Firm Profile > Marriott Harrison LLP > London, England
Marriott Harrison LLP Offices
11 STAPLE INN
LONDON
WC1V 7QH
England
Marriott Harrison LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
M&A: smaller deals, up to £50m Tier 2
Marriott Harrison LLP 's corporate team has a strong reputation for M&A, private equity and venture capital work. The team works across a variety of sectors including media, hospitality, education and advises fast growth technology companies in fintech, e-tail and data analytics. Daniel Jacob leads the corporate department, acting on M&A transactions and growth capital investments on behalf of entrepreneurs, investors and owner managers. Andrew Ross recently joined the practice from Arnold & Porter, bringing with him a practice focused on private equity-backed transactions and domestic and cross-border mergers. Ben Devons and Jonathan Leigh-Hunt are also both names to note.
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Testimonials
‘Great team, partners work really well to support each other. Different approaches but the same values. Focused on get the right outcomes and the transactions done. Commerciality is excellent.’
‘All experts in their specialisms – intelligent, commercial, quick thinking and available.’
‘Jonathan Leigh-Hunt’s calm, pragmatic approach is a winning formula for his clients.’
Key clients
Cello Health Plc
Coolabi Group Limited
The Fulham Shore Plc
Amplience
Audiotonix
Northzone
Guinness Asset Management
Graduway
Chiltern Capital LLP
Mobeus Equity Partners LLP
Balderton
Accel
Steeleye
Soldo
Cloudmargin
Procam
Maven
Venture capital Tier 2
The 'efficient, personable and commercially-minded' team at Marriott Harrison LLP provides 'nimble, high-quality and responsive' advice to a loyal and growing roster of institutional investors, including core client Balderton Capital. Under the guidance of the 'calming and sensible' David Strong, the team is best known for handling early to mid-stage start-up financing for AI, fintech and e-commerce entities, where it is appreciated not only for its 'ego-free and unfussy service', but also its 'ability to adapt its approach based on the complexity of the deal'. The 'thorough and diligent' Daniel Jacob provides 'sound advice' to entrepreneurs and companies seeking financing to grow.
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Testimonials
‘They have extremely focus business oriented capabilities and able to deliver agreements which are very easy to understand, to the point covering all necessary legal aspects. Timing is essential in many deals and they have always demonstrated to have focus on the deal and keep the pressure to execute in a timely manner.’
‘Strong team with good industry experience. They know the market well and bring a no-nonsense approach to the work.’
‘David Strong has great knowledge of the industry and leads an experienced team. Jonathan Leigh-Hunt has been around for a long time and knows his area well.’
‘Nimble, high quality and responsive, with no fuss, at very reasonable rates. Authoritative on market terms and explaining the reason for them.’
‘Great team, always professional & easy to deal with. They have really solid VC experience. Definitely punch above their weight. Competitive on fees with a partner led service, so you get attention. Good turnaround times too and they seem to be building a decent junior team beneath the partners so have some depth there.’
‘The team at Marriott Harrison is absolutely stellar, I could not recommend working with them highly enough. Led by David Strong, the team is efficient, personable, commercially-minded, and a delight to deal with. We work with Marriott Harrison for every deal that we do, simply due to the excellent people working with David. The team listens to instructions well, and is able to adapt their approach based on the complexity of the deal. MH works in small flexible teams, with excellent oversight from David ensuring that their work is consistently up to scratch – I’ve never worked with lawyers as suited to the VC market as this team.’
‘Marriott Harrison offers a bespoke, thoughtful, available, ego-free and unfussy service which exactly meets the needs of our business.’
Key clients
Accel Partners
Balderton Capital
Mobeus
Guinness Asset Management
Kindred Capital
Northzone
Frontline Ventures
Maven Capital Partners
Beringea
Soldo
Bethnal Green Ventures
Makers Fund
Thrive Capital
InReach Ventures
Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 4
At Marriott Harrison LLP, clients receive ‘true in-depth commercial property expertise and an ability to explain complex issues to the client’. A keystone of the practice is its corporate occupier work where it represents both tenants and landlords on a range of instructions including lease negotiations, headquarter relocations and office moves. The ‘exceptional’ Mark Lavers, acclaimed for his ‘proactive attitude and problem-solving approach’, heads the department which has notable expertise with regards to retail assets and also undertakes a wealth of development and investment-related instructions.
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Testimonials
‘Strong attention to detail and excellent communication with us as the client.’
‘The team is professional, offers excellent communication and they make all obscure legal terms easy and straightforward to understand.’
‘A true in depth expertise in commercial property and an ability to explain complex issues to the client
‘The team is very professional and committed.’
‘Quick response times and practical clear advice.’
‘Friendly, helpful, always willing to discuss a question or issue.’
‘Mark Lavers is professional, and hardworking; however I think his honesty is what makes him stand out in most cases. That’s why we trust him when coming across complications.’
‘Mark Lavers is exceptional. I have worked with him for 20 years and he has a focus and diligence that I have never identified at any other practice.’
‘Mark Lavers always goes beyond our requests, with a proactive attitude and a problem-solving approach.’
Key clients
GSM London Limited
Flux Systems
Onyx Commodities
Prime Collateralised Securities
Pico London
Total Media
Medical Imaging Partnership
Smol Limited
Finsbury Business Centre
Pagero
CPL Productions
Metail
Falck Renewables
Banco de Sabadell
Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 6
Marriott Harrison LLP regularly attracts high-value and complex disputes work, and has experienced growth in relation to international litigation. Tamar Halevy has particular expertise in company and shareholder disputes, while Jim Mackie acts for companies and individuals in claims for breach of contract, professional negligence, breach of trust, and fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation.
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Testimonials
The commercial disputes team provides real commercial support to the clients of the firm and punches well above its weight. One of its core strengths is its ability to provide dispute resolution support across a range of areas and industry sectors. The work which is undertaken is well thought out and structured and exceptionally well executed. It always seems to get the best possible result for the client.
Jim Mackie brings a real wealth of experience to commercial disputes. He seems to have an excellent rapport with clients and is fantastic at putting together and managing the right team for the case. He understands the commercial realities of the disputes and is great at focussing on the client’s commercial objectives.
The Marriott Harrison dispute resolution team is different to many of its competitors because of the high-standard, partner-led service whereas if we were to instruct one of the large City firms our work would be dealt with on a day to day basis by more junior lawyers. The team also has exceptional front-line court experience which differentiates them from many of their larger competitors who do not get into court as much.
We have worked primarily with Tamar Halevy who heads up the dispute resolution team. Tamar has been fully involved in, and on top of, all the details and complexity of our case right from the beginning and all the way through. She has provided sound legal advice and has been tenacious in seeking to achieve a commercial outcome for us in the case. She has constantly made herself available to communicate with us on the matter.
The firm offers very cost-effective approach and maintains good quality of services, which is a distinguishing feature.
Tamar Halevy is always there to provide a practical advice and ensure the most effective strategy.
Tamar Halevy and her team at Marriott Harrison were uniquely equipped to advise me on the particularly intricate details of my case with regard to legal, financial and social aspects. Tamar’s CV impressed me in the selection process with her experience in financial matters, international M&A and dispute resolution.
Tamar Halevy – accessible, focussed, diligent, patient and pragmatic.
Tamar Halevy is an excellent litigator. Tamar has always seen the best route forward for the pieces of litigation on which we have worked together. She is very practical in her approach, and avoid unnecessary wasting of time and resources. She takes counsel’s advice well, and never has a difficulty in understanding it.
In my experience Brett Israel turns around work very quick, and is an excellent leader of his team. There is never a wasted moment in his cases.
Tamar Halevy is exceptionally clear and definitive in her advice and explanations. Her oral delivery is unparalleled for a firm of this size.
They have excellent experience and strength in this area. I would compare them very favourably with other firms.
Tamar Halevy is superb – experienced, unflappable and great with clients.
Tamar Halevy, who leads the dispute resolution team, is really excellent: very knowledgeable in company law, experienced in shareholder disputes, hard-working, possessed of fine drafting skills and most enjoyable to work with.
Key clients
Radisson Hotels UK Limited
Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Heathrow Limited
The Watch Gallery Limited
Chiltern Capital LLP
UAB Avion Express
Ross Hare
Smart Cancer Centre Limited
Marriott Harrison LLP > Firm Profile
Marriott Harrison is a leading specialist business law firm. It provides a high-quality partner-led service for business clients across a wide range of sectors. It is particularly known for its mid-market transactional practice.
The firm: Marriott Harrison consistently operates at a high level in its core practice areas by concentrating on excellence. The firm advises clients on a wide range of deals: not only does it have experience domestically and internationally in major complex transactions for institutions and corporate clients, but it is also very experienced in representing owner-mangers and growing businesses.
What particularly distinguishes the firm is its very personal approach both internally and with clients and its commercial, common-sense attitude. There is an expanding and loyal client base, which is a measure of the continuing success that these attributes bring. The firm has grown by attracting senior personnel from larger firms while at the same time its graduate training programme has been successful in enabling the firm to grow organically.
Types of work undertaken
Corporate: the corporate team provides expertise in all corporate finance and M&A areas, including corporate acquisitions and disposals, management buyouts and venture capital, flotations, restructuring, banking, financial services and funds. The firm has a particularly strong presence in the venture capital market and represents a number of private equity and venture capital institutions as well as advising management teams. It also has a significant practice in equity and debt capital markets, acting regularly for issuers and for sponsors, nominated advisers and brokers.
Intellectual property: the intellectual property team advises across a broad range of issues including online and digital media, patents, know-how, branding, advertising and reputation management. The team is also experienced in the technology sector, advising on software creation, development and exploitation, e-distribution (including to the consumer market), intellectual property rights in software and data, as well as privacy and data protection.
Real estate: the real estate team looks after existing and new clients’ property needs, taking and granting leases, buying and selling – whether it be for owner-occupiers, investment or development – providing strategic advice and helping them when disputes arise. Recent highlights have included hotel acquisitions, the refinancing of a retail park and the sale of a business park.
Litigation: the litigation team is widely experienced in commercial litigation and arbitration with particular expertise in company and shareholder disputes, contractual disputes, breach of trust and fraud. The team’s expertise covers interim remedies, including freezing injunctions. The work is often complex and high value and involves a high proportion of international work.
Employment: the employment team deals with the full range of non-contentious employment matters including employee documentation, employee incentives, TUPE issues, redundancies and reorganisations. It also deals with contentious matters including complex employee tribunal and High Court claims, team moves and enforcing restrictive covenants.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
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Managing Partner | Hugh Gardner | hugh.gardner@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Head of Corporate | Daniel Jacob | daniel.jacob@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Venture Capital | David Strong | david.strong@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Capital Markets | Simon Charles | simon.charles@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Private Equity | Jonathan Leigh-Hunt | jonathan.leigh-hunt@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Banking & Restructuring | Brett Israel | brett.israel@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Real Estate | Mark Lavers | mark.lavers@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Employment | Bob Mecrate-Butcher | bob.mecrate-butcher@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Dispute Resolution | Tamar Halevy | tamar.halevy@marriottharrison.co.uk | |
Commercial | Chris Mooney | chris.mooney@marriottharrison.co.uk |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Simon Charles | Partner; specialist area: AIM and FSMA regulation, company law and corporate finance.… | View Profile |
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Katherine De Souza | Partner advising on all corporate and commercial matters and specialising in employment… | View Profile |
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Ben Devons | Experienced in advising on both domestic and international corporate transactions, particularly on… | View Profile |
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Hugh Gardner | Partner specialising in finance particularly debt (senior and mezzanine), private equity and… | View Profile |
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Tamar Halevy | Partner and head of the dispute resolution department. Specialising in complex and… | View Profile |
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Guy Hitchin | Partner in the real estate department dealing with all aspects of UK… | View Profile |
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Brett Israel | Brett has extensive experience acting for a range of insolvency practitioners, banks… | View Profile |
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Daniel Jacob | Partner and experienced business lawyer who deals with all aspects of corporate… | View Profile |
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Mark Lavers | Commercial property, acting for a wide range of developers, investors, lenders and… | View Profile |
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Jonathan Leigh-Hunt | Corporate partner specialising in private equity and venture capital. Acts for institutions,… | View Profile |
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Jim Mackie | Partner | View Profile |
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Bob Mecrate-Butcher | Partner | View Profile |
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Andrew Ross | Partner whose practice focusses on private equity-backed transactions, cross-border mergers and acquisitions,… | View Profile |
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Nick Smith | Partner, Real Estate. Development, Secured Lending and Landlord & Tenant. Recent transactions include… | View Profile |
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David Strong | Partner | View Profile |
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Mr Jon Sweet | Partner specialising in all aspects of corporate finance, private equity and M&A. | View Profile |
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Stephen Whittaker | Partner | View Profile |