Firm Profile > Freeths LLP > London, England
Freeths LLP Offices
1 VINE STREET
MAYFAIR
LONDON
W1J 0AH
England
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Freeths LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
M&A: smaller deals, up to £50m Tier 2
The corporate team at Freeths LLP operates as a fully integrated practice across the national firm's 13 offices, with the aim of providing a cost-effective offering. The M&A group covers the full range of transactional work for clients ranging from owner managed SMEs and individual entrepreneurs to publicly listed companies. Tom Rowley leads the London team and represents large international corporates including NASDAQ quoted companies. He also advises private equity sponsors on a range of transactions. Elsewhere in the practice Andrew Bretherton has significant experience advising private equity and venture capital while Peter Hill is noted for his work in joint ventures and shareholders' agreements; Francis Dalton is another key name.
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Key clients
Spicers-OfficeTeam
Patron Capital
Raycliff Capital
betPawa
Celeres Capital
Ascot Lloyd
BGF
Calculus Capital
Autins Group Plc
finnCap Limited
Gama Aviation Plc
Northbridge Industrial Services Plc
ECSC Group Plc
Quixant Plc
N+1 Singer Advisory LLP
Mediators Tier 2
Charles Powell - Freeths LLP Freeths LLP's Nottingham-based Charles Powell, who is also at IPOS Mediation, is 'an excellent mediator; he is hardworking, pragmatic and determined to find the right resolution. He is also creative at unlocking offers'. Others praise Powell's 'really good mediation style, for engaging well with the parties, and approaching the mediation in a pragmatic and sensible way'. Powell has over 20 years' mediation experience and has conducted over 500 commercial mediations. He specialises in disputes involving commercial law, partnerships, professional negligence and property claims, and banking and asset finance disputes.
Tier 3
Mark Keeley - Freeths LLP Freeths LLP's Mark Keeley in Nottingham is 'a great mediator, who is insightful and experienced; he is also very good at handling difficult clients'; he is also praised as 'an excellent contentious probate mediator'. He has conducted over 250 commercial mediations and specialises in contentious trust and probate disputes, as well as professional negligence claims.
Tier 5
Paul Balen - Freeths LLP Freeths LLP's Nottingham-based consultant solicitor Paul Balen qualified as a mediator in 2004, and is highly regarded for his conduct of clinical negligence and personal injury mediations. In 2019, Balen conducted over 50 mediations; he has also mediated probate and commercial disputes.
Court of protection Tier 3
Freeths LLP's national team mainly acts for brain-injured clients who have received multimillion-pound compensation awards, dealing with complex cases where clients require significant care packages, and have substantial equipment and property needs, behavioural issues and complicated finances. The group handles a broad range of matters, ranging from acting as professional deputies for clients with valuable estates (including several with large agricultural estates and businesses) to preparing statutory will and gift applications. Natasha Molloy was promoted to the partnership. Melanie Williams and Jane Maitland have been appointed to the Office of the Public Guardian’s panel of deputies since July 2015.
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Testimonials
‘Natasha Molloy is a dream to work with, knows COP matters inside out and is a thoroughly lovely person. She is exemplary in her work‘
‘The team stands out for the wealth of experience of its people and their personal styles and engagement with clients. It’s obvious how much the lawyers pride themselves on their service. Natasha Molloy is personally involved in all her cases and has the ability to think and plan ahead about what is in her clients’ best interest at all times’
‘Natasha Molloy has ensured that all team members follow her principles of being dedicated to offering advice and service of the highest quality. Natasha is the consummate professional and this is being reflected in the team‘
‘Natasha Molloy is a first-class COP practitioner who leads from the front and sets the example which her team duly follow to ensure a first class-service is delivered to clients and professional contacts‘
‘The team works well and functions with efficiency. Communication is good and the large size of the firm allows for a pooling of talent and access to other specialities that you may not be able to utilise in a smaller firm’
‘Melanie Williams is well respected in this field of work and brings ample experience of complex matters to the table‘
‘Melanie navigated a complex case and its significant challenges with skill, compassion and, on occasions, ingenuity‘
‘The Freeths LLP team has a consistently high level of excellence amongst all staff and in all dealings. As a client, I feel supported and have every confidence in Freeths‘
Local government Tier 3
Freeths LLP's national platform enables the firm to handle a broad scope of local government work, covering transactional matters, construction, property litigation and planning. The firm also has capabilities in state aid and EU procurement, as well as environmental law. Practice leader Nathan Holden advises on matters such as joint venture arrangements and compulsory purchase orders, while the new head of the commercial team Jennifer Roe is considered an 'excellent up-and-coming planner'. Stephen Pearson acts on major outsourcing projects, Ian Rowson advises on complex regulation schemes and distressed assets, Clive Pearce focuses on property investment acquisitions, and Robert Bruce provides planning expertise. The team has recently been boosted by a number of significant new additions, with partners joining from DLA Piper, Irwin Mitchell, Shoosmiths LLP, Ward Hadawayand Squire Patton Boggs.
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Testimonials
‘A tightly knit group with a focus on providing an excellent service for their clients. They are not just good at what they do, they really enjoy it as well.’
‘Jennifer Roe an excellent up-and-coming planner. She knows what she is talking about.’
‘Rob Bruce – experienced, calm and good judgement.’
‘Robert Bruce. Diligent; reliable, pragmatic and extremely supportive. Robert cuts out the jargon and explains things using plain English in a way that sets him apart from some others. He always returns calls quickly; his advice is clear; And he always offers a solution.’
‘Very efficient and knowledgeable. Rob Bruce is very pragmatic and seeks solutions constantly that will work well in a given set of circumstances. Very approachable and provides detailed and comprehensive advice. He understands the added political dimension of local authority legal work and works well within that structure.’
Key clients
Allerdale Borough Council
Anston Parish Council Recreational Ground
Arc Property Services Partnership Ltd
Ashfield District Council
Barrow Upon Soar Parish Council
Bassetlaw District Council
Bedford Borough Council
Birmingham City Council
Blaby District Council
Bmor Consulting (Nottingham) Ltd
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Borough Council
Boston Borough Council
Broughton Astley Parish Council
Broxtowe Borough Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Cambridge City Council
Castle Point Borough Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Cherwell District Council
Cheshire East Council
Chesterfield Borough Council
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Corby Borough Council
Cumbria County Council
Darlington Borough Council
Daventry District Council
Derby City Council
Derby Homes Ltd
Derbyshire Building Control Partnership Limited
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Doncaster Children’s Trust
Dronfield Town Co
Franchising Tier 4
Freeths LLP's practice expanded in mid-2019 with the arrival of new national practice head Iain Bowler from DLA Piper, where he was global co-head of commercial and franchise. In addition to providing franchising expansion and licensing assistance, the team advises franchisors on commercial contracts and intellectual property, real estate, dispute resolution, employment and competition issues. 'Capable of dealing with multi-national businesses and local ones just as well', the group acts for clients in the retail, manufacturing, media and digital, and hospitality and leisure sectors.
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Testimonials
‘Great depth of experience at all levels. Capable of dealing with multi-national businesses and local ones just as well.’
‘Iain Bowler is outstanding at communicating complex issues simply.’
Key clients
University College London – Educate EdTech Business Accelerator
Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 5
Freeths LLP 'provides a very sensible, commercial and value-for-money service'. The team has particular expertise in corporate and M&A litigation, commercial disputes, and fraud, confidential information and data issues. It also fields specialists in insolvency, group actions, public sector matters, and funding and insurance. Senior partner and London managing partner Philippa Dempster is highly rated, and Vickie Williams and the recently promoted Imogen Randall are the directors to note.
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Testimonials
The firm provides a very sensible, commercial and value-for-money service.
The culture separates Freeths from so many firms with whom I have worked over the years. While their grasp of the law is up with the best, I found them focused on me, my needs and on achieving justice rather than invoices or, worse, winning cheap shots against the other side or finding other ways of proving their superior knowledge.
Philippa Dempster is an exemplary lawyer. Her combination of knowledge, instinct and empathy made her my ideal partner as we navigated a complex case to a very satisfactory conclusion. It felt as if whenever I had a burning need to discuss something she made herself available in short order.
There were times when I contemplated giving up and cutting my losses and Philippa was there each time to lay out the logical reasons for staying the course. Her grasp of the law and her creativity combined to defeat the other side and to deliver a very satisfactory outcome. I would describe her approach to me as a client as being more akin to that of a friend than a service provider. I can’t speak too highly of the quality of her work.
Key clients
Group Action (circa 600 sub-postmasters)
Toys ‘R’ Us
Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE
GP Surveyors Limited
Eddie Stobart
Planning Tier 5
A mix of commercial clients and local authorities work with Freeths LLP's planning and environment group on the full range of adjacent matters, including section 106 negotiations, highways agreements, rights of way issues and CIL. The team also provides a strong contentious offering and as practice head, Robert Bruce brings over 20 years experience in planning and related law.
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Testimonials
‘A close-knit team that works well over differing geographical locations. A wide range of services are on offer and they complement their other teams well, such as real estate and construction.’
‘Robert Bruce is always very personable and on top of his brief. He gives clear pragmatic advice in a way that is easy to understand and is practical to deliver.’
‘The team have good knowledge of the planning system and give sound commercial advice.’
‘Rob Bruce has a good grasp of the law and the commercial needs of his clients, resulting in first-rate advice.’
‘Rob Bruce is experienced, calm and has good judgement. He is one of the top partners around.’
Key clients
Nottinghamshire County Council Pension Fund / Aberdeen Standard Life
Taylor Wimpey / Transport for London
English Heritage
Bucks County Council
Raycliff Capital
Aldi (Swindon)
Stein Management Limited
Trinity College
Aldi (Wales)
Property finance Tier 5
Freeths LLP is particularly active in advising debt funders in the healthcare sector, as well as advising on the financing of major mixed-use developments. Richard Williams focuses on the aforementioned areas with additional expertise in the hotel and leisure sectors. Chris Freeston, who works from the Nottingham and London offices, is notably strong in handling student accommodation and hotel developments.
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Testimonials
‘Richard Williams is an extremely capable real estate finance partner. He has very good knowledge of all aspects of the specialism and is very client friendly. We retained him on a difficult matter and he was very impressive.’
Key clients
Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited
CBRE Indirect Investment Services Limited
The Bank of London & The Middle East (BLME)
LaSalle Investment Management
Santander UK plc
ICG-Longbow
Lloyds Banking Group
Clydesdale Bank
Patron Capital
HSBC
RBSi
Hamberley Developments
Amber Infrastructure
Immigration
Freeths LLP advises a range of corporate, high net worth and individual clients, handling matters including sponsor licences, compliance audits and judicial review work. The 'outstandingly professional, well organised and empathetic' team has significant expertise in advising universities and companies within the manufacturing and logistics sectors. Tom Bradford heads the practice; he works with well-regarded managing associate Shradha Virji.
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Testimonials
‘The team that worked with us were outstandingly professional, well organised and, most importantly for us, empathetic towards our case and needs. We felt listened to and that there was a great effort to understand our specific circumstances which, for us, felt like a more personalised experience with genuine care and consideration for us as individuals. Their work was efficient and maintained excellent communication throughout so that we felt involved from the beginning and well-informed of the process.’
‘We have been working with the Freeths Immigration practice for all our visa requirements. We have found them to be efficient and their advice has been spot on. They have worked to assist us with our visa and immigration issues on a timely basis and always ensure that we understand the issues and how they can be resolved.’
‘The practice is known for providing an excellent level of service to clients, and has vast experience.’
‘Tom Bradford and Shradha Virji were absolutely exceptional.’
‘Shradha Virji has helped my wife and I with complex spouse visa immigration matters for over five years. When I first met Shradha her kindness and reassurance assured me she was the best person for the job, and I was not disappointed. She has been a great asset in helping my wife secure her British citizenship. I highly recommend Shradha and her team at Freeths.’
Agriculture and estates Tier 1
Freeths LLP's agricultural team advises landed estates, farming families, educational institution, and charities on all matters of agricultural and property law, including agricultural tax, disputes, environmental law, and the acquisition and sale of listed buildings and high-value estates. Practice leader Iain Davis specialises in the development of greenfield land, while partner Samantha Leigh focuses on strategic estate management. Partner Sarah Duffy advises on agricultural property acquisitions and disposals. She works alongside partner Balvinder Jaj, who addresses secured lending and development at greenfield and brownfield sites. Senior associate Laura Czapski also comes recommended. Director Louise Lewis joined from Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP in June 2019.
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Testimonials
‘Sarah Duffy goes beyond her brief, is client-focused, commercial, and ultimately someone you want on your side.’
Key clients
Robert Paul Camping
Tarmac Trading Ltd.
Tarmac Aggregates Ltd.
Banking and finance Tier 1
Freeths LLP's 'focused and pragmatic' team in Nottingham primarily advises lenders and investors engaged in the healthcare and real estate industries. Its broad expertise includes project finance, acquisition finance, mezzanine finance and public sector finance transactions. Chris Freeston specialises in advising banks and private lenders on real estate and project finance transactions of considerable value. Katie Hillier is well-versed in investment and development finance, as well as debt and corporate restructuring. John Heaphy has a wealth of expertise in acquisition finance. Associate Gary Richardson is another notable individual. Partners Ed Hall and Ben Moylan joined the firm in 2019 from Gowling WLG and Eversheds Sutherland, respectively.
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Testimonials
‘Freeths offer commercial insight into transactions and help parties overcome issues to get deals done. They work well as a team – both internally and with different advisors – to get the job done.’
‘Chris Freeston has a strong commercial insight, a drive to get things done and a pragmatic approach to dealing with issues and finding solutions.’
‘Katie Hiller is easy to get on with, has a good grasp of the commercial issues of transactions and an awareness of when to bring people in to get things done to ensure that the best interests of her clients are served.’
Key clients
Allied Irish Bank
Santander
Lloyds Banking Group
Clydesdale Bank/Yorkshire Bank
Ahli United Bank
Redwood Bank
Cambridge & Counties Bank
Frontier Development Capital
ICG Longbow
Chancerygate
ZSL Capital
Reditum Capital
Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the East Midlands Tier 1
Freeths LLP 's 'extremely capable and proactive' Leicester practice acts for international and domestic companies in numerous breach of contract disputes, in addition to insurance, professional negligence, construction and property claims (to name just a few of the firm's mainstays). Mukesh Patel is particularly well-known for his expertise in disputes in the energy sector. Among his recent highlights, he represented claimant Flogas Britain in various high-value cases involving injunctions, contempt of court actions and challenges to government procurement decisions. Simon Baigent specialises in restructuring and insolvency, as well as property litigation. Emma Anderson is an expert in commercial disputes. Senior associate Richard Fitzmaurice is another notable individual.
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Testimonials
‘The Freeths team is a solid one. They are particularly well organised on large scale cases and are well equipped with the technology and know-how to handle a high volume of disclosures efficiently and quickly.’
‘They are very client focused and always seek to give pragmatic commercial advice.’
‘Mukesh Patel works very hard to find practical solutions either by getting a deal if there is one or fighting case if necessary.’
‘I worked mainly with Richard Fitzmaurice, who was calm in difficult situations, quite clear with his advice, positive with his responses and totally firm with the other side.’
Key clients
Flogas UK Britain Limited
MPK Garages Limited
RC Tuxford Exports Limited
Noble Foods Limited
Travis Perkins plc
Greenyard Fresh UK Limited
Cofresh Foods (Lakshmi & Son’s Limited)
Rigid Containers Limited
Aldi Stores Limited
Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby Tier 1
Freeths LLP provides a full-service offering to clients, which includes property finance, residential conveyancing, licensing, and assistance with all stages of regeneration projects and commercial and residential developments. Darren Williamson specialises in portfolio sales and acquisitions, predominantly in the food and retail sectors. Jon Smart focuses on commercial development and funding, areas in which he acts for investors, developers, landowners and occupiers. Guy Winfield is retained by major clients on an ongoing basis in relation to large-scale projects. Most notably, he recently advised Travis Perkins on around 200 assignments of leases. James Clamp and Janet Rhodes are also names to note.
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Testimonials
‘Always have time for the client, and understand the issues we face and deal with them in a timely fashion.’
Key clients
Cambridge & Counties Bank
Tarmac
Jelson Homes
Deichmann Shoes
Minster Property Group Limited
Abbey Commercial Investment Group
Chancerygate
Harworth Estates
LNT/Ideal Carehomes
BDW Trading (Barratt, David Wilson Homes)
EM Lawshare
Bellway
Travis Perkins
Davidsons Developments
Waterfield Group (incl Scotch Corner)
Fitzwilliam Trust
Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 1
Freeths LLP provides comprehensive real estate support on matters including construction & development, planning, environmental, tax and property litigation. The practice is particularly experienced in advising educational institutions, charities and healthcare sector clients. Practice co-head Patrick Whetter specialises in acquisitions, disposals, property portfolio management and HQ relocations, while co-head Adrian White acts for a number of substantial corporate and charity clients on development projects. Desh Patel, promoted to director in 2019, handles commercial landlord and tenant matters and acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold properties. Senior associate Laura Brown is recommended.
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Testimonials
‘Extremely knowledgeable and committed to protecting their clients’ position.’
‘The team take time to understand the quirks in our particular business, allowing for timely advice and understanding our needs.‘
‘The team are very proactive and have a commercial approach to matters, which is extremely helpful.’
Key clients
Oxford University Press
Lloyds Bank Plc
Aimmune Therapeutics
Resmed UK Ltd
Perspectum Diagnostics
GEFCO U.K. Limited
Vitra UK Limited
Polartech Group
RUSI (Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies)
The Oxford Trust
Ortho Consulting Group
Sulzer Mixpac (UK) Ltd
J A Pye (Oxford) Limited
Construction Tier 1
Freeths LLP's Nottingham team works seamlessly with the firm's nationwide real estate practice, enabling it to take on work from large corporates and major developers. Chris Holwell focuses on advising all parties in large construction projects on procurement and development. Amy Morley is particularly strong in high-value disputes and mediations arising from issues during construction projects. Holwell recently advised Siglion on the construction contracts underpinning the development of a new council headquarters in Sunderland. Associates John Kelly and Karen Hargrave are also recommended.
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Testimonials
‘The team takes a very commercial approach and quickly understands my objectives.’
‘The service levels are first class and exceed that of other firms.’
‘Chris Holwell leads our team and his advice is exemplary.’
Key clients
Aldi
Tarmac
Gleeds
Nottingham Trent University
GF Tomlinson Group Limited
Martifer UK
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
PfP-Igloo
London Luton Airport
Travis Perkins Plc
Contentious trusts and probate Tier 1
Freeths LLP has a well-established presence in high-value contentious trust and probate litigation. The firm handles a wide range of work, including (but not limited to) claims under the Inheritance Act, will challenges and contested Court of Protection work. The firm continues to grow in the agriculture sector, where it handles disputes concerning farming estates. The team, which is led by Mark Keeley, garners praise for its 'friendly' and 'professional' approach. Clients note its 'genuine strength in depth'. Also noted is Rachel Gaffney, who specialises in contentious Court of Protection work.
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Testimonials
‘Very friendly and approachable yet thorough and professional. Excellent reputation and leadership with Mark Keeley a real star.’
‘Mark Keeley – excellent lawyer and mediator, good team leader, knowledgeable and professional but also a thoroughly nice chap.’
‘The team has genuine strength in depth. There are a number of firms that claim to be a specialist. Freeths are.’
‘Mark Keeley is very well known within the contentious probate field. Mark is an excellent mediator who genuinely enjoys the law. He is always on our list of mediators.’
‘Mark Keeley’s team is well known for this area of work. Mark is unique in also having a thriving mediation practice. The team are renowned for being able to handle all types of contentious trust and probate matters. It is wildly held as an exceptionally strong team with fee earners at all levels.’
Contentious trusts and probate Tier 1
Freeths LLP is known for advising trustees, executors, and individuals disinherited from wills on issues including the challenges to the validity of a will and family trust disputes, as well as other high-value and complex cases involving contentious trusts. Practice leader Sarah Foster is an expert in alternative dispute resolution and acts as a litigation friend for minors requiring separate representation. Foster works closely with senior associate Sally Goodger, who deals with matters relating to wills, trusts, and estates.
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Testimonials
‘A remarkably strong team, which can match any London firm. Extremely experienced, and with a strong emphasis on resolving disputes. They draw strongly on the firm’s non-contentious team, thus offering an unrivalled management of neutral positions, or representation of vulnerable/under-age litigants.’
‘The team at Freeths is one of the most well-established private client regional firms in the Oxford area, with an outstanding reputation for the resolution of trusts and probate disputes.’
‘Sally Goodger is an excellent solicitor who is able to give clear and sensible advice and remain calm under pressure. Sarah Foster is also a fantastic lawyer.’
‘Sarah Foster has a wealth of experience and knowledge in her area of specialism and this, combined with her ability to deliver complex legal advice in a concise, practical and approachable manner makes her stand out as exceptional in her field.’
Corporate and commercial: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx Tier 1
Operating out of Milton Keynes, Freeths LLP advises clients in the drinks, hospitality, healthcare, and leisure sectors on matters relating to complex deals, refinancings, restructurings, and acquisitions. Practice leader Jonathan Hambleton is an expert in refinancings, restructurings, and acquisitions for complex matters. Director James Cowell comes highly recommended.
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Testimonials
‘Freeths provides top-quality advice at cost-effective rates. The team is pragmatic, very user-friendly, and focused on solutions.’
‘Their strength comes in their expertise in many different aspects of the law. You may hire a commercial lawyer but you get the whole team behind them including IP, tax, etc. All worked together seamlessly.‘
‘Their depth of experience and wealth of knowledge is unrivaled. In particular, their wide and varied corporate and commercial knowledge, twinned with their professionalism keeps their customers on the front foot, best protecting their interests. Their team is rounded, vastly experienced, good at listening to understand the detail, and swift to analyse the available options. We’ve found them engaging, proactive, and knowledgeable when compared to other firms in the same or similar fields.’
‘The team is superb, professional, knowledgeable, and primarily proactive. Their advice is first class, up to date and clear, first time every time.’
‘They work flexibly according to our needs, respond quickly, and listen to our objectives. We have built up a level of trust in their work and don’t feel like they are constantly looking to earn additional fees.’
‘The corporate team at Freeths presents a rare combination of technical capability and human touch. This ability to build trust gives clients huge comfort that their best interests are being represented. This is within a wrapper of professionalism and responsiveness; the availability of the team, their speed of response, and regularity of communication is the best I have ever worked with.’
Key clients
AFI Group
London Luton Airport
Konica Minolta
Wells and Co.
Childbase Partnership
Ink and Toner Recycling
Speedline Taxi Ltd.
The Restaurant Group
The Laine Pub Company Ltd.
Handelsbanken
BLC Leather Technology Centre
Backstar Amplification
Metro Supply Chain Inc.
Business Growth Fund
Frosts Garden Centres
Butcombe Brewery
Uniglass UK
Brakspear
Longleat Hotels
Newnorth
Sealed Air
Innovate Energy Solutions
The Sports Office UK Ltd.
Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby Tier 1
Freeths LLP's corporate and commercial team has a wide range of sector specialisms, including logistics, energy, retail and hospitality. It acts for large domestic and international clients in major transactions, including M&A, de-mergers and equity investments. On the commercial side, the firm primarily advises companies on joint venture agreements, procurement and major strategic projects. Karl Jansen has a wealth of experience advising clients on transactions running the full gamut, with a particular focus on UK mid-market businesses. In a recent highlight, corporate partner John Heaphy advised fintech client DivideBuy on securing a £60m equity and debt investment from Souter Investments and Shawbrook and Paragon. David Lane and associate Mallory Coxe are also recommended.
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Testimonials
‘Commercial, pragmatic and approachable.’
‘A direct and honest approach.’
‘A willingness to explain complex legal issues in a language that is easy to digest without being condescending.’
Key clients
Travis Perkins Plc
Aldi
Tarmac
Euro Garages Limited
The Reflex Group Limited
Rematch Credit Ltd
The Bay Group Limited
Omar Park Homes
Harbour Healthcare Limited
Birlea Furniture Limited
HW Martin Limited
Motorpoint Plc
The Beckett Investment Management Group Limited
Shoby Investments Limited
Employment Tier 1
Freeths LLP is highly active in employment-related litigation and its team is a regular fixture in Employment Tribunal cases. The group also advises on the enforcement of restrictive covenants, injunctive relief, restructurings and TUPE issues. In Leicester, national practice head Julian Middleton and Rena Magdani are the main contacts. Nottingham-based partner David Potter is also a key individual.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘David Potter is very personal and down-to-earth and provides me with solid advice and legal direction.’
‘Emma Batten is very knowledgeable, reliable, accessible, responsive and commercial. She is a lovely person!’
Key clients
ALDI Stores Limited
DPD Group UK Limited
Sofidel Group
Staffline Recruitment Limited & Staffline Group PLC
National Express Limited
Center Parcs
ERIKS Industrial Services Limited
The Reflex Group Limited
Goodridge Limited
Preston Innovations Limited
Birmingham Metropolitan College
EH Smith (Builders Merchants) Limited
The British Horse Society
AP Racing Limited
West Midlands Growth Company
JS Wright
The Alumasc Group plc
Envisage Group Limited
Family Tier 1
Freeths LLP's high level of family law expertise is reflected by its coverage of a wide range of matters, including divorce, financial applications, pre and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitee disputes, surrogacy and child arrangements. Key clients of the firm include high-net-worth individuals and clients with family-owned limited businesses. The practice works closely with Freeths Platinum Service to offer high-net-worth clients wealth preservation advice. Practice head Rachael Oakes works with Judith Speed, who is 'reliable' and 'very experienced'.
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Testimonials
‘Judith Speed is a reliable and experienced pair of hands.’
‘Judith Speed is a very capable, very experienced and accomplished family lawyer and has earned her respect in the market place. She was an opponent in a very difficult financial remedy case and Judith was very clearly in tune with all of her fragile client’s needs. I would not hesitate to recommend Judith Speed.’
‘Judith Speed gives great attention to detail and is a very accomplished financial remedy lawyer.’
Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 1
Freeths LLP's family team 'provides an excellent service' in high value financial matters and provides sensitive and practical advice on children matters, including Schedule 1 applications, removal from jurisdiction applications and cohabitation issues. Rachael Oakes leads the team and advises on pre and post marital agreements and children issues, along with Claire Colbert . Gemma Nicholls-Webber handles separation matters, often with a cross-border element. Associate Tom Burgess is one of relatively few in the area with expertise in IVF and surrogacy work.
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Testimonials
‘Claire Colbert really has her eye on the ball – we could not recommend her more highly.’
‘Our overall impression of the firm is one of excellence and we would highly recommend them.‘
‘Both Tom and Claire are highly experienced. They each have an excellent ‘feel’ for any given case. This means that they are able to offer clear and realistic advice from the get-go, as well as managing client expectations throughout. Combined with a sensitive and empathetic approach, they are a pleasure to deal with.‘
‘Very professional, yet friendly and approachable. Forward looking and always looking for new ways to improve the service for clients.’
Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant Tier 1
Freeths LLP has an experienced and sizeable claimant personal injury practice that demonstrates particular expertise in brain injury and spinal cord injury cases involving both adults and children. Karen Reynolds, who leads the team in Derby and Stoke, is on the AvMA and Law Society Clinical Negligence Solicitor panels. Nottingham-based practice head Jane Williams and her team are experienced in successfully mediating cases under the National Health Resolution Services scheme. In Leicester, Jane Goulding (the head of personal injury claimant) and her team are renowned for their experience of multiple party actions and high-value catastrophic injury claims.
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Testimonials
‘A focused, highly experienced team that works to get the best for clients – from inquests through to formulating the claim, negotiating and – ultimately – trial. They are all very tuned in to the sector.’
‘I have used this firm on 2 occasions and have nothing but praise for the thorough and professional way they handled my claim.’
‘The team is a small one, but is exceptional because of the quality and experience of the head of team, Jane Goulding. She is one of the best and most experienced claimant’s solicitors working in this field at present.’
‘Jane Goulding: Her experience and expertise makes her one of the best solicitors working for claimants in this field, especially brain-injured children and adults. She is effective as a litigator, and very supportive of her clients.’
‘Jane Williams is exceptional: switched on, always accessible and highly experienced.’
Key clients
Maxillofacial Group Action against University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Foundation Trust (‘UHNM’)
Sebastian Webster (a child and protected party, by his mother and Litigation Friend, Heather Butler)
Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant Tier 1
Freeths LLP has an 'excellent' clinical negligence practice and provides a wide regional offering for clients. Operating out of Oxford, the team is led by national head Carolyn Lowe and handles an assortment of maximum severity injuries including complex brain and cerebral palsy cases. Senior associate Catherine Bell is highlighted by clients for her specialism in clinical negligence work and has expertise in neurological claims. Lynne Foster is the key name for fatal claims work; the group also acts in stillbirth and neonatal death cases.
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Testimonials
‘A reliable specialist clin neg team – all very enthusiastic and thorough.‘
‘Catherine Bell is a calm and considerate advocate for her clients who gets the job done with a minimum of fuss.‘
‘Siobhan Genever and Catherine Bell both stand out. Siobhan has vast experience in complex claims and Catherine is highly intelligent and absolutely committed to getting the best outcome for her clients. She is tireless in pursuit of the best outcome.’
Personal tax, trusts and probate: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 1
Freeths LLP handles a full range of private client matters in an 'efficient, reliable and discreet' manner. Nigel Roots specialises in acting as a trustee of complex inter-generational wealth structures, with a particular emphasis on trust reorganisations for wealthy business-owning families and historic landed estates. Roots leads the practice along with Sarah Foster, who defends claims made against legal professionals with a trust or probate element. Jane Maitland advises high net worth individuals, company directors, farmers, academics and authors on estate planning. Director Lisa Mark-Bell is 'all one could hope for in a family solicitor'.
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Testimonials
‘The team is well-organised and capable; and also well-lead by Nigel Roots.‘
‘Lisa Mark-Bell’s technical strengths are a given, particularly when considering the tax planning which goes alongside her legal advice. While she is able to deal with complex situations, I have also found Lisa to be very pragmatic and sensible in her approach to client advice, seeking efficiencies but not over-complicating matters. She has turned work around at very short notice for mutual clients and has never failed to deliver on demanding client requirements.’
Professional negligence Tier 1
Freeths LLP's professional negligence team is skilled in handling a mix of both complex claimant and defendant matters for clients. Led out of Oxford by experienced practice head Duncan Crine, the group has expertise in claims across a range of industry sectors such as legal, financial, real estate and engineering. Managing partner Sarah Foster, who also jointly leads the team, is the key contact for trust and probate-related disputes. Highlighted for her 'sensible approach', property litigation head Clare Bellis specialises in professional indemnity matters.
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‘Duncan Crine is a cool and wise head, with a breadth of practice that means he can brings a wider perspective. Very calm, reassuring and easy to work with.’
‘Clare Bellis works hard to get to the heart of a case; is willing to go the extra mile when a case needs it; has a sensible approach, with lots of experience across a broad range; is completely reliable and very easy to work with.’
‘The size of the team means that there is hands-on attention, but with enough room to ensure that the work is done at the right level and the right cost. The strength of the team means they are more than a match for much larger teams elsewhere.‘
Property litigation Tier 1
Freeths LLP's 'responsive and pragmatic' team, which is based in Nottingham and Leicester, handles property disputes involving breaches of lease covenants, adverse possession, forfeiture and professional indemnity, among other areas. In Nottingham, Paul Tomkins' broad expertise includes service charges disputes, contested lease renewals and dilapidation claims. Simon Baigent, who is based in Leicester, represents real estate clients in various disputes. He also advises insolvent businesses and insolvency practitioners on their property portfolios. Edward Pickard is another key member of the team in Nottingham.
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Testimonials
‘Responsive, pragmatic and commercial with a breadth of property expertise.’
‘Paul Tomkins is responsive and commercial with a deep understanding of the law and its application.’
Key clients
Chancerygate Asset Management and Development
Deichmann Shoes
Dreams
EM Lawshare
Euro Garages
Jelson Limited
Tarmac
Timpson
Travis Perkins Group including City Plumbing, Toolstation and Wickes
Well Pharmacy
Public sector Tier 1
Freeths LLP serves as a key adviser to local authorities, education and other public bodies. Reflective of its excellent reputation, the firm is on the legal panels of the universities of Nottingham and Birmingham, among others. Stephen Pearson is the head of the education team. Nathan Holden, who is a 'pleasure to work with', leads the local government team, which advised Leicester City Council and Rushcliffe on major expansions. Other key highlights included advising Derbyshire Dales District Council on a new system for waste collection and processing (including green waste).
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‘We’ve found members of the Freeths team very willing to engage with us and have constructive discussions.’
‘Nathan Holden and Gillian Roberts are a pleasure to deal with. Gillian’s pragmatic support, constructive challenge and good humour are particularly valuable.’
Key clients
NHS Property Services Limited N
NHSSS County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
South Staffordshire & Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation
Birmingham City Council
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Derby City Council
Derby College
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Leicester City Council
Leicester College
Leicestershire County Council
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham High School
Nottingham Trent University
Nottinghamshire County Council
Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Services HQ
Nottinghamshire Police Authority
Oxford Brookes University
University College London
University of Birmingham
University Of Leeds
University of Leicester
Social housing Tier 1
Freeths LLP's 'practical, personable and incredibly capable practice' in Nottingham advises public and private sector clients on all aspects of affordable housing projects; its workload in this space includes planning, development and procurement. The firm has recently seen an increase in its work for clients engaged in joint ventures, including those between developers and registered providers, and developers and local authorities. Matthew Grocock is regularly instructed by clients to assist them with regeneration projects and affordable housing schemes. Sarah Rowe specialises in advising social housing clients on residential developments schemes and land purchases. Associates Claire Bennett and Stephen Christian are also key members of the team.
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‘The team has the ability to understand complex issues in a partnership environment, and is proactive in providing solutions that allow us to achieve our goal.’
‘Sarah Rowe has worked diligently and carefully to ensure our interests are protected. She is always available and explains things clearly.’
Key clients
Nottingham Community Housing Association Limited
Torus62 Limited
Stockport Homes Limited
Citizen Housing Group
Jigsaw Homes Group
Longhurst Group Limited
Ilke Homes Limited
Partner Construction Limited
Kirklees Council
BDW Trading Limited
Charities and not-for-profit Tier 2
Freeths LLP advises both South East-based and national charities on issues such as commercial and corporate negotiations, real estate issues, fundraising and partnership arrangements. Practice leader Nigel Roots is known for his work on literary estates and heritage property. Managing partner Sarah Foster acts on disputed trusts and the removal of executors and trustees, while Lesley Pollock advises on complex property transactions for charities.
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Commercial litigation: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx Tier 2
Freeths LLP is known for its experience litigating on behalf of clients in the drinks and leisure industries, as well as in transport logistics. Practice head Simon Hobbs , who is based in Milton Keynes, is national deputy head of dispute resolution at the firm and specialises in litigation in regard to professional negligence and IP matters. Andrew Dashwood-Begg is known to be 'very professional and efficient'.
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‘Incredibly knowledgeable, commercially aware, intelligent, always clear when giving advice, and fully understanding of the client’s objectives and requirements.‘
‘Pragmatic and good value.‘
‘Simon Hobbs is highly commercial and pragmatic.‘
Key clients
London Luton Airport Ltd
TNT / Fedex
Hologic Group
Sealed Air Ltd
Triad Plc
Inchcape plc
Photo-Me International plc
Dawsongroup plc
ID Medical Ltd
Diversey Ltd
Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby Tier 2
Freeths LLP's commercial litigation practice is jointly led by Graham Greenfield in Nottingham and Derby-based Jonathan Jefferies. Greenfield, who is noted by one client for his 'good tactical mind', specialises in complex commercial disputes, professional negligence and financial cases. Jefferies focuses on contract disputes, shareholder disputes and debt recovery claims. Senior associate Jade Flint, who is 'efficient and sharp-minded', remains highly active in insolvency and bankruptcy litigation, where she tends to assist Greenfield.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘High-quality litigators who dominate the local market – always at the forefront of the best work in the region.’
‘I work primarily with Jade Flint, who is a very accomplished lawyer, with a high level of engagement and knowledge.’
‘Graham Greenfield is extremely helpful and engaged.’
Key clients
FRP Advisory LLP
The Way Ahead Group Limited t/a See Tickets
Redwood Bank Limited
Central Bridging Loans Limited
Mazars LLP
CBA Business Services Limited
Skills Motor Coaches Limited
Reditum Capital
Chancerygate
Reflex Labels Limited
Chris Fountain Limited
Bio Dynamic (UK) Limited
Sytner Cars Limited/Sytner Group
Bridgewood Financial Solutions Limited
Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire Tier 2
Freeths LLP’s commercial litigation practice fields joint practice heads James Hartley and James Berry, who are regularly instructed in high-value manufacturing disputes, shareholder litigation, professional negligence claims, contentious insolvency matters and contractual and warranty claims. Berry and senior associate Ciaran Dearden are engaged in long-running litigation concerning unfair prejudice, while senior associate Gary Duffy is defending a public authority against sensitive human rights claims. The team also provides risk management advice.
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Global Technologies Racing Limited
Additive Manufacturing Technologies Limited
MGS Technical Plastics Limited
Paragon Group of Companies
Advanced Alloy Services Limited
Maher Limited
Solihull MBC
Healthcare Business Solutions (UK) Limited
Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 2
Freeths LLP advises SMEs, large multinational companies and insurance companies on contractual and commercial disputes in sectors including technology, retail, construction, logistics and education. Its client base spans Oxfordshire and beyond. The team also acts for individuals involved in shareholder or partnership disputes. The practice is led by Duncan Crine, who became an accredited civil and commercial mediator in 2019 and has vast experience in professional negligence and warranty disputes. Will Richmond-Coggan, who joined the firm in 2019, provides expertise in data protection and related issues.
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‘Andrew Dashwood-Begg was very professional and efficient.‘
Key clients
Masternaut Group
Virtual Alliance UK
BMW
Commercial property: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx Tier 2
The Milton Keynes team at Freeths LLP provides real estate support on high-value matters for South East-area clients in key areas such as construction and development, property litigation and environmental matters. Notably, it has expertise in providing advice to regional airports and healthcare companies. Practice leader Leo Skinner advises clients in the leisure, drinks, and hospitality sectors on property acquisitions, disposals, and estate management. Valerie Warman deals with investment property and estate management, while Shashi Chambers is another key member of the team. David Danskin has joined as a consultant from EMW Law LLP.
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Testimonials
‘Realistic, professional, expert, and commercial in their advice and assistance. Of particular note is Valerie Warman.‘
‘The practice team takes time to understand the quirks in our particular business allowing for timely advice and understanding our needs.’
Key clients
London Luton Airport
Burger King
FedEx Group of Companies
Red Oak Taverns
APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd.
Milton Keynes Parks Trust
Advanced Software
Bristol Airport
Wells & Co.
Commercial property: elsewhere in the East Midlands Tier 2
Freeths LLP's 'professional and responsive' Leicester practice predominantly advises clients on the acquisition and sale of land and property holdings. Simon Abbott specialises in investment portfolio management and projects in the retail industry. Sam Pancholi is active in property finance, investment, development, landlord and tenant work, where he advises developers, banks and private companies. Harjit Saund has notable expertise in landlord and tenant matters, investments and property finance.
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‘I have know the Freeths team for a number of years. They have a very professional and yet very informal approach. They always answer calls in a timely manner, and they don’t put excessive charges on. Always knowing me and our business needs is absolutely critical.’
‘The team always understands the issues we face and deals with them in a timely fashion.’
Key clients
Cambridge & Counties Bank
Tarmac
Jelson Homes
Flogas Britain
Abbey Commercial Investment Group
Lloyds Bank Plc
Motor Parts Direct Limited
Contentious trusts and probate Tier 2
The contentious trusts and probate team at Freeths LLP regularly act in claims under the Inheritance Act, will challenges, removal applications, financial abuse claims, and estoppel claims. In addition, practice head Mark Keeley, who operates from Nottingham and Birmingham as well as Leeds, is often appointed as an independent administrator. The group is increasingly acting for wealthy agricultural clients in high-value disputes involving farming estates, as well as handling matters with an international element. Also notable in Leeds is associate Laura Short, who regularly acts in cases involving multi-million pound estates with a mix of personal and business assets.
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‘Proactive, practical advice backed up by excellent technical knowledge. Great service and client led approach which results in clear, and where necessary (and in a positive way) ‘blunt’ advice.’
‘Laura Short – highly commercial, proactive, practical and technically proficient lawyer.’
Corporate and commercial: Birmingham Tier 2
Freeths LLP's corporate team in Birmingham is led by Lee Clifford, who is also the national head of private equity. Clients range in size from SMEs to multinational companies. The group's work includes M&A and private equity transactions, restructurings, MBOs and MBIs. Tom Brown led the advice to Funeral Partners Limited on its acquisition of Funeral Services Northern Ireland Limited from Co-operative Group Holdings (2011) Limited in 2019. Mark Neale heads up a separate specialist commercial group, which handles large-scale, transformational projects. Nigel Gardner, Kirstin Roberts and Jason Richards are also recommended for their commercial law expertise. Ateeq Ahmed joined PwC.
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‘Partner-led service, deep sector knowledge, experienced team, excellent communication and delivery, solution focused.’
Key clients
Natgraph Limited
Ricor Global Limited
Lloyds Development Capital
The Alumasc Group Plc
Finance Birmingham Limited
Wurth Group
Funeral Partners Limited
BGF Investments LP
ALDI Stores
Carlsberg
Travis Perkins
Tarmac
Barratt Developments
NEC Group
Eurocell Group
Eddie Stobart
William Hill
Inchcape
H W Martin
FCC Environment
Arkphire UK Limited
NCR Limited
Atlas Hotels
Principal Hotel Company
Synergy Logistics
Michelin
Samworth Bros
Pukka Pies
Arkphire
Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in East Midlands Tier 2
With particular strength in the healthcare sector, Freeths LLP primarily advises private and public companies and owner managed businesses on sales and acquisitions, complex lease agreements and corporate structuring. The team is also known for its expertise advising lenders, such as Clydesdale Bank, and investors in relation to debt and equity transactions. Keith Gilbert continues to advise clients on acquisitions and sales in various industries, including healthcare and manufacturing. Phil Baigent specialises in advising care operators, investors and funders on a wide range of transactions, including M&A.
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Testimonials
‘Freeths provides an ideal balance between City-level professionalism and regional costs and approachability. They have an excellent grasp of the healthcare sector, which allows them to identify key aspects of a transaction that require particular attention.’
‘Phil Baigent (Leicester) / Thomas Golding (Nottingham) / Richard Williams and Helen Jones (London) have worked together on a recent transaction in a seamless fashion, responding quickly and in a thorough manner to any points raised either by ourselves or our customer’s lawyers. A pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
Anchor Hanover Group
BMI Healthcare Limited
Cambridge & Counties Bank Limited
Carlsberg UK Limited
Clydesdale Bank plc
CML Limited
Countrywide Care Homes
Flogas Britain
Harrison Castings Limited
Integrated Doorset Solutions Limited
James Convenience Retail Limited
Karsten UK
Kiddycare Limited
Lloyds Bank plc
Maria Mallaband Care Group Limited
MCR Systems Limited
Motor Parts Direct Limited
M P K Garages Limited
Naismiths Limited
OEM – Automatic Limited
Regen Holdings Limited/Whites Recycling Limited
Samworth Brothers
Santander UK plc
Sofidel UK Limited
Sprintquip Pty Ltd
Svenska Handelsbanken AB publ
Travis Perkins plc
Corporate and commercial: Sheffield, South Yorkshire Tier 2
Freeths LLP’s corporate and commercial practice is spearheaded by Peter Crawford, whose recent highlights included high-value management buyouts, disposals and minority investment rounds. The group's client list includes a variety of high-growth technology businesses alongside regional manufacturing and engineering clients. Director Lisa Wallis is another stand-out name; she has recently handled acquisitions in the care home sector and exits for selling shareholders.
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The Floow Limited
The InfoTrack Group
Careport Group
The Arkote Group
SCX Limited
Additive Manufacturing Technologies
Pro Display TM Limited
TES Group Limited
Advanced Alloy Services Limited
Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 2
Freeths LLP provides a 'rare combination of technical capability and the human touch', advising a number of longstanding clients in the food and drink, healthcare and financial sectors. Specialisms include acting for banks funding an acquisition with debt and venture capital providers funding with equity. 'Exceptional' Leon Arnold manages some of the most significant client relationships and is heavily involved in disposals; Rebecca Howlett is a specialist in the commercialisation of intellectual property. Tom Walker and Malin Svanberg Larsson are other key practitioners.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘Their strength comes in their expertise in many different aspects of law. You may hire a commercial lawyer but you get whole team behind them including IP, tax etc.’
‘Leon Arnold leads the team, and must take overall responsibility (and therefore credit) for the culture and approach that has makes the team so capable. Leon also brings a level of presence and input to transactions that can be unusual at his level of seniority.’
‘They work flexibly according to our needs, respond quickly and listen to our objectives. We have built up a level of trust in their work and don’t feel like they are constantly looking to earn additional fees.‘
‘In particular I’d single out their head of corporate and partner Leon Arnold as exceptional and a key reason to their abilities and depth of knowledge. We find him easy to work with, superbly knowledgeable and exceptionally professional. His best feature though is his speed of thought and decisiveness for cutting through the irrelevant and pointing the way forward in difficult and stressful situations.’
‘Their depth of experience and wealth of knowledge is unrivalled. In particular, their wide and varied corporate and commercial knowledge, twinned with their professionalism keeps their customers on the front foot, best protecting their interests.’
Key clients
Integrity Print Group
Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG
Flowmax Limited
Arkk Consulting Ltd
The selling shareholders of Gnosys Global Limited
Energy, project finance and PFI Tier 2
With 'responsiveness, knowledge and experience and value for money', Freeths LLP advises leading infrastructure investors including Dalmore Capital, Equitix and Engie Services on PFI, PPP and refinancing transactions. Stoke-based group head James Larmour is a key name for PFIs, PPPs, joint ventures, outsourcings and M&A deals relating to offshore transmission and battery storage projects, energy efficiency matters and smart power issues. In the Birmingham office, Jason Richards and Kirstin Roberts focus on renewable energy matters, energy supply issues, grid support services and the deregulation of the water market.Practice head(s):
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‘Excellent group of lawyers who work together as a great team and provide extensive skills across a broad spectrum of areas -very friendly and approachable.’
‘Responsiveness, knowledge and experience and value for money.’
‘James Larmour – very client focused, receptive to feedback, addresses issues (if any) promptly, very responsive and can offer out-of-ordinary solutions.’
Key clients
Amber Infrastructure/International Public Partnerships
Dalmore Capital
Equitix
Engie
Transmission Investment
National Exhibition Centre Limited
Connected Kerb Limited
Environment Tier 2
Freeths LLP specialises in advising clients on environmental issues relating to development projects, including contaminated land, pollution and waste, and environmental permit applications, primarily acting for developers, corporates, and local authorities. The team also defends clients against regulatory action by agencies and provides due diligence on corporate transactions. The practice is led by Penny Simpson, a specialist in natural environment issues and an established authority on environmental legislation.
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Key clients
North Yorkshire County Council
Hoburne
Avonside Roofing
Clean Bidco
Commercial Estates Group
Tim Harris
Mileway Real Estate UK
Morris Homes
Tyler Grange
Torbay Council
Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2
Freeths LLP advises on complex corporate insolvency and restructuring matters, acting for insolvency practitioners and corporates, leveraging the firm's wider commercial expertise in the retail, hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, financial services and care homes sectors. The firm's Leeds and Sheffield offices cooperate on a range of matters; Sheffield-based practice head Oliver Jackson advises major insolvency practitioners and corporates on high-profile retail insolvencies. Director Helen Bates joined in 2019 from Clarion to head up the Leeds office, and has a consistent record in regional and national insolvency work.
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‘Oliver Jackson’s team provide a first rate service to the Yorkshire insolvency and restructuring community with a particular focus on the Sheffield market. The advice we receive is prompt, commercial and always tailored to the specific circumstances of the assignment. The Freeths team are uniquely placed to assist with both local and national matters due to the depth of knowledge and experience within the team and their ability to act on a contingent basis when required.‘
‘The Freeths team has grown significantly in the last two years. Key contacts are: Oliver Jackson – Oliver leads the Yorkshire team. He is particularly good at finding the balance between technical and commercial to provide a pragmatic solution to any problem. Isobel Callaghan – Isobel particularly excels at investigatory work and oversees the team’s insolvency litigation assignments. She is extremely thorough and always provides sensible, realistic and practical advice.’
‘The team in Sheffield remains relatively small. However, it is continuing to grow and has quickly established itself as one of the premier insolvency & restructuring offerings in the local market. The team has and continues to provide a fantastic service. Their level of technical expertise and commercial approach is at least on par with the more recognised firms in Leeds. However, I have always found that they are far more pleasant to deal with. Despite their rapid growth, they have managed to retain their smaller firm approach to client service, whilst steadily growing both the depth (and breadth) of their expertise. It is clear that their growth strategy is driven by attracting and retaining the best people, rather than expansion for sake of expansion. Certainly a Practice (and an office) to watch.‘
‘Our primary contact at Freeths is Oliver Jackson. No matter how busy he is, Oliver will always make time for you. Oliver is quick to grasp the key components of often quite complicated matters, and can always be relied upon to provide clear, concise and (most importantly) commercially focused advice. I would have no hesitation recommending Oliver to others and in fact have done so on a number of occasions. Another key member of Oliver’s team is Isobel Callaghan. We are currently working closely with Isobel on a particularly complex case. She continues to provide excellent advice in the matter, not only from a legal perspective, but also in the context of developing the wider case strategy.‘
Key clients
Begbies Traynor
KPMG
Leonard Curtis Recovery
Alvarez & Marsal Europe
Quantuma Bradford Office
Wilson Field
FRP Advisory
The Springs Partnership
Baker Tilly Creditors Services
Armstrong Watson LLP
Begbies Traynor (Central)
BHP Corporate Solutions
Santander UK
ELS Advisory
Travis Perkins
AM Insolvency
Abbey Taylor
Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2
Freeths LLP's Leicester-based team specialises in advising insolvency practitioners on nil-asset cases, which involve establishing if assets have gone missing and steps to recover them. On the non-contentious side, the group advises companies on reorganising and restructuring procedures, including asset disposal. Simon Baigent focuses on turnaround, distressed M&A and complex investigatory work. Charles Darby specialises in asset avoidance cases. Graham Greenfield, who is based in Nottingham, has a wealth of experience handling corporate and personal insolvencies.
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Key clients
BDO LLP
Begbies Traynor LLP
CBA Business Solutions Limited
Elwell Watchorn & Saxton LLP
FRP Advisory LLP
Greenfield Recovery Limited
KPMG LLP
Mazars LLP
PKF Cooper Parry Limited
RSM
Intellectual property Tier 2
Freeths LLP attracts praise for its 'responsive and practical team' which is 'not shy to give commercial recommendations.' The group provides the full breadth of services, with an integrated trade mark and design filing and prosecution offering. Other areas of expertise include patent litigation, licensing issues and brand protection work. Simon Barker is 'a real expert in his field with a commercial edge'; Kishan Pattni and 'practical and a quick-thinker' Rhian Banks, who is a trade mark attorney, are also highly recommended.
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‘Great value for money, a responsive and practical team. Not shy to give commercial recommendations.’
‘Simon Barker – Extremely responsive and great at what he does. A pleasure to work with.’
‘The team is comprised of a good mix of lawyers and trade mark attorneys so I find that the requirements of the business are well served in one team. There is a good span of experience and I have found the advice to be both timely and commercial.’
‘Simon Barker – very knowledgeable. A real expert in his field with a commercial edge.’
‘Rhian Banks: had all of the details of the case at her fingertips; practical and a quick-thinker; always available to discuss the case as needed.’
Key clients
Aldi Stores Limited
Tarmac
Travis Perkins
William Hill
Poundland
Eurocell Group Plc
Licensing Tier 2
Freeths LLP has a strong track record advising on licensing issues and has been further developing its presence in trading standards and health and safety. It is increasingly sought out to provide clients with food labelling advice. The team is particularly well-known for its work for supermarkets on a range of matters. Reflective of its first-rate reputation in this space, the firm counts Aldi as a longstanding client. Elsewhere, other key clients include Carlsberg, NEC and Laine Pub Company. Practice head Lisa Gilligan, who is 'pragmatic' and 'exceptionally knowledgeable', is regularly asked to act as a legal clerk to licensing committees.
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Testimonials
‘The team is responsive and flexible and is able to turnaround work promptly and to a high quality.’
‘Lisa Gilligan is pragmatic when giving advice but listens to representations and has a sound knowledge of how we approach our casework. Lisa prepares casework and represents clients at court and has been successful in dismissing a number of appeals.’
‘The team at Freeths were a pleasure to work with. I worked with an individual on our case but whenever I called into the office the team were friendly and welcoming.’
‘Lisa Gilligan was a pleasure to work with. She was exceptionally knowledgable on the licensing issue that we were facing. During the hearing Lisa was incredibly composed and immediately won favour with the council. Her argument was put forward in such a level headed and straight forward way that it was impossible to argue and ended up with the complainant not staying to hear the verdict. Her professionalism and knowledge are unquestionable and the results speak for themselves.’
Key clients
Aldi Stores Limited
Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars
TNT/Fedex
Crepeaffaire
Davy’s of London
Butcombe Brewery
NEC
Laine Pub Company
Carlsberg
Gangmasters Labour & Abuse Authority
Noisily Festival
Local government Tier 2
Freeths LLP has substantially bolstered its local government practice with the recruitment of Alexander Jones from Shoosmiths LLP and Alex Johnson from Squire Patton Boggs. The group has a strong track record in assisting government bodies with acquisitions of shopping centres and commercial property investments, drafting partnership arrangements, compulsory purchases and general commercial work. Team head Nathan Holden is recognised for his extensive expertise in advising local authorities on joint venture arrangements, land disposal issues, compulsory purchase orders, EU procurements and housing company and property investment vehicle mandates. Mitchell Ball is particularly recommended for retail and residential regeneration developments.
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‘The Freeths team have provided high-quality comprehensive advice on a range of property development issues and have provided solutions to complex issues that have in turn unlocked development opportunities.’
‘Mitchell Ball and Nathan Holden’s easy approachable manner, well-grounded advice and timely responses to issues have enabled us to make substantial progress with a number of key opportunities.’
Key clients
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockton on Tees Borough Council
Leicester City Council
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant Tier 2
Freeths LLP's personal injury practice handles cases 'impeccably well' and is noted for its expertise in catering to both domestic and international corporate clients on liability claims and injuries. Overseen by Paul Chadder, who is highly rated by peers and clients, the group is skilled in the full spectrum of personal injury matters including road traffic accidents, employers’ liability, public liability and product liability matters. Industrial disease cases are also a key focus, for which senior associate Matthew Bacon is recommended.
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‘Paul Chadder is reliable, thorough, and has quite exceptional attention to detail which delivers excellent results for the client. For Matthew Bacon, I would say the same – trained well by Paul!’
‘They give a bespoke service to insurance companies, with a level of partner attention rarely seen elsewhere.’
‘Matthew Bacon and Paul Chadder are a dynamic duo. They are both experienced and intelligent, and exercise good judgement.’
‘Paul Chadder has excellent attention to detail, and good judgement. Clients like the fact he is very hands-on.’
‘Extremely conscientious team of catastrophic practitioners.’
‘Paul Chadder is a great tactician and master of the detail.‘
‘The team are knowledgeable, approachable and client focused.‘
‘Paul Chadder is a calm and steady hand at the tiller. Matt Bacon is a rising star. Both always give good sensible advice and handle cases impeccably well.’
Key clients
AXA XL
Faraday Underwriting Limited.
Axis Capital
JLR (Jaguar Land Rover Limited)
Armour Risk Management Ltd
Sompo International (formerly Sompo Japan Nipponkoa)
Starstone Underwriting Ltd (Part of the Enstar Group PLC)
Zurich
Vesuvius UK Ltd
BMW (UK) Manufacturing Limited
Tarmac Holdings Ltd
Rolls Royce Motor Cars Limited
Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 2
The private client team at Freeths LLP takes a multidisciplinary approach by frequently working with the commercial and agricultural teams. The team's workload consists of tax and estate planning, trust administration, probate, and wills. The firm runs a trust corporation within the department, Freeths Trustees Limited, which acts as trustee, executor and court-appointed administrator. Scott McKittrick leads the practice.
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Planning and environment Tier 2
Freeths LLP team, which is based in Nottingham and Leicester, predominantly advises developers and private companies on the planning aspects of commercial, residential and mixed use projects. On the environment side, the firm acts for clients in various disputes brought by the Environment Agency, and it also assists them with obtaining permits and ensuring regulatory compliance. Nottingham-based partner Chris Waumsley focuses on assisting clients with developments across the East Midlands, including PRS schemes. Emma Tattersdill in Leicester specialises in environmental disputes. Paul Brailsford, who works in London and Nottingham, is another key member of the planning team.
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‘Very good knowledge of planning law and practice mixed with a very sound commercial approach to solving client problems.’
‘Mark Bassett is a very sound planner.’
Key clients
Millenium Land (10M Consortium)
Larkfleet Group
Aldi
Taylor Lindsey Ltd
East Midlands Consortium
Redrow Homes
Simons Group
Henry Boot Developments
Tarmac
Barratt Homes
Urban and Civic
Investin Plc
Carlsberg/London Fields Brewery
South Lincolnshire Estates
Property litigation Tier 2
Freeths LLP' real estate litigation group is spread across the firm's offices in Milton Keynes and Oxford. The former focuses on work in the licensed leisure sector, acting for pub owners, pub-owning businesses and national and regional brewers. In Oxford the team has developed a reputation for its contentious agricultural property expertise, with a client base comprised of landed estates, charities, private and commercial investors and farming families. Mark Brown leads the Milton Keynes practice, with Clare Bellis heading up the Oxford group.
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Testimonials
‘Clare Bellis works hard to get to the heart of a case; willing to go the extra mile when a case needs it; sensible approach with lots of experience across a broad range; completely reliable, and very easy to work with.‘
‘Freeths have a wonderful understanding of the issues I was facing in a depth far greater than any others I came across.‘
‘The whole team are extremely personable which is a wonderful fit with their knowledge.‘
Key clients
Punch Taverns
Green King
Casual Dining Group
Far East Consortium International
Shepherd Neame
TNT Express
London Luton Airport
Milton Keynes Parks Trust
Konica Minolta
Laine Pub Company
Oxford University Press
Tarmac Group of Companies
Resmed UK
GEFCO Logistics
Blenheim Estate/Blenheim Palace
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
The Carington Estate
Wadham College Oxford
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
Banking and finance Tier 3
Freeths LLP generates work from clients such as clearing banks, challenger banks, corporate borrowers and local authorities, among others. James Dyson has expertise in complex structured finance transactions, leveraged finance and general commercial lending. He was the lead adviser to TC Loans I Ltd (a ThinCats lending platform) on the provision of senior term loan facilities to ACM Commercial Ltd as part of a refinancing. Director Renata Rai is increasingly active in asset-based lending transactions.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘Always readily available to chat through potential and progressed cases and give early guidance. Pragmatic and commercially sensible advice given. Fee quotes always in line with end billed costs. Friendly, sociable team who communicate well with businesses of all size and backgrounds.‘
‘Knowledgeable, experienced, commercial, pragmatic. Always receive detailed responses. Quick to respond and always available. Well known and respected in the local market.‘
Key clients
Clydesdale Bank
Lloyds Bank
Allied Irish Bank
Santander UK
Cambridge & Counties Bank
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Frontier Development Capital
Lloyds Development Capital
Finance Birmingham
Business Growth Fund
Leumi ABL
West Midlands Combined Authority (Funding Division)
Commercial litigation: Birmingham Tier 3
The commercial dispute resolution practice at Freeths LLP combines its growing West Midland presence with the ability to draw upon its national and international platforms. It has particular experience in breach of contract, director and shareholder, professional negligence and pensions disputes and counts complex fraud claims as a growth area. Practice head Richard Coates and Louise Wilson both have broad litigation experience, while Alex Johnson, who joined from Squire Patton Boggs, specialises in engineering and construction disputes.
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Testimonials
‘A very well organised and efficient team. Work is resourced at the right level and all of the team are bright and engaging.’
‘Louise Wilson is an excellent litigator with sound judgment, and very nice to work with.‘
‘Louise Wilson is the lead partner. Louise is very bright and innovative, I have complete trust in her advice. Louise is also very engaging which makes working with her a positive experience. Louise knows exactly who within the wider team is the right person for the specific job in hand.‘
Key clients
Aldi Stores Limited
Inchcape Retail Limited
The National Exhibition Centre Limited
Short Term Finance Limited
Jaguar Land Rover Retail Board
Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the West Midlands Tier 3
Led by Stephen Hadley, Freeths LLP's dispute management team in Stoke-on-Trent has been increasingly active in shareholder and corporate acquisition disputes. Elsewhere, other drivers of activity include mining subsidence and minerals disputes, as well as professional negligence claims. Hadley has more than 25 years of litigation experience.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Always fully to the point.’
‘Stephen Hadley was always responsive and down to the point. His technical knowledge went hand in hand with his commercial awareness and acumen for our business.’
‘Freeths has a unique approach to the way it engages with its staff – putting their skills, expertise and wellbeing at the heart of its approach and this spills out into how it deals with its clients. It is engaged, committed and completely focused on the best outcome for customers.’
‘Freeths has a tremendous sense of loyalty to the areas in which it operates; a national firm with deeply local roots.’
‘Stephen Hadley has provided excellent support and helped make difficult issues relating to inheritance and will disputation clear and easy to follow as well as providing, as the rest of the firm, excellent communication to clients.’
Key clients
Tarmac Plc
Bird & Sons / Yarrows Aggregate Ltd
Baker Tilly
Moore Stephens
Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services UK Limited
Travis Perkins Plc
Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Tier 3
Freeths LLP's commercial dispute resolution practice attracts praise for its 'very experienced litigators with good commercial sense and great tactics'. 'Exceptional litigator' James Hartley heads up the team and has particular group action and funding arrangement expertise; he recently led a high-profile group action against the Post Office. The 'commercially astute' Lindsey Clegg is a name to note for cross-border contractual litigation and international arbitration.
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Testimonials
‘Lindsey Clegg is very bright, savvy and commercially astute.‘
‘Very experienced litigators with commercial good sense and great tactics. Good at dealing with clients facing difficult situations, and robust with the other side.‘
‘Freeths stand apart from other law firms as they get to understand the situation, don’t patronise and look to add value rather than bill time.’
‘James Hartley is an exceptional litigator.‘
Key clients
Onur Air Tasimacilk A.S.
Tarmac
NHS Property Services
Bovis Homes Ltd
Travis Perkins Plc
Begbies Traynor
Leeds City Council
Commercial property: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Tier 3
Freeths LLP has bolstered its department in Leeds with the arrival of John Flathers and Jonathan Crew from Irwin Mitchell and Progeny Law respectively; both new recruits act as practice heads alongside Liz Banks. Flathers specialises in development, property finance and transactional work and acts for several national development clients, while Crew assists national retailers with portfolio management and commercial development matters, and Banks handles property development and portfolio matters for retailers, hotel owners and leisure operators. Senior associate Emma Medina-Wallace is also noted for her work on residential developments and land promotion matters.
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Testimonials
‘I worked with the Freeths property team on a time-sensitive project covering multiple properties. They handled the transaction in a very efficient way, completing on-time and on-budget. They were very pro-active and practical in their advice and provided regular communication on progress.‘
‘They act very quickly on our instructions and work to our demanding timescales. They are commercial in their approach and advice. They work to a pre-agreed fixed fee scale rather than hourly rate.‘
‘Jonathan Crew has worked for us for circa 14 years whilst at various practices, most recently Freeths LLP and he has always provided a timely, professional and cost effective service.‘
Key clients
Travis Perkins
Wickes Building Supplies
Magnet
FRP Advisory
Travelodge Hotels
Leeds City Council
Caddick Developments
Lloyds Bank
C.P. Hart & Sons
GMI Property
KCS Development Limited
FRP Advisory
Follingsby International Enterprise Park
Commercial property: Liverpool Tier 3
The 'extremely commercial and forward thinking' Freeths LLP possesses a bench of 'highly skilled and experienced' practitioners who handle a spread of real estate finance, development and real estate investment. Andrew Nichol who heads the team, is 'a key differentiator and asset to the firm.' He is a specialist in real estate finance and investment matters and founded the Liverpool office in 2018 after joining from DWF. Luke Hopkins is another key member of the team, who 'understands a wide range of issues, no matter how complex', and has a track record of work in real estate finance.
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Testimonials
‘Quite simply, the Liverpool office of Freeths is the best team of lawyers I have dealt with, and I deal with many. Highly skilled and experienced, and most importantly, fantastic communicators and collaborators, which is obviously essential in terms of completing transactions. They have confidence in their own ability which provides a degree of pragmatism that is essential to operate in today’s market.’
‘The team is led by Andrew Nichol who is the key differentiator and asset to the firm.’
‘They are an extremely commercial and forward-thinking firm. The members are very proactive and have incredible experience based from exposure during their time in large commercial practices.’
‘Andrew Nichol provides a depth of knowledge and experience which he bring to all transactions thereby simplifying the process enormously. He has a practical and pragmatic approach which allows him to cut through much of the difficult negotiations with ease.’
‘Luke Hopkins is a commercial solicitor who understands a wide range of issues no matter how complex in his chosen field. He deals with obstacles pragmatically and in a commercial manner, finding solutions and not simply highlighting problems.’
‘Without doubt my go-to team for any property related transactions.’
Key clients
Illiad Group
Crossfield Group
Nicholson Group
Braithwaite Group
Trophy Homes Group
Mittty Group
Ghosh Medical Limited
Castle Homes Group
Childwall Table and Chair Hire
Cheshire Estate and Legal Limited
C O’Dea Property Services Limited
CDM Investments Limited
Pumpfield Road
Developments Limited
West Tree Estates Limited
Roubaix Group
Pure Residential and Commercial
McComb Property Company Ltd
Lloyds Bank plc
Handelsbanken plc
Santander UK plc
Construction Tier 3
Rachael Yates and Joseph Hale head up the Leeds-based team at Freeths LLP, which supports developers and utilities providers on the contentious and non-contentious elements of projects, including complex disputes, transactional issues and procurement matters. Yates takes the lead on disputes, acting for employers, contractors and individuals within the construction industry; Hale also works on contentious matters, representing developers in disputes with competitors. Both are also active in procurement work. Managing associate Marie Mulligan joined from Slaughter and May in late 2019.
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Testimonials
‘Excellent regional construction department with great strength in depth, detailed industry understanding, and many talented and committed lawyers.‘
‘Two stand out individuals with whom I have worked over several years and also recently:Joseph Hale (partner): Brings a huge amount of experience, extensive industry knowledge, and very strong commercial understanding. Extremely committed and determined to get the best result for the client. Dominic Canning: Very talented and knowledgeable solicitor. Has a real attention to detail and excellent technical understanding.‘
Key clients
Tarmac
Mott MacDonald Bentley
Vital Energi Utilities
Amey
Engie Fabricom UK
Delta Simons
Sarens
Mayfair Developments and Properties
G F Tomlinson and Sons
Gyron Internet
Kanfa Group
Marshall
Contentious trusts and probate Tier 3
Mark Keeley is the lead partner at Freeths LLP. The skilled team frequently advises on high-value contentious trust and probate matters including will challenges, removal applications, financial abuse claims and claims under the Inheritance Act. The team’s reputation for acting as replacement trustees/administrators/deputies has continued to grow and it has also noticed increased work from the agriculture sector as it continues to advise wealthy farming clients on numerous disputes involving farming estates. It has also seen an increase in instructions with an international dimension. Max Orbach has a varied trust and estate disputes case load.
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Testimonials
‘Mark Keeley’s reputation is outstanding, and I never fail to be impressed by his prowess as a mediator and his leadership of his team. He brings considerable gravitas and is always a pleasure to work with. Max Orbach is very good. He’s well organised, always on top of his papers and is supremely calm under pressure‘.
‘Max Orbach is technically very good and a capable pair of hands‘.
‘A large and very friendly team of experts. Mark Keeley is incredibly knowledgeable and an effective mediator. Max Orbach is a pleasure to work with/against‘.
‘The team is extremely knowledgeable and very professional at all times. Max Orbach tried his hardest and gave me very good advice‘.
‘Both Max Orbach and Mark Keeley have impressed me with their knowledge and calm advice‘.
‘Hardworking, well-regarded, knows its stuff. Mark Keeley is a well-renowned mediator – he is an efficient, hardworking and committed mediator, who prepares very well and pushes clients where they need to be pushed‘.
‘Mark Keeley is the standout partner. He remains calm, sensible and efficient even in the most testing of cases and Max Orbach is developing into the same mould‘.
‘Mark Keeley stands out because of his vast experience as a mediator so he has developed a unique insight into what drives people in litigation and how a settlement might be fashioned. This is vital because most of this type of work does settle. Both he and Max Orbach are very bright and knowledgeable. I have therefore valued their legal insights in difficult cases‘.
Corporate tax Tier 3
Adrian Hackett is a key Sheffield-based name in Freeths LLP’s national tax practice, advising on the full range of corporate, capital markets and real estate transactions, fund formations and corporate restructurings. Notable recent engagements included advising on the high-value reorganisation of multijurisdictional property portfolios.
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Testimonials
‘Highly skilled and diligent with a commercial understanding of your business.‘
‘Adrian Hackett takes the trouble to understand you and your business.‘
Key clients
Industrial Personnel Limited
Pebbles Care Limited and Care Holdings Limited
Altana Wealth Limited
Arkk Consulting Limited
Flowmax Limited
The selling shareholders of Gnosys Global Limited
Integrity Print Group
Employment: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx Tier 3
Freeths LLP is known for providing advice on a wide range of areas of employment law, including international restructurings, immigration advice, TUPE advice, and employment tribunal claims. Members of the team have particular expertise in the education and leisure sectors on such matters as safeguarding issues, investigations and disciplinary matters, and pension schemes. Practice leader Christopher Sing advises on complex and sensitive cases, such as disability discrimination.
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Testimonials
‘Christopher Sing is always extremely efficient and approachable. His approach is very reassuring.’
‘Freeths has offered us a timely and effective service to deal with commercial and HR issues with good regard to the needs of the business.’
‘Their advice is always grounded and pragmatic. They have an extensive bank of skills and experience that means all of our scenarios are familiar to their team. Their communication bulletins are invariably relevant and informative.’
‘Christopher Sing has provided us with great service and always helps us to understand the options available to us and the key issues that need to be considered when adopting a course of action.’
‘I am always impressed by the positive attitude of the team at Freeths. Always willing to help and assist in any way they can. They have a clear and concise manner when communicating issues, even complex ones, and their depth of knowledge is excellent.’
‘I have worked with Christopher Sing on a range of matters. No matter how challenging the issue I always look forward to working through it with Christopher. This is due to his energy, detailed legal knowledge and, for me, most importantly of all, his outstanding positivity. He brings concise clarity to every situation we have worked on and nothing fazes him, which is exceptionally reassuring and gives confidence to everyone involved. A legal brain of the highest order.‘
Key clients
Derby College
Landau Forte Charitable Trust
Sports & Leisure Management
Helly Hansen UK Ltd.
London Luton Airport
Musto Ltd.
Pentaxia Ltd.
Wells & Co.
Photo-Me International plc
T-Systems
The Restaurant Group plc
Like Digital Media Ltd.
Wired Custom Lightning
DK Group Investments Ltd.
Starlab (UK) Ltd.
Laine Pub Company Ltd.
Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire Tier 3
Freeths LLP expanded its employment offering through the recruitment of director and practice head Tom Draper. The practice focuses on acting for clients in the Employment Tribunal and has recently handled TUPE disputes and whistleblowing claims; it also assists with executive severance negotiations for SMEs and counts a growing number of local and national corporates on its client roster. Key sector strengths span the care home, IT, finance and facilities management industries.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The team, led by Tom Draper, are an invaluable support to me and my business. They have an ability to balance sound legal judgement with solid commercial pragmatism, quick to reach the core of an issue and not afraid to challenge and suggest alternatives or bespoke solutions. This high level of understanding of our people and business combined with a willingness to take ownership of issues makes Freeths in my view a true business partner rather than just a service provider.‘
‘The team at Freeths are very knowledgeable but deliver the advice in a way which is easy to understand. As a company they are effective at understanding our business and giving advice which adds value to us. I have found the company to be more responsive than others.‘
‘Very knowledgeable team and advice is swiftly given; clear and very pragmatic. Makes the client feel that they are important to the firm and is non-judgemental, highly professional and a safe pair of hands. Better than most firms I have dealt with in pretty much every respect.‘
‘Under Tom Draper’s direction the employment team has grown in recent times with the addition of a number of quality like-minded lawyers.‘
‘Tom Draper is effective and efficient in providing excellent advice and a comprehensive service. Tom takes time to get to know his clients and it is like working with an internal adviser.‘
Key clients
Abbey Care & Nursing Home Limited
ASK4 Group
C.F. Booth Group
Gemini Computer Systems Limited
Hydro-X Water Treatment Limited
In-Part Publishing Limited
NG Bailey Group
St Luke’s Hospice
WFI Financial LLP
Neuro Case Management Corporation Limited
Queenscourt Ltd
Cathelco Limited
Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 3
Freeths LLP's practice represents insolvency practitioners and corporate clients in a wide range of mandates. The team is led by Joey Byrne, who is an expert in contentious insolvency issues.
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Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 3
Freeths LLP is known for its work advising on insolvencies in the drinks and hospitality sectors, assisting on matters such as the acquisition or disposal of assets owned by insolvent companies. The firm's experience also extends to advising insolvency practitioners on administrations and liquidations across a range of other sectors. The practice also supports the firm's corporate and real estate teams on insolvency-related matters. With offices in Milton Keynes and Oxford, the insolvency team is co-headed by Simon Hobbs in Milton Keynes and Duncan Crine in Oxford. Hobbs has experience in both contentious and non-contentious insolvencies, while Crine specialises in litigation.
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Key clients
FRP
Quantuma
Mazars
Wilkins Kennedy
IT and telecoms Tier 3
At Freeths LLP, Mark Neale has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating technology deals, as well as supporting litigators and corporate colleagues in high-value IT disputes, M&A and sales. He is particularly well versed in large scale IT maintenance supply issues, outsourcings and SaaS delivery methods.
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Key clients
Aldi
Travis Perkins
NCR
Equifax
Barratt Developments
Arkphire UK
Eddie Stobart Limited
Local government Tier 3
The local government practice at Freeths LLP offers a full service to local authorities across the country and helps councils navigate the complex local government regulatory environment. Jonathan Holden leads the national practice from Birmingham; while Liz Banks heads up the West Yorkshire team, acting for numerous local authorities in the region. The team works on a variety of matters ranging from investment acquisitions to disposals of land, as well as portfolio management.
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Testimonials
“Freeths are a responsive team who are always to hand. They have thorough knowledge in local government law and procedure which is key to providing an all encompassing service.”
“I have worked closely with Liz Banks on a number of high value transactions. Liz is fully focused on dealing with the transaction in hand. She understands the needs of local government and deals with demanding and challenging instructions in a calm, pleasant and professional manner at all times. This support is highly appreciated at times when in-house pressures are mounting.”
“Freeths have extensive experience working with local government and this lends itself to collaborative working with in-house colleagues leading to successful outcomes and always meeting often tight deadlines.”
“The team at Freeths are always available and receptive to talking through issues and planning ways forward.”
Key clients
Allerdale Borough Council
Anston Parish Council Recreational Ground
Arc Property Services Partnership Ltd
Ashfield District Council
Barrow Upon Soar Parish Council
Bassetlaw District Council
Bassetlaw District Council
Bedford Borough Council
Birmingham City Council
Blaby District Council
Blaby District Council
Bmor Consulting (Nottingham) Ltd
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Borough Council
Boston Borough Council
Broughton Astley Parish Council
Broxtowe Borough Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Cambridge City Council
Castle Point Borough Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Cherwell District Council
Cheshire East Council
Chesterfield Borough Council
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Corby Borough Council
Cumbria County Council
Darlington Borough Council
Daventry District Council
Derby City Council
Derby Homes Ltd
Derbyshire Building Control Partnership Limited
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Doncaster Children’s Trust
Dronfield Town Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Durham County Council
East Lindsey District Council
East Northamptonshire District Council
Gloucestershire County Council
Guildford Borough Council
Halton Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Harrogate Borough Council
Hertfordshire County Council
High Peak Borough Council
High Peak Borough Council
High Peak Borough Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Huntingdonshire District Council
Huntingdonshire District Council
Ipswich Borough Assets Limited
Kettering Borough Council
Kirklees Council
Leeds City Council
Leicester City Council
Leicestershire County Council
Lincoln City Council
Lindfield Rural Parish Council
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Newham
Luton Borough Council
Mansfield District Council
Melton Borough Council
Mercury Land Holdings Limited
Milton Keynes Council
Milton Keynes Development Partnership LLP
Mole Valley District Council
Newark & Sherwood District Council
North East Derbyshire District Council
North Lincolnshire Council
North Yorkshire County Council
Northampton Borough Council
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Homes Limited
Nottinghamshire County Council
Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Services HQ
Nottinghamshire Police Authority
NWLC Warrington Borough Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
Old Bolsover Town Council
Peterborough City Council
Plymouth City Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Rugby Borough Council
Rushcliffe Borough Council
Rushmoor Borough Council
Sheffield City Council
Slindon Street Portsmouth Limited
Solihull MBC
South Cambridgeshire District Council
South Northamptonshire Council
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Spelthorne Borough Council
Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council & High Peak Borough
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Stoke on Trent City Council
Stoke on Trent City Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey Heath Borough Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tandridge District Council
Telford and Wrekin Council
The West Midlands Growth Company
Torbay Council
Trafford Council
Uttlesford District Council
Wakefield Council
Walsall Council
Waverley Borough Council
Wellingborough Borough Council
Welwyn & Hatfield Borough Council
West Midlands Combined Authority
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Wigan Council
Woodstock Town Council
Worcester City Council
Wyre Borough Council
Wyre Forest District Council
Pensions Tier 3
Freeths LLP’s pensions team advises its client roster of owner-managed businesses, large corporates and public bodies on auto-enrolment procedures; often as a fixed-fee service. Private clients also instruct the team to advise on self-invested pension plan issues. Practice head Nigel Bolton and director Kim Jones handle pensions restructurings in corporate transactions, bulk transfers, buyouts and other wind-up procedures for lower-mid and mid-sized schemes.
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Testimonials
‘The team at Freeths have a deep commercial understanding, allowing them to tailor their advice to the needs of their clients. They work hard to identify a client’s objectives, allowing them to provide support that is both proactive and focused.‘
‘Nigel Bolton combines a great degree of technical knowledge with a pragmatic attitude and an approachable style.‘
‘Kim Jones is a very experienced lawyer with superb communication skills and great project management capabilities.’
Commercial property: Birmingham Tier 4
Richard Beverley heads up the Birmingham practice at Freeths LLP, which has a 'broad range of experience and expertise to deliver a prompt and efficient service at a fair cost'. Beverley is singled out for his experience in the retail sector, while Mitchell Ball is the go-to adviser for commercial property mandates relating to food retail developments, town planning issues and property finance work.
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Testimonials
‘The team has a broad range of experience and expertise to deliver a prompt and efficient service at a fair cost.’
Key clients
Paul Smith Limited
Real Estate Investors plc
Santander UK plc
Measure Corporation Limited
Calthorpe Estates
Gant UK Limited
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Construction Tier 4
Freeths LLP recently bolstered its construction practice with the recruitment of Alex Johnson from Squire Patton Boggs in early 2020. Johnson specialises in the management and resolution of complex construction disputes, often with an cross-border angle. Perveen Akhter heads up the department and concentrates on transactional construction work for local authorities, universities, developers, contractors and subcontractors.
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Testimonials
‘The team combine good old-fashioned professionalism and expert knowledge with modern working practices such as extended hours availability, rapid and effective communications and flexible information platforms.’
‘Perveen Akhter has been one of the best lawyers I have worked with in years. She combines expert specialist knowledge with an in-depth appreciation of other aspects of the complex real estate industry. Perveen always provides concise but well-evidenced advice with a pragmatic and conciliatory approach to problems that is most refreshing. She is always up-beat and no problem is too much – in all an absolute pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
Aldi
Gleeds
PCE Limited
Greswolde Construction Limited
Acivico Limited
Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Tier 4
Freeths LLP’s corporate and commercial practice has a stream of private equity transactions from domestic owner-managed businesses and larger corporates. Yorkshire-based SMEs and startups frequently engage Dahren Naidoo and Andy Francey on management buyouts, corporate restructurings and reorganisations, while Frank Suttie is a key name for commercial contracts and governance advice, notably in the burgeoning edtech sector.
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Testimonials
‘The legal team is quick to respond, regularly goes the extra mile when client timescales require it and always works to the agreed cost budget. There are many capable lawyers with outstanding internal communication amongst the team.‘
‘The corporate law team lead by Andy Francey have performed excellent work for us, and I consider him a trusted adviser. He and team far exceed other UK firms I’ve worked with in terms of quality of advice, quality of work, attention to detail, and speed of response. In addition, this team make transactions go more smoothly by the way all members treat all interested parties – with a professionalism that positively impacts the process and closes transactions.‘
‘The legal team is quick to respond, regularly goes the extra mile when client timescales require it and always work to the agreed cost budget. There are many capable lawyers with outstanding internal communication amongst the team.‘
‘Andy Francey is an exceptional corporate lawyer combining accessibility, responsiveness and a friendly approach with his strong knowledge of complex commercial law.‘
‘Andy Francey is a rare combination of competence and speed along with an ability to really understand and adapt to my company, board and investor’s working styles. He knows when and how to leverage the larger capabilities within Freeths, but does not abdicate the lead legal adviser. I feel very comfortable tackling complex work with high levels of uncertainty with Andy. He is dependable at addressing and eliminating risk, then ensuring all material parties are satisfied. Yes, Andy is an expert, but it is his character and his definition of excellence that makes me recommend him without reservation. Olivia Brown has also helped on investor, board and corporate matters and her strengths mirror Andy’s. She provides competent, thoughtful work very fast. She’s technically more savvy than many attorneys with whom I’ve worked. We are fortunate to have Olivia on our team.‘
Key clients
Growth Partner LLP
Fleetondemand
NeedleSmart
Paninsight Limited
Hague SR Limited
Neom
Peratech Holdco Limited
British Education Suppliers Association
UCL Educate
Employment Tier 4
Freeths LLP acts for a large number of private and public sector clients as well as clients in the educational sector. It has witnessed a significant increase in the volume of employment tribunal claims recently and the team regularly conducts its own advocacy at the employment tribunals. At a national level the team is increasingly acting in complex matters and also has specialist knowledge on the enforcement of restrictive covenants and on obtaining injunctive relief. Other key areas include routinely advising on restructuring, TUPE and issues surrounding the ‘gig’ economy. Rebecca Sawbridge heads the Birmingham offering and Peter Gavin leads the team in Stoke-on-Trent.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘Lynne Ingram and Peter Gavin speak in a language that guides action in the most appropriate way, at the same time as being clear on the mitigation of potential risks. They have supported us on employment matters, trade union, and some highly sensitive issues. They are open and tenacious in ensuring the right result is achieved‘.
‘Peter Gavin makes the complex sound simple, and does just enough hand holding to give one the confidence to follow his advice‘.
Key clients
ALDI Stores Ltd
DPD Group UK Ltd
Sofidel Group
Staffline Recruitment Ltd & Staffline Group plc
National Express Ltd
Center Parcs
Paul Smith Ltd
ERIKS Industrial Services Ltd
The Reflex Group Ltd
Goodridge Ltd
Preston Innovations Ltd
Birmingham Metropolitan College
EH Smith (Builders Merchants) Ltd
The British Horse Society
AP Racing Ltd
West Midlands Growth Company
JS Wright
The Alumasc Group plc
Envisage Group Ltd
LEE Filters
NCH UK Ltd
Pattonair Ltd
Sport Tier 4
Freeths LLP’s sports offering has been enhanced by the arrival of managing associate David Keenan, a 'real rising star', from Hill Dickinson LLP. He heads the practice which caters to a client base of agents, players, athletes, managers and trainers on a wide variety of instructions. Prominent examples include anti-doping, disciplinary proceedings and disputes along with numerous contractual matters such as player contracts, image rights and sponsorship agreements. Football, boxing and horseracing are some of the most active fronts for the group.
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Testimonials
‘With David Keenan on board they have a real rising star in this area, which will provide them with a great platform on which to compete with established names. Coupled with the Freeths’ profile for litigation, this will mean they will be a real alternative to established names.’
‘David Keenan has wide-ranging experience coupled with a great manner that makes him a great lawyer to deal with.’
Key clients
David Taff
1810 Sports Limited
R2 Sports Limited
Philip Foden
Fishball Sports Management Limited
Leicester Tigers
Commercial property: Manchester Tier 5
The 'commercial and pragmatic' team at Freeths LLP is led by Ian Tempest, who has experience of a wide range of work including public and private sector partnerships. Stephen Lewis is a key figure in the practice and is regarded 'exceptional' when it comes to real estate transactions. His clients include property companies, funds and high net worth individuals. Paul Bibby is also recommended, handling residential property investment matters.
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Testimonials
‘They have very strong specialisms in all sectors, very commercial with a pragmatic view. They value their clients.’
‘Stephen Lewis is exceptional in real estate transactions, and will take a commercial view. I have worked with him for 15 years, following him when he moved practice. I trust his judgement 100%.’
Key clients
Wigan Council
Poundstretcher Limited
Barratt Developments plc
Vabeld UK Limited
Seven Capital plc
Schroders
Nottinghamshire County Council
Derby City Council
Ingleby (1245) Limited
Evenbrook Group of Companies
Rockar Limited
De Trafford Estates Limited
Clogau Gold
Bullen Healthcare
Property Alliance Group
Glenbrook
Hope Capital
Select Property Group
Kruger Inc
Medicash
Construction Tier 6
Freeths LLP's construction team in the North West is a core part of the wider national practice. It is well-placed to advise on high-profile developments, benefiting from synergies with the firm's real estate and corporate groups. Director Jennie Jones, who leads the team, has expertise in construction disputes and transactional work. Senior construction executive Joanna Merrick, who is active in contentious matters, is 'extremely knowledgeable, proactive, diligent'.
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Testimonials
‘Joanne Merrick is extremely knowledgeable, proactive, diligent with a sensible view on contentious issues, offering advice setting out risks as appropriate. Very conscious of the pressures on clients and consultants and their ability to respond timeously.’
Key clients
Vabeld Ltd
Gleeds
Aldi
MCR Property Group
Ilex Project Management Limited
Pure Residential and Commercial
Travelodge
Langdale Capital 1 Limited
Employment Tier 6
Freeths LLP is particularly active on the employment aspects of commercial deals for employers and shareholders, including disposals, acquisitions, management buyouts and reorganisations. The team, led by Charlotte Rees-John, also advises high-net-worth individuals in settlement agreements and negotiating high-value exits. Food and drink, hospitality, and the leisure sectors are key areas of strength.
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Testimonials
‘Direct and personal service, out of hours as required, always available in these difficult times.’
‘They are all genuinely interested in our business and being our partners, not just billing hours. Fees are all reasonable and as we have agreed, no unpleasant surprises.’
‘The team has a friendly approach and strong commerciality – always supporting our best interests.’
Key clients
Aldi Stores Limited
Pure Gym Limited
Colosseum Dental UK Limited
Roadchef Limited
Stockport Borough Council
LMC (The Consortium of Local Medical Committees of Lancashire and Cumbria)
JM Fitness Limited
Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited Star Brands Limited
Archibald Bathgate Group
Freeths LLP > Firm Profile
Freeths is a national law firm with a great reputation for delivering high-quality advice and results for its clients. Clients talk about trusting the Freeths team to do the right thing, and like their strong ethics, integrity and entrepreneurial spirit.
The firm: With 13 offices in the UK the firm has excellent geographic reach and connectivity. This firmly establishes Freeths as one of the leading national law firms in the UK. A snapshot of clients includes: Aldi, RBS, Tarmac, BDW Group, Ladbrokes Coral, Travis Perkins, Fresenius Medical Care, Santander, Capita, Bellway Homes Limited, Whitbread Group PLC, Centre Parcs, Poundland, Nottingham University and Experian.
Freeths has won a host of regional and national accolades in recent years, including Best Companies for 2019, and is ranked 57th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For 2019. It also won ‘Firm of the Year’ in the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2017. The Legal 500’s UK rankings for 2019 also put Freeths as a top-tier firm in no less than 24 categories, we have 24 Leading Elite Lawyers and 164 Recommended Lawyers. Of those 164, 13 are recommended as Next Generation Lawyers. Freeths has also been awarded silver standard in Investors in People and Legal Technology Awards and nominations. The firm is committed to the regional communities in which it is based and actively supports a number of causes, both nationally and regionally.
The firm’s approach is rooted in knowing and understanding its clients and building value. Freeths’ core values ensure it is committed to: delivering results by taking ownership of the situation in order to provide practical and often bespoke solutions; building trust and long-term relationships, working closely with clients and sharing risk when appropriate; and thinking differently, with the firm offering real insight and innovative solutions to legal and commercial issues, and to the way in which these are delivered to help its clients get a step ahead.
Clients of Freeths are particularly impressed with its efforts to partner closely with them to reduce their legal spend by analysing the root cause and then up-skilling the client’s team.
Types of work undertaken: The firm works with major international and UK corporations, FTSE/AIM companies, regional businesses, institutions, public bodies and high-net-worth individuals. It works across all areas of practice, including corporate, commercial, HR, pensions, property (developers, institutional lenders, investors, housing associations, and commercial landlords and tenants), planning, environmental, tax, dispute resolution, intellectual property, EC law and corporate defence.
Freeths’ private client team has an excellent reputation for advising individuals on every aspect of their life, from wealth generation and preservation through to acquisitions and disposals of property, future planning (wills and probate), family and childcare matters, personal injury, clinical negligence, andhelping people who lack capacity due to an accident, old age, mental illness or learning difficulties.
Key sector specialisms include stand-out experience in the drinks and hospitality sector, retail, food, franchise, transport, renewable energy, property, healthcare and public sector.
The private client team at Freeths’ Oxford office is well known in agriculture, bloodstock and rural affairs, as well as the charities sector.
Other offices: Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, and Stoke.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
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Chairman | Colin Flanagan | ||
Chief executive | Peter Smith | ||
Corporate and commercial | Karl Jansen | ||
Construction | Chris Holwell | ||
Dispute resolution | Philippa Dempster | ||
Employment | Julian Middleton | ||
Real estate | Darren Williamson | ||
Private client | Nigel Cullen | ||
Private client | Jane Goulding |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Mike Bell | Mike is a UK based partner specialising in private wealth management and… | View Profile |
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Rachel Bolt | Consultant | View Profile |
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Tom Bradford | Member | View Profile |
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Andrew Bretherton | Member | View Profile |
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Robert Bruce | Member | View Profile |
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Jenny Cooper | Jenny specialises in all areas of commercial property with a particular focus… | View Profile |
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Francis Dalton | Francis has a broad corporate practice which includes both public and private… | View Profile |
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Philippa Dempster | Managing Partner of London office Philippa is regarded as a leader in… | View Profile |
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Luke Dixon | Partner Luke advises businesses from start-ups to blue chips on the privacy… | View Profile |
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James Gorman | James specialises in commercial dispute resolution and is dedicated to resolving complex… | View Profile |
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Sarah Griggs | Member | View Profile |
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Peter Hill | Member | View Profile |
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Helen Jones | Helen advises both lenders and borrowers on a full range of banking… | View Profile |
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Clare King | Clare is an energy lawyer with over a decade of experience in… | View Profile |
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Irpreet Kohli | Director Irpreet is a highly regarded specialist family lawyer in the family… | View Profile |
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Martyn Kolankiewicz | Member | View Profile |
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David Laurence | David is a City trained real estate solicitor and his practice covers… | View Profile |
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Andrew Maxwell | Partner and Head of Competition Andrew leads the Competition team at Freeths… | View Profile |
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Jaspal Pachu | Jaspal is a Partner in the tax and incentives practice at Freeths.… | View Profile |
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Clive Pearce | View Profile | |
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Kevin Poulter | Kevin is a partner in the employment team and works from the… | View Profile |
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Imogen Randall | Imogen has over 8 years’ experience in high value and complex dispute… | View Profile |
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Jennifer Roe | Jennifer is a Planning lawyer within the Real Estate team, based at… | View Profile |
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Tom Rowley | London-based corporate partner with broad practice focused on M&A, private equity and… | View Profile |
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Adel Shetty | Adel joined Freeths in January 2016, having previously trained and worked for… | View Profile |
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Matt Stephens | A real estate partner, Matt has a broad practice including development, investment,… | View Profile |
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Amanda Trewhella | Amanda is a specialist employment solicitor based in our London office. She… | View Profile |
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Shradha Virji | Shradha is an Associate solicitor in the Immigration Team. She specialises in… | View Profile |
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Vickie Williams | Vickie has over 10 years experience in commercial dispute resolution. She is… | View Profile |
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Richard Williams | Richard advises both lenders and borrowers on all aspects of real estate… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 206 Number of other UK fee-earners : 546Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Agriculture and estates
- Banking and finance
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby
- Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Construction
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby
- Employment
- Family
- Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Professional negligence
- Property litigation
- Public sector
- Social housing
Firm Rankings
- M&A: smaller deals, up to £50m
- Mediators
- Court of protection
- Local government
- Franchising
- Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Planning
- Property finance
- Immigration
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Commercial litigation: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby
- Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Commercial property: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial: Birmingham
- Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in East Midlands
- Corporate and commercial: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Energy, project finance and PFI
- Environment
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Intellectual property
- Licensing
- Local government
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Banking and finance
- Commercial litigation: Birmingham
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Commercial litigation: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire
- Commercial property: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire
- Commercial property: Liverpool
- Construction
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Corporate tax
- Employment: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- IT and telecoms
- Local government
- Pensions
- Commercial property: Birmingham
- Construction
- Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire
- Employment
- Sport
- Commercial property: Manchester
- Construction
- Employment