Firm Profile > Marriott Harrison LLP > London , London

Marriott Harrison LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

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.

Life sciences: the life sciences team, which recently joined from Denoon Legal, has an excellent reputation advising a substantial portfolio of life sciences clients from conventional pharmaceutical and medical technology companies to clients developing and selling regenerative medicine, genomics and borderline products. The team focuses on advising its clients regarding IP, regulatory (including contentious matters such as judicial reviews) and associated commercial contracts.

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.