Oliver Pritchard > Howes Percival LLP > Norwich, England > Lawyer Profile

Howes Percival LLP’s varied education, health, and regulatory department has specialists in an array of matters, including corporate, employment, construction, and commercial contract work. One of the team’s standout features is its established experience in advising on different structures available to schools, including converting schools into multi-academy trusts. The team is led by Oliver Pritchard in Norwich and Graham Irons in Northampton, with Irons being especially recommended for contentious and non-contentious employment law matters.

Howes Percival LLP‘s education, health, social housing and government group brings together experts in corporate, employment, insolvency, property, construction, commercial contracts and data protection. It is ‘knowledgeable, well run and proactive‘, according to clients. Land development partner Michaela Henson in Cambridge and insolvency expert Morris Peacock in Norwich oversee the practice, which includes Norwich-based corporate partner Oliver Pritchard. Peacock acted for the The Insolvency Service/Secretary of State for Business, Energy And Industrial Strategy in potential director disqualification proceedings arising out of the failure of Bell Pottinger LLP. Emerging partner talent Nicola Curle in Norwich is a key adviser on surplus land disposals, enabling developments and student accommodation projects. Planning specialist Jamie Childs provides ‘timely and usually very swift responses‘.

Howes Percival LLP‘s team is described as having ‘plenty of experience, combined with a calm and commercial approach‘. The firm handles a broad-range of transactional and advisory work, notably in the healthcare, leisure and tourism sectors, though it is seeing a growing flow of work from industries such as automotive, technology, and food and beverage. James Stephen joined from BDB Pitmans in January 2023 to lead the corporate team in Cambridge; the ‘prompt and courteous‘ Oliver Pritchard leads the broader corporate, commercial and banking group in East Anglia.

Howes Percival LLP has ‘a great team that makes clients feel confident’. The firm is a key adviser on corporate transactions and commercial matters across Norfolk and beyond, notably in the leisure and tourism, healthcare, automotive and technology sectors. Head of the East Anglia corporate practice Oliver Pritchard is known for his ‘pragmatism, efficiency and attention-to-detail’. Pritchard, alongside director Richard Turner notably assisted agricultural machinery dealer Ben Burgess Holdings Ltd in its acquisition of the Doubleday Group. Associates Lizzy Page, who is regarded as being ‘incredibly efficient’, and Helaina Mann also play central roles in the practice.