The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > Yorkshire And The Humber > Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire

Addleshaw Goddard's corporate finance team has an impressive breadth of experience handling high-profile M&A transactions, particularly in the private equity, financial services, retail and consumer sectors. The Leeds-based practice, headed up by Garry Elliott, was recently bolstered by the promotion of James Tatro to the partnership and lateral hire of Richard Hunt from Squire Patton Boggs; Hunt is well-regarded for his experience advising corporates in the chemicals and industrials sectors, and assisting individual entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals in Yorkshire and the North East.

DLA Piper UK LLP's Leeds-based corporate and commercial practice provides a broad service to its impressive client roster of local, domestic and, increasingly, international companies. Led by Andrew Davies, the corporate team, which handles a range of high-profile M&A and private and public equity transactions, also includes Jonathan Procter, who is well-regarded for his financial services and retail sector expertise. The firm's commercial offering is headed up by Matthew Duncombe. The hospitality and leisure, healthcare, retail, energy and technology sectors are all key areas of strength for the department.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP combines local expertise with the ability to leverage the global reach of its international network to handle a range of multi-jurisdictional transactions. The food and drink, retail, diversified industrials and financial services sectors are all areas of strength for the Leeds-based corporate and commercial teams, which are led by Robin Skelton and Peter McCormack respectively. Principal associate Jonathan Pollard is a name to note for public and private company work.

Pinsent Masons LLP has a varied client roster of domestic and international companies; practice head Andrew Black counts several large publicly listed companies based in the region as clients, and the 'well-regarded' Andrew Kerr has strong links with clients in Japan and Asia. The team frequently acts across the infrastructure,  manufacturing, technology, and real estate sectors, while senior associate Joanna Jowitt has a particular focus on the financial services and waste management sectors. The commercial team, which is headed up by Lisa Harley, is carving a niche in advising its education sector clients on digital and IT transformation projects.

Hannah Kendrick leads Squire Patton Boggs' Leeds-based practice, which regularly handles high-value domestic and international transactions. On the corporate side, Jonathan Jones and Adam Hastings focus on private equity and capital markets respectively, while Paul Jinks heads up the commercial practice, which frequently advises on the delivery and contractual structures of large IT projects for customer and supplier clients. Francesca Fellowes brings significant data protection and privacy expertise to major technology transactions.

From its Yorkshire base, Walker Morris LLP attracts a variety of impressive national and international transactions, with particular expertise in the food and drink, retail, waste and energy, technology, healthcare and medical devices and industrials sectors. Practice head John Hamer handles the full range of public and private company takeovers and acquisitions, public market listings, private equity investments and joint ventures, while Debbie Jackson has particular experience in M&A, private equity work and venture capital transactions.

Clarion's corporate and commercial teams are led by Richard Moran and Matthew Hattersley respectively and are particularly strong in the media, marketing and digital sectors alongside expertise in the manufacturing and logistics sectors. The group has the ability to handle the full range of M&A, private equity, buyouts and acquisition finance work. The arrival of legal director Hitesh Tailor from DLA Piper UK LLP strengthened the firm's private equity offering.

Gateley Plc handles a range of M&A, private equity and equity capital market transactions and frequently handles cross-border deals; practice head David Armitage acts for companies based in the US, Europe and the UK on overseas investments, while Nicholas Emmerson's clients include Chinese and Japanese companies. The team has particular experience in residential construction, recruitment and healthcare matters, and Sandip Khroud also has a focus on the regulated industries, technology and food and drink sectors.

The corporate practice at Schofield Sweeney is spread across its three Yorkshire bases in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield; it advises individuals and companies on a range of mergers, acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures and also handles equity and debt financing transactions. Chris Schofield heads up the corporate team and is based in Leeds alongside Adrian Ballam and David Strachan, while Martin Sweeney is a key contact in the Bradford office. Also in Leeds, Luisa D’Alessandro leads the group's commercial offering.

The corporate finance practice at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP is led by Simon Pilling and is particularly strong in private equity transactions. The team in Leeds includes recently promoted legal director James Cook. Beyond its private equity expertise, the group also has experience assisting clients in the manufacturing, real estate and retail sectors.

Leeds-based Giles Clegg heads up Lupton Fawcett's pan-Yorkshire corporate team following former practice head Jonathan Oxley's move to a managing partner role in 2018. Clegg has particular expertise acting for clients in the healthcare sector, and is joined in Leeds by Daniel McCormack .

Shulmans LLP handles a range of corporate, commercial and financing transactions. Marcus Armstrong heads up the corporate team, which has particular experience handling matters in the IT, health and social care, pharmacy and financial services sectors; and Emma Roe leads the commercial practice, which counts the manufacturing, energy and chemicals and education sectors among its industry specialisms.

Blacks Solicitors LLP assists SMEs and owner-managed businesses with a range of corporate transactions and regularly acts for healthcare and hospitality sector clients; it has also recently further developed its specialism in the hotel sector. Nigel Hoyle, who specialises in corporate transactions; and David Paterson, who handles corporate, financing and commercial matters, jointly lead the practice with commercial lawyer Philip Parkinson, who recently joined from Raworths.

Langleys Solicitors LLP's corporate team acts for a range of regional businesses, SMEs and national companies on corporate transactions and advisory work. Christian Hunt heads up the practice and also counts owner-managed businesses and entrepreneurs as clients.

LCF Law's department acts primarily for owner-managed and family-owned businesses in the region. It is frequently instructed to handle a range of M&A and venture capital transactions, as well as complex corporate reorganisations. Susan Clark heads up the corporate team and has particular healthcare sector expertise, while commercial practice head James Sarjantson focuses on IT contracts.

The team at Mills & Reeve LLP is frequently instructed on a range of mid-market transactions, with key sectors including the technology, food and agribusiness, healthcare and private wealth industries. Practice head Paul Johnson counts a range of private and public companies as clients and has recently been increasingly active in the insurance sector. Martin Priestley joined from Pinsent Masons LLP to head up the commercial team, bringing education sector expertise.

Shoosmiths LLP continues to build its reputation in Leeds for its representation of local, national and international clients in M&A and private equity transactions, with notable expertise in the oil and gas, real estate and hotel and leisure sectors. Philip Goldsborough, who counts a combination of private and public companies as clients, heads up the practice, which includes corporate finance lawyer James Foster, who leads the firm's private equity and venture capital initiatives in the North.

The corporate team at DWF acts for a combination of local SMEs and national clients on a range of corporate and commercial matters. Practice head Lester Wilson handles M&A transactions, equity capital markets and private equity and venture capital instructions. Other names to note include debt finance specialist Chris Ramage and corporate tax partner John Toon.

Freeths LLP handles M&A, private equity work, financing and corporate restructuring and reorganisation transactions for its diverse client roster, which includes owner-managed businesses, SMEs and national public and private companies. Dahren Naidoo jointly heads up the team with Andy Francey, who has particular experience handling bank refinancings in the leisure sector.

Gavin Maddison and Joanne Bone head up Irwin Mitchell's corporate and commercial teams respectively; Maddison recently joined the firm from Ward Hadaway. On the commercial side, the group has particular expertise in data protection and IT sector contracts. The corporate team also includes senior associate Catherine Hinchliffe, who also recently joined from Ward Hadaway, and handles a range of mid-market corporate transactions.

Ward Hadaway's practice includes commercial lawyer and group head Philip Jordan, who has particular experience in the manufacturing, engineering and construction industries; corporate partner James Nightingale, who has experience handling a range of M&A and private equity transactions, investments and reorganisations; and banking and finance specialist Mark Smith. Gavin Maddison and Andrew Finfer left the practice to Irwin Mitchell and Addleshaw Goddard respectively.

Weightmans frequently acts for owner-managed businesses, public sector clients, charities and social enterprise organisations, and has particular expertise in the transport, financial services, manufacturing, and software and digital media sectors. The Leeds-based team includes Stephen Johns, who joined from DLA Piper UK LLP and specialises in  infrastructure sector deals; and recently promoted partner Victoria Robertson. Manchester-based Sarah Walton leads the national practice.

McCormicks is frequently instructed by a range of high-net-worth individuals, local SMEs and large corporates, particularly in the sport, hospitality and leisure sectors. Jon Healey heads up the team and specialises in transactions with complex finance arrangements, while Peter McCormick has significant sports sector expertise.