The Legal 500

North West: Corporate and commercial

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the North West

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the North West - ranked: tier 1

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors impresses for its ability to ‘explain and suggest options in a straightforward manner’. The practice is active in corporate and commercial mandates across the retail, finance, media, publishing and healthcare sectors. Key instructions included advising the shareholders of Aecus on the acquisition of Aecus by The Hackett Group; advising Avonside Group Services on an investment into the company by Core Capital; and advising Rothwell Plumbing Services Group on its acquisition of HeatLink Technical Solutions. Key figures include corporate and commercial team head Andrew Curwen, who specialises in corporate transactions; the ‘knowledgeable’ Christian Mancier, who predominately acts for owner-managed and family-owned businesses in the SME sector; and consultant Paul Lupton  is an experienced advisor to small and medium sized businesses. Associates Gemma Lingard and Rowan Uren are also recommended.

Leading individuals

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North West: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the North West

Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the North West - ranked: tier 1

Gorvins Solicitors

Singled out for its ‘fantastic client-care’, Gorvins Solicitors handles high-value commercial disputes for companies, shareholders and partners; corporate and personal insolvency issues; professional negligence claims; and commercial property disputes. Avonside Group, Bibby Leasing, Thorne Credit Union, Crystal Finance (Europe), Oldham Credit Union and E-Foods are all clients. Key figures include Mark Deverell, who specialises in commercial and insolvency-related litigation; the ‘brilliant’ Guy Lightowler, who is noted for contentious property and corporate disputes; David Guest , who handles contentious corporate and personal insolvency;senior associate Danielle Clements, who leads on contentious probate instructions and property disputes; and consultant Jonathan Crook, who handles regulatory and financial disputes.

Leading individuals

Next generation lawyers

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Debt recovery

Debt recovery - ranked: tier 2

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors is commended by clients for its ‘brilliant service’. The team handles debt and asset recovery for finance houses, in addition to claims on behalf of liquidators and administrators, and the collection of rent arrears and service charges. Oldham Credit Union, Thorne Credit Union, Bibby Leasing and Bibby Asset Finance are clients. Dispute resolution team head Mark Deverell acts for insolvency practitioners in relation to debt collection on behalf of liquidators and administrators, and on the recovery of monies due under guarantees. Also recommended are senior associate Danielle Clements and associate solicitor Sunita Patel, whose ‘advice is well thought out’. Michael Morris recently retired.

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North West: Finance

Insolvency and corporate recovery

Insolvency and corporate recovery - ranked: tier 4

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors’ ‘brilliant team’ is active across corporate and personal insolvency mandates and advises insolvency practitioners, businesses and individuals on contentious and non-contentious matters. Acting for directors on personal liability and disqualification proceedings is also a key focus of the team. Begbies Traynor, Auker Rhodes, FRP Advisory, Currie Young and RSM are clients. Insolvency and corporate recovery team head David Guest specialises in corporate and personal insolvency. Other key figures include dispute resolution head Mark Deverell, who specialises in winding-up proceedings, and consultant Paul Lupton, who handles corporate restructuring and insolvency matters.

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North West: Human resources

Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 5

Gorvins Solicitors

Clients of David Walton  at Gorvins Solicitors  say that they would have ‘no hesitation in recommending him whether to an employer or for an employee seeking advice on unfair dismissal, and redundancy discrimination cases’. Walton ‘gets to the heart of any problem very quickly and is determined to get the best for his clients’. He is an experienced litigator and advocate in the Employment Tribunal and acts for both claimant and respondent clients. He also advises employer clients on complex employment issues such as whistleblowing, TUPE transfers and restrictive covenants as well as disputes involving shareholder directors and employees. The practice has a particular strength in maternity discrimination. Senior associate Danielle Ayres has developed a particular specialisation in advising on family friendly rights and managing complex pregnancy and related sex discrimination issues.

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Employment: employee/union firms

Employment: employee/union firms - ranked: tier 1

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors has an ‘efficient, responsive and very knowledgeable’ team under the leadership of David Walton . The ‘extremely helpful’ Walton is an experienced advocate and ‘has a detailed knowledge of employment law’. Walton has expertise in more complex employment issues such as whistleblowing, TUPE and works hard to protect employees if the business in which they are employed changes hands. Walton's other areas of expertise include advising on the role of directors and the application and enforceability of restrictive covenants. Associate Amanda Isherwood  is praised for the ‘depth of her knowledge and for her ability to understand her clients’ personal situations when bringing a claim’. Isherwood has particular expertise in the contentious aspects of employment law such as Employment Tribunal cases and settlement negotiations. Senior associate Danielle Ayres  specialises in advising on pregnancy and maternity discrimination cases and associated employment tribunal claims. The team has also achieved considerable success in the niche area of representing clients with life-limiting illnesses and disabilities and has developed strong links with a number of local charities and medical institutions. The group is handling a number of significant redundancy and bulk compromise agreements and has been representing clients at the employment tribunals.

Next generation lawyers

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North West: Insurance

Personal injury: claimant

Personal injury: claimant - ranked: tier 4

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors' ‘switched-on team' handles a high volume of road traffic accidents and employer and public liability cases. In addition the group deals with a significant number of complex cases involving serious multiple injuries and brain injuries. The ‘very able and competent’ Stuart Biddle  heads the department. Biddle has a ‘good eye for his cases and leaves no stone unturned’. He has particular expertise in cases involving chronic pain.

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Professional negligence

Professional negligence - ranked: tier 3

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors  regularly handles a range of complex professional negligence and liability matters for clients against solicitors, barristers, surveyors, valuers, architects, accountants and insurance brokers. Mark Deverell is the practice head.

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North West: Private client

Contentious trusts and probate

Contentious trusts and probate - ranked: tier 2

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors' private client practice routinely works with its litigation, corporate and commercial teams to help clients and is well placed to handle the full range of complex and high value matters. The group regularly advises on issues surrounding fraudulent wills, invalid wills where there are issues of mental capacity at the time of the writing of the will and on problems with executors and trustees. It also handles complex cases where a client leaves an estate but certain assets may have been transferred to other people before the deceased passed away. Mark Deverell and Christine Thornley  are key partners in the practice. Senior associate Michael Smoult  often advises on contentious estates, disputed wills and Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 claims.

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Family

Family - ranked: tier 3

Gorvins Solicitors

Nicola McInnes  heads the department at Gorvins Solicitors, which provides a ‘very personal service’. Associate Kerry Russell  garners praise for her ‘knowledge and her ability to answer any queries’. The team routinely handles divorce, separation and financial remedy orders as well as private children disputes, cohabitation disputes and pre-and post-nuptial agreements. Clients include business owners, directors, doctors, lawyers, financial advisers and teachers.

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Personal tax, trusts and probate

Personal tax, trusts and probate - ranked: tier 2

Gorvins Solicitors

Christine Thornley heads an ‘extremely competent and professional’ team at Gorvins Solicitors. Senior associate Tasoula Addison ’s ‘main strength is not only her experience and expertise in this field but the fact that she listens and cares about the people she represents who are often involved in a very emotional family disputes’. The team has been continuing to develop particular expertise in succession planning for business owners as well as trust planning for families with disabled children. In addition it is adept at advising on succession planning for sports persons as well as having considerable skill in dementia and court of protection work, contentious probate work and statutory wills work.

Next generation lawyers

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North West: Real estate

Commercial property: elsewhere in the North West

Commercial property: elsewhere in the North West - ranked: tier 1

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors is active across landlord and tenant, estate management work, property acquisitions and disposals, funding and development agreements, and also advises on secure lending, real estate restructuring and distressed property disposals. It advised Peel Media on the lease of three floors at Blue Tower, MediaCityUK to Kellogg Company and advised JWH Capital on the £18m acquisition of 140 apartments and reversionary interest in Liverpool Tower. The team also advised FO Developments on the £9m acquisition of a development site and the £7m sub-sale of part to Redrow Homes. Ourspace, Nong Lau Property and Wood Restaurant Group are also clients. Managing partner Martin Hoare leads the commercial property department and specialises in commercial and residential development and investment matters. Claire Beaumont and Samantha Marcus are key members of the team, as is consultant Colin Mellor.

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Property litigation

Property litigation - ranked: tier 5

Gorvins Solicitors

Gorvins Solicitors is experienced across residential and commercial property disputes and handles an array of landlord and tenant disputes such as dilapidation claims, contested lease renewals, restrictive covenants, service charge disputes and possession claims. It also handles boundary disputes, easement claims, trespass, nuisance squatter actions. The team acted for Hamilton Heath on several matters involving lease renewal and dilapidations claims. Guy Lightowler leads the team and senior associate Danielle Clements is also recommended.

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North West: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Intellectual property

Intellectual property - ranked: tier 5

Gorvins Solicitors

Guy Lightowler  at Gorvins Solicitors is ‘intelligent, diligent, client-focused and tactically astute. He takes a realistic line but fights his clients’ corner’. The team advises on all aspects of intellectual property including copyright, design rights, trademarks and patents both in terms of protecting the rights and at the development stage. Andrew Curwen heads the team that acts for clients such as Dishman Europe, Initial Packaging and GPC Computer Software.

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