Deloitte Legal > London, England > Firm Profile

Deloitte Legal > The Legal 500 Rankings

Corporate and commercial > International business reorganisations Tier 1

The dedicated international business transformations team at Deloitte Legal handles a high volume of complex multi-jurisdictional reorganisations under the leadership of Rachel Hossack. It provides end-to-end support on deals and is experienced in post-merger integration work, as well as pre-initial public offering (IPO) support. Hossack focuses on the corporate law aspects of intra-group reorganisations and transformations, including share and asset transfers, and mergers and demergers. Director Nirosha Perera handles domestic and international reorganisations, while New Zealand-qualified Peter Grigor is experienced in transformations in the TMT, retail and financial services sectors. Gulnaz Yaminova joined as associate director from PwC LLP in July 2022 and has recently advised on a number of cases relating to legal entity rationalisations, debt simplifications, debt listings and post-acquisition integrations. Jesika Patel is also recommended at associate director level.

Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m Tier 1

By leveraging the comprehensive capabilities of the Big Four firm, Deloitte Legal draws on a wide range of services -  including legal, tax, financial, consulting and corporate finance advisory - as it advises clients. The group works with various corporates on the complete M&A lifecycle, covering pre-sale structuring, due diligence, market mapping and post-merger integration. London corporate head Charles Claisse focuses on mid-market M&A for global and fast-growth businesses as well as private equity funds and their portfolio companies. Glafkos Tombolis – a specialist in corporate governance and compliance matters – is a trusted adviser for clients in the health tech and TMT sectors. Rachel Hossack is recommended for her extensive experience of advising corporates on all aspects of their legal structure and internal arrangements; divestment-related corporate activities and post-M&A integration, entity rationalisation and structuring are particular strengths. Partners Deborah Angel and Andy Moseby left the firm for in-house roles in February 2022 and May 2023, respectively.

Employment > Immigration Tier 1

Deloitte Legal excels in both the depth of its bench and the breadth of its global footprint, as the practice has the capacity to deploy teams of immigration experts internationally to handle mandates for major multinational clients. Jurga McCluskey heads the team in both the UK and Europe, working for a number of blue-chip clients in a range of different issues including corporate governance, global compliance, and emergency evacuations. The firm’s capabilities have been further enhanced by the promotion of Melanie Carr and Alison Hutton to partner in June 2022, bringing experience in strategic immigration planning and multi-jurisdictional corporate matters. Katrina Cooper is part of the global immigration team and utilises her dual-qualification in the UK and Australia to assist in global projects. Emily King is responsible for the firm’s immigration technology, and acts across a range of sectors including finance, engineering, real estate, and tech.

Industry focus > TMT Tier 2

Deloitte Legal offers strong knowledge of tech law and handles TMT projects across the space. On the tech side, the team focuses on transformational areas such as big data, adtech, digital health, crypto, robotics and biometrics. Andrew Joint is well-versed in tech contracting and advisory matters and co-heads the team with Cavan Fabris who focuses on cybersecurity matters. Calum Murray covers the regulatory aspects of digital services. Paul Hinton regularly acts for financial services companies with support from Paul O’Hare. Andy Moseby left the firm in May 2023.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech Tier 2

Deloitte Legal covers a myriad of fintech issues spanning digital payments, AI, digital identity and insurtech. The unit sits within a firmwide fintech team that is able to call upon expertise in areas such as corporate finance, tax and consulting. Practice head Chris Hill is an IT lawyer whose wide-ranging offering extends to open banking and fintech contracting. Clare Jenkinson, who joined from HSBC in July 2022, is well placed to advise on large multi-business regulatory change projects. Cryptocurrency specialist Rich Folsom is equipped to handle disruptive data projects, while Richard Aitchison further extends the commercial and regulatory expertise at the firm. Jake Ghanty left in February 2023.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Digital content & social Tier 2

Deloitte Legal's tech-focused group serves a diverse client base, from global media giants to digital start-ups across the interactive entertainment and content production sectors, including multinational games publishers, platforms, IP owners and tech service providers. An area of particular strength is internet regulation, where Joanna Conway is noted for her digital content risk and online harm expertise, while Paul Garland provides strategic IP advice to tech companies as well as the protection and enforcement of IP rights. Commercial expert Calum Murray is also recommended.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms Tier 3

Deloitte Legal combines IT expertise with industry knowledge of emerging technologies, such as AI, robotics, quantum computing, behavioural advertising, blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The firm is also experienced in issues relating to the metaverse, IoT and big data. Specialist technology lawyer Andrew Joint  leads on matters pertaining to AI, automation and cloud technologies, and co-leads the team alongside data privacy and cyber security expert Cavan Fabris. Paul Hinton advises financial services companies on IT projects, while Paul O’Hare is well-versed in software distribution and reseller arrangements. Calum Murray covers contractual and regulatory aspects of digital services.

Transport > Travel Tier 3

The team at Deloitte Legal has a particular focus advising its portfolio of clients, which includes package holiday providers and travel groups, on the technological as well as the commercial aspects of travel. Key team member, Cawston-based director and newly appointed team head Luke Golding has strong expertise in this area and has experience advising on streamlining, overhauling and reviewing the management of related technological processes for key clients. May 2023 marked the departure of the team’s former lead Farina Azam to Fox Williams LLP.

Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts Tier 4

Benefitting from a global reach of 85 territories and over 400,000 employees, Deloitte Legal acts on a range of multi-jurisdictional matters generated by a client list of numerous leading names. Equipped with regulatory and technological expertise – including blockchain, AI and platform-based business models – the team have been active on advertising, sponsorship and marketing partnerships, outsourcing and distribution arrangements, and customer agreements with logistics providers. Andrew Joint leads the team and focuses on the tech contracting and advisory work, whilst also spearheading Deloitte’s artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and cloud technologies work. Fellow co-head Calum Murray has a similar tech background, but is also singled out for his extensive activity in the retail and consumer sector, alongside a substantial range of media and entertainment mandates. Craig Conte also comes recommended, alongside Peggie Pauwels, who joined the group from a leading role at Visa in April 2022.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design Tier 4

Praised for its ‘professionalism, knowledge and friendly approach’, Deloitte Legal’s broad offering includes litigation and transactional work, as well as other types of advisory work. The practice covers a range of IP rights, with notable strengths in the tech, retail, financial services and medtech sectors. Paul Garland heads up the practice with his particular specialism in complex dispute work, with Rachael Barber strengthening the team with her vast experience in the retail and luxury sectors. Jeremy Harris is another name to note as he has considerable expertise in software and data licence disputes. Joanna Conway routinely handles matters for global internet and social media giants, as well as public sector organisations.

Corporate and commercial > Venture capital Tier 5

Deloitte Legal advises a fairly balanced mix of investors and venture-backed businesses within the fintech and life sciences sectors seeking or providing investment throughout the funding life cycle, as well as at an exit stage. In addition to the core legal expertise that numerous experienced practitioner including Charles Claisse  and Glafkos Tombolis can provide, clients also benefit from access to the firm’s broader financial and consultancy services, ensuring they receive a holistic service through their growth strategies.

Employment > Employers Tier 5

Deloitte Legal has a strong team of employment lawyers assisting with complex HR matters and industrial relations. The firm emphasises its multi-disciplinary approach, integrating the employment practice with its regulatory, tax and tech expertise. The team is headed by David Williams, who advises on TUPE and the broader employment aspects of M&A. Also key are senior executive contracts expert Andrew Lilley and the regulatory matters focused Marian Bloodworth.

Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory Tier 6

The financial regulation team at Deloitte Legal counts banks, broker-dealers, fintech and cryptocurrency businesses, in addition to e-money issuers and fund managers, among its key roster of clients. Following the departure of Jake Ghanty to Wedlake Bell LLP in March 2023, Clare Jenkinson leads the team and has experience in regulatory change projects, as well as advising on matters concerning digital assets.

Employment > Employee share schemes

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market

Industry focus > Retail and consumer

Real estate > Commercial property: Manchester

Real estate > Property litigation