The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > South East > Commercial litigation: Hampshire

Blake Morgan LLP's commercial litigation team has significant experience in the health sector, regularly acting for NHS England in a variety of procurement disputes, as well as representing a range of other healthcare providers. Practice head Jill Bainbridge, who clients praise for her 'top-notch knowledge and experience', specialises in trademark prosecution and brand management, while Susie Dryden  is a technology disputes expert. Ben Evans acts in several brand management cases and has 'great experience as both a solicitor and trademark attorney'.

Shoosmiths' Southampton litigation team continues to develop its specialisms in the automotive, IT and technology sectors on both the supplier and customer side. Jonathan Smart, who leads the practice, is an expert in high value IT project disputes arising from outsourcing and framework agreements, while Paula Swain is a specialist consumer finance litigator. The Solent-based team also have a growing niche practice in high value international civil fraud and conspiracy cases.

Acting primarily in retail and energy disputes,  Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP's commercial litigation team has been defending the Post Office against a group action challenging the integrity of an IT accounting system. Data protection expert Andrew Parsons leads on this, while Gavin Matthews fronts the firm's retail focus group. Ian Newcombe specialises in the energy sector alongside practice head Tom Beezer. The launch of WBD Advance, which pulls together the firm's technology and business services, offers emerging clients a cost effective solution to support high volume projects with project management, advance insight, flexible resourcing and legal process.

With particular strengths in the retail sector, the team at Clarke Willmott LLP specialises in complex contractual matters, shareholder and partnership disputes, restrictive covenants and professional negligence cases. Practice head Greg Hughes works primarily in the IT sector and was praised by clients for possessing a 'good grasp of the overall commercial environment'. Owen Williams was instructed in a major fraud case and has acted in a number of complicated shareholder disputes.

Paris Smith LLP's commercial litigation practice has seen an upward trajectory of instructions related to shareholder and partnership disputes. The team has continued to grow, with the addition of Peter Ralls QC bolstering the earlier hire of warranty claims and complex contractual disputes specialist Helen Brown  from Slater Heelis in 2019. Christopher Holliss  continues to act heavily in the recruitment sector, a niche specialism for the firm.

BDB Pitmans’ commercial litigation team primarily focuses on insurance disputes, as well as professional negligence and commercial property cases on both the landlord and tenant side. Practice head Rick Munro  is a qualified mediator and is an expert in insolvency and shareholder disputes. Elsewhere in the practice, Alan Davies  specialises in the defence of claims concerning product liability.The practice also has a dedicated costs assessment team providing outsourced legal costs services to other solicitor practices and to insurers.

Irwin Mitchell's disputes team frequently acts on cases with a multi-jurisdictional element. Hannah Clipston handles commercial litigation cases involving breach of high value/complex contracts and associated tortious claims within the consumer, sport and media sectors. Stephanie Reeves is active within the financial services and consumer sectors and is recommended. The team is able to leverage resources across its national offices, primarily in Gatwick, to draw on the complementary expertise of IP, IT and banking lawyers, providing a multi-disciplinary approach to clients when necessary. Partners Martin Cross, Robert Kenyon and Andrew Jackson left the practice in 2019. 

While it is too early to assess the full impact of the merger between Barlow Robbins LLP and Moore Blatch LLP on the combined Moore Barlow commercial litigation offering in Hampshire, the practice has a strong reputation across a range of work. The Southampton based team specialises in real estate litigation, restructuring/insolvency disputes, banking litigation, professional negligence and commercial dispute resolution.  Led by Sarah Watley, the team is instructed by a range of SMEs, owner-managed businesses and entrepreneurial clients. Mark Osgood is an expert in partnership and shareholder disputes, while Claire Haverfield has significant experience in contractual claims.

Trethowans LLP's commercial litigation is led from Southampton by Karl Cameron; the team handles a range of matters covering contracts, partnership and shareholder disputes, insolvency and banking. Cameron also specialises in property and construction disputes, while fellow partner Richard Cook has expertise in professional negligence and IP. The team was boosted in mid-2019 by the arrival of former Steele Raymond LLP disputes head Robert Bajaj from Ellis Jones Solicitors LLP, where he was head of insolvency.