio Services Limited and Global Media and Entertainment Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Capital & Counties PLC on two of its most significant commercial agreements; for the facilities management of the commercial and residential properties within Capco’s estate.
- Advised Topland Neptune Limited on its substantial and complex management agreement which saw Hilton appointed as the manager of Topland’s hotel (the Hilton Brighton Metropole) on a long-term agreement.
Osborne Clarke LLP
Osborne Clarke LLP’s cross-border capability and experience in high-profile commercial contracts allows it to excel across a variety of sectors including the energy, TMT, life sciences, retail and transport industries; key clients include Danone, BT and Mulberry. John Buyers and Bristol-based Lara Burch lead the group, Will Robertson focuses on the retail and TMT sectors, and Marcus Vass advises digital health, TMT and transport clients.
Practice head(s):
John Buyers; Lara Burch
Other key lawyers:
Will Robertson; Marcus Vass
Testimonials
‘Very strong combination of expertise, negotiation toughness and strategic awareness.’
Key clients
Electrocomponents PLC
Stericycle / Shred-it
Danone
MWI Animal Health
Western Power Distribution
Etex Building Performance
NewCold
Matchesfashion
Bestway
Party City
BT
Chemviron
Greystar
Mulberry
Vtech
Work highlights
- Supporting Stericycle on a global project to standardise its customer supply terms for use worldwide by its different trading divisions.
- Advised retailer Matchesfashion on a redesign of its strategically important logistics relationships in the UK and Netherlands.
- Advised NewCold, a rapidly growing provider of automated cold storage warehousing solutions, on its multi-million pound contracts with major customers across Europe, the US and Australia.
Stephenson Harwood
At Stephenson Harwood, Dan Holland heads up the practice, which assists with the full range of issues from bespoke agreements to day-to-day trading issues. The group is particularly noted for its life sciences, transport, financial services and leisure sector expertise and is highly active in providing advice on strategic alliances and handling transactional support work. Holland focuses on procurement and manufacturing agreements, and Naomi Leach excels in the life sciences, leisure and technology sectors.
Practice head(s):
Dan Holland
Other key lawyers:
Naomi Leach
Testimonials
‘We value the sector knowledge and experience the SH team bring to commercial contract negotiations in the CDMO space.’
‘The team do not overcomplicate contracts and will recommend pragmatic approaches to resolving issues. They are very responsive, and will expedite review when necessary.’
Key clients
Oxford Biomedica
Schroders Capital Real Estate Debt GP S.à r.l.
Mercer Limited
Qatar Museums
Shield Therapeutics PLC
Interpath Ltd
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Limited
Fiorucci Holdings Limited
Inspired Finco Holdings Limited
CLS Group
Butterfly Hospitality UK Limited
Kroll Associates UK Ltd
Acacia Pharma Group
Caledonia Group Services Ltd.
Work highlights
- Continued to support Oxford Biomedica on a number of high-profile and important matters including advising on ongoing arrangements with AstraZeneca to maintain the manufacturing support of Covid-19 vaccine, AZD1222.
- Advised Shield Therapeutics PLC in relation to an exclusive agreement for the manufacture and supply of its iron deficiency treatment to market in Canada.
- Advised CLS Group in relation to a number of complex commercial arrangements as well as on the commercial aspects of its sale of Future Climate Info.
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP’s commercial team is comprised of four sub-teams covering commercial contracts and outsourcing, data and privacy, IP and technology mandates. At a sector level, the practice is highly active in the retail, manufacturing, real estate, aerospace, transport, technology and financial industries and is also a key name in the market for public sector clients. Paula Bartlett heads up the group and Peter Snaith regularly advises manufacturing clients.
Practice head(s):
Paula Bartlett
Other key lawyers:
Peter Snaith; Lucy Pringle; Stephen Anderson
Testimonials
‘The team have a deep understanding of the specific businesses. They have lawyers with strong knowledge in the different commercial areas.’
‘Outstanding knowledge of defence and government contracts as well as trade control matters. Strong presence in general commercial contracting.’
‘Stephen Anderson – excellent technically with a strong specialism in defence.’
‘Lucy Pringle is the partner that has assisted on commercial matters and she is extremely effective. She grasped the business and its complex operations very quickly for the projects that she has worked on. She identifies legal issues very clearly and is proactive in suggesting solutions. Also very proactive in moving transactions forward. Able to draft complex contracts very effectively and excellent in in person negotiations with customers legal representative.’
‘The practice offers a breadth of legal advise and experience that allows us as a client to be able to gain answers to the vast majority of legal questions we face. The practice has a clear network to allow us to access relevant resources via our single point of contact effectively.’
‘A deep sectoral knowledge and interest in our business allows the immediate team at WBD to add value beyond pure legal advice. Knowing our business allows them to question and challenge us as part of the engaged nature of our relationship as well as provide a legal context for our business activity and development.’
Key clients
Northumbria University
Persimmon
Work highlights
- Advising an international DIY retailer on various business critical supply chain and logistics contracts during 2021 and 2022 to support the rapid growth (partly due to Covid 19) of their online and store offering, often with very short timescales.
- Acted for Venator Materials, a major global chemicals manufacturer, with the drafting and negotiation of a complex framework agreement with a global supply chain company for the provision of business-critical customs and freight-forwarding services across Europe, against a post-Brexit landscape.
- Drafted and negotiated a 20 year port handling and logistics services contract between Groveport (a subsidiary of PD Teesport) and a steel supplier, and a 15 year port handling services agreement between PD Teesport and a freight ferry company.