Firm Profile > Pinsent Masons LLP > London, England

Brexit Tier 1

Under the leadership of Clare Francis, Pinsent Masons LLP's national cross-departmental Brexit advisory team leverages the firm’s government affairs and public policy strength, a key area of expertise for Andrew Henderson, to assist  corporates, governmental departments and industry bodies with Brexit-related legislative issues and the practical application of Brexit strategies. Francis is also the key contact for the firm’s Brexit contracting solution offering, which advises clients on the Brexit risk in their current contracts and the wider risk this poses to the supply chain. In the firm’s Edinburgh office, Euan Smith handles corporate immigration work, while Birmingham-based Cerys Wyn Davies leads the IP and information law Brexit work. Iain Connor is noted for his IP expertise with a particular focus on the soft IP issues faced by clients in the IT, pharmaceuticals and retail sectors, Liz Budd handles financial regulation and investment funds work, and Alan Davis leads the competition, EU and trade group. In a recent highlight, Hammad Akhtar advised Royal London on its Brexit strategy and implementation including a cross-border reorganisation. Former team head Guy Lougher retired.

Commercial contracts Tier 1

The sourcing and commercial expertise of Pinsent Masons LLP particularly focuses on the technology, manufacturing and energy sectors, with a speciality in bet-the-business transactions. Simon Colvin, known for his TMT work, leads the team, which includes advanced manufacturing and technology expert David Isaac. Also notable are Natalie Trainor, who is experienced in advising on large and complex IT, technology and business process transformation projects, and associate Ben Gardner, who acts for large corporates and disruptive start-ups on a range of commercial arrangements.

Commercial property: hotels and leisure Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is home to a ‘well-coordinated team that covers all aspects of development, construction and investment’. It represents institutional UK investors, commercial and residential developers, local authorities and financial institutions on a variety of high-profile investment and development projects within the UK and abroad. Student accommodation, build to rent and retirement living are sectors where the team, headed by Claire Hughes, is particularly well-versed. The practice also has a market-leading reputation in the hotel and leisure sector where core strengths include management contracts, franchising and transactions, as well as the full range of related issues. Recent highlights for the team have included advising Heathrow Airport on the third runway expansion project.

Construction: contentious Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a range of big-ticket construction disputes, and is regularly involved in matters in the nuclear, offshore wind, solar, rail waste and residential construction sectors. The firm advises a range of very broad range of clients including developers, contractors, investors and owners. Neal Morris, who co-heads the team, is recognised for his expertise in PFI and works with many of the UK's largest construction companies. Helen Waddell, who co-leads the team, is experienced in various forms of dispute resolution and has advised on major projects such as Wembley Stadium. Other key team members include Richard Laudy, Mark Roe, Shy Jackson and Kevin Joyce.

Contruction: non-contentious Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's non-contentious team, which is highly regarded among market peers, is headed up by John Woolley, who joined from Dentons in September 2018. His work is primarily across the energy and infrastructure sectors. The London team works closely with its international offices in China, the Middle East and South Africa. Another notable name is Jonathan Hart, who has decades of experience as an infrastructure specialist with strong expertise in construction contracts.

Education: institutions Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is a key name for the higher education sector. The team, led by Leeds-based Victoria Goddard, is known for its high-profile, complex, international and often sensitive work for universities, and has advised a number of market-leading players on regulatory concerns and handled litigation for these clients. The group is adept at advising on the creation and registration of universities, restructuring and financial developments. The wider team includes Julian Sladdin, who heads the university litigation group;  Helen Corden; and Gayle Ditchburn in Birmingham, who is recommended for her expertise on complex merger work and commercial projects.

Equity capital markets – small-mid cap Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP has noted a marked decrease not only in IPO activity, but also in listing activity more generally. However, where the team has been kept busy are with moves from the standard to the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and public company takeovers. The practice group has a number of strong broker relationships, but stands out in particular for its client roster of AIM listed-companies, a metric by which it is regularly listed among the market's top firms. Further, 'the team made an excellent strategic decision' in 2018 with the hire of Roberta Markovina from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. Markovina is the group's first US securities lawyer based in London. Other key figures include corporate head John Tyerman, Jon Harris and Gareth Jones.

Pensions

Flotations: small and mid-cap

Commercial property

Health and safety Tier 1

Corporate defence work is a mainstay of Pinsent Masons LLP's health and safety practice, which has a strong track record on cases with a cross-border element. The team is also regarded as 'an industry leader in fire related health and safety matters'. Manchester-based Kevin Bridges leads the team and has a reputation for handling cases related to the energy, construction and manufacturing sectors. Associate Laura White has been active in handling work for SMEs.

Infrastructure (parliamentary) Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is actively involved in the promotion and opposition of a wide range of nationally significant projects in the railway, urban transit, ports and harbours, aviation and waterways sectors. Parliamentary agents Robbie Owen and Richard Bull are experienced in matters involving the planning and consenting process through development consent orders, Transport and Works Act (TWA) orders, and hybrid bills. Francis Tyrrell advises the public and private sectors on the powers and correct procedure of public authorities, judicial review and consultations.

Insurance: insolvency and restructuring Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP has a strong offering in insolvency and restructuring; practice head Hammad Akhtar has a track record of work on cross-border Part VII transfers and regularly works with large insurance groups on their Brexit strategies, including Royal London Group, which he recently advised on the cross-border transfer of life insurance business. He is assisted by legal director Matthew Brewer, who joined from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in late 2017 and has been leading on the Part VII transfer process relating to Zurich's sale of its UK workplace pensions business to Lloyds Banking Group, involving assets under administration of £15bn.

IT and telecoms Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is singled out for its expertise in advising public sector clients on IT projects, with recent clients including the Department of Health and the National Employment Savings Trust. Private sector clients include technology companies, service providers and non-tech corporates. Practice head Simon Colvin handles a range of IT transactions, while David Barker is a key name to note for contentious matters; he recently led a team which successfully defended Google in a data protection class action relating to the use of browser cookies for targeted advertising. Head of the telecoms, gaming and gambling team Diane Mullenex and David Isaac, who is instructed in large IT renegotiations, are also names to note.

Local government Tier 1

The 'consistently reliable' national offering at Pinsent Masons LLP  includes  real estate, housing, planning, commercial structuring and governance.  It advises on issues in the areas of education, health, energy and IT in conjunction with its understanding of political or regulatory factors. Anne Bowden heads the practice and has a focus on regeneration/housing projects and new funding, and Scot Morrison is especially skilled in structuring public sector joint venture vehicles and partnership structures in relation to property/regeneration schemes and procurement matters. Didar Dhillon has advised on large-scale projects and regional investment funds and real estate partner Nicholas Berry is also noted for his work with local authorities.

M&A: lower mid-market deals, £50m-£500m Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP has a broad international M&A practice, focused predominantly on cross-border deals within the energy and infrastructure, manufacturing and technology, healthcare, retail, financial services and real estate sectors. Across these sectors, the firm has handled complex mandates, facilitated through a strong international presence, in addition to US lawyer expertise, especially in the capital markets and securities areas. As part of this  push into US law, the firm recently recruited Roberta Markovina from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, an expert in the US securities space. The firm also hired Madhu Jain from Linklaters LLP, who is highly experienced in the insurance sector, and has a strong track record acting for clients in transactions by way of both share and portfolio transfer. The department is headed by John Tyerman, who divides his time between the London and Birmingham offices.

Pensions: dispute resolution Tier 1

Planning Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP’s market-leading, nationwide presence enables the team to handle some of the largest NSIPs on the market, with names including Richard Griffiths and Robbie Owen being leaders in the field. Iain Gilbey and Richard Ford regularly handle large-scale regeneration projects, residential and mixed-used development schemes, commercial planning projects and garden city settlements. Through the leadership of Nicholle Kingsley, the team has a major presence in the sporting sector, with a solid list of mandates involving stadium and associated infrastructure redevelopment proposals. Gareth Phillips is the go-to name for planning projects in the energy and renewables sectors, having handled the DCOs for significant offshore windfarms, solar projects and energy storage parks. The team takes on contentious applications in the higher courts when planning challenges are brought against clients, as well as acting on health and safety prosecutions and licensing issues. Through notable client Highways England, the team also leads on large-scale road projects, with Emma Harling-Phillips a stand-out name in this field.

Private equity: transactions – mid-tier – up to £250m Tier 1

'Clear and commercially-minded', the private equity practice at Pinsent Masons LLP is led by Edward Stead. Stead concentrates on transactions involving companies operating in the technology, business services and professional services industries. The firm prides itself on assisting clients through the entirety of the PE life cycle, from initial investments through to secondary transactions and eventual sales. Highlights include a team led by Andrew Masraf advising senior management of Ammeraal Beltech on its sale by Advent International to Partners Group in a deal worth $1.2bn. Masraf often acts for management on upper-mid-market transactions of this kind. Elsewhere, Manchester-based practitioners Gregg Davison and Amie Norris represented the shareholders of Key Travel on its MBO, which was backed by Elysian Capital Partners. PE tax adviser Peter Morley joined the group from Squire Patton Boggs in September 2018.

Tax litigation and investigations Tier 1

Jason Collins leads Pinsent Masons LLP's tax litigation department, which is noted for its instructions in the financial services sector and experience taking cases to the Supreme Court and Court of Justice of the European Union. The group has expertise in diverted profits tax issues, as well as work stemming from the Criminal Finances Act 2017, such as failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion. On the advisory side, it advises clients on preparations for the new IR35 legislation. Other key names include contentious VAT experts Stuart Walsh, legal director Clara Boyd and Manchester-based Steven Porter.

VAT and indirect tax Tier 1

The group at Pinsent Masons LLP excels in matters relating to VAT disputes and VAT fraud, as well as having an outstanding customs and excise practice, which is instructed by major international corporates on a wide variety of excise duty matters. Practice head Stuart Walsh is acting for RBS in two VAT disputes arising from missing traders in its supply chain, with a total exposure of £300m. Clara Boyd, who was promoted to partner in March 2019, specialises in VAT and excise duty disputes with HMRC. Legal director Jake Landman has experience advising corporates on supply-chain tax issues.

Commercial property: development Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP is home to a ‘well-coordinated team that covers all aspects of development, construction and investment’. It represents institutional UK investors, commercial and residential developers, local authorities and financial institutions on a variety of high-profile investment and development projects within the UK and abroad. Student accommodation, build to rent and retirement living are sectors where the team, headed by Claire Hughes, is particularly well-versed. The practice also has a market-leading reputation in the hotel and leisure sector where core strengths include management contracts, franchising and transactions, as well as the full range of related issues. Recent highlights for the team have included advising Heathrow Airport on the third runway expansion project.

Commercial property: investment Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP is home to a ‘well-coordinated team that covers all aspects of development, construction and investment’. It represents institutional UK investors, commercial and residential developers, local authorities and financial institutions on a variety of high-profile investment and development projects within the UK and abroad. Student accommodation, build to rent and retirement living are sectors where the team, headed by Claire Hughes, is particularly well-versed. The practice also has a market-leading reputation in the hotel and leisure sector where core strengths include management contracts, franchising and transactions, as well as the full range of related issues. Recent highlights for the team have included advising Heathrow Airport on the third runway expansion project.

Environment Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP regularly assists with environmental transactions as well as with regulatory and litigation matters. The firm also provides advice on energy projects, including on regulatory, project, and carbon and energy efficiency issues. Practice head Georgie Messent has expertise in regulations, transactions and disputes in the waste and manufacturing sectors, including arbitrations on treatment outputs.

Fintech Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's fintech group represents a number of banks, financial institutions and fast-growth companies invested in the payments space. The team has particular expertise advising on regulatory issues, including the implementation of Open Banking in line with PSD2, API licensing agreements, applications to become a regulated financial services entity to provide 'account information services', and compliance with the Retail Banking Market Investigation Order 2017. In the commercial space, the group advises on investments, acquisitions, contractual agreements, product development, white labelling and service agreements. Yvonne Dunn, whose clients include banks and start-ups, brings specialist Open Banking knowledge to the team. Angus McFadyen is the firm's go-to payments lawyer; in a recent case he advised Yolt on the pan-European development and roll out of its financial management product. Junior partner Thilo Schneider focuses on corporate work in the sector, including M&A, venture capital investments and joint venture transactions. Financial services regulatory lawyer Andrew Barber (who joined the firm in 2019 from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP) has broad experience in payments, e-money and, in particular, the regulation and risks of ICOs and DLT.

Fraud: civil Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP works with clients including financial institutions, professional services firms, liquidators, manufacturing and technology companies and government agencies on a wide range of civil fraud matters. The team, which 'has excellent experience of all forms of fraud litigation', has  expertise in areas including worldwide freezing orders, asset recovery, multiparty litigation, cyber fraud, as well as employee fraud, deceit and conspiracy. The team is led by Alan Sheeley, who is 'unafraid of fighting in the trenches if needs be.'

Gaming and betting Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP provides regulatory advice to gambling sector clients and assists with strategic projects such as business expansions and financing, the introduction of new business-critical systems, relocations and strategically significant disputes. The firm also advises on M&A transactions, tax, employment, data privacy and pensions matters. The team assists online operators with cross-border transactions and is experienced in providing both contentious and non-contentious licensing advice. Diane Mullenex, who is noted for her particular expertise in the French gaming market, and Glasgow-based legal director Audrey Ferrie lead the practice.

Healthcare Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's national healthcare practice is best known for its strong expertise in corporate healthcare, notably in international commercial activities and joint ventures involving partnerships between private sector clients and international health providers, and dental M&A and refinancing. The practice also regularly advises private equity houses, banks, corporates and management teams in respect of financing, corporate governance and regulatory matters. Joanne Ellis and Kate Orviss lead the healthcare and global healthcare projects teams, respectively.

Infrastructure (including PFI and PPP) Tier 2

The team at Pinsent Masons LLP is experienced in a variety of infrastructure-matters,  advising from the procurement stage through to structuring, funding and delivery. It is instructed by contractors and funders and is well versed in PFI/PPP matters. Richard Laudy leads the team, which also includes  Manchester-based construction and engineering specialist Mark Job as well as infrastructure expert Nick Ogden. Stephen Tobin is a key contact in project finance. Sonal Shah knows transport and defence projects well. Kevin Joyce has expertise in contentious matters.

Insurance: corporate and regulatory Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's corporate and regulatory insurance team is 'extremely capable' and provides 'first class advice', not only on business-as-usual matters, but also complex corporate and regulatory cases. 'Extremely personable' practice head Hammad Akhtar routinely works with insurers on Brexit planning and restructuring, and advised Royal London on a complex cross-border transfer of life insurance business. This breadth at the department has attracted talent from other firms in recent years, including Matthew Brewer, who joined from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in November 2017 and Madhu Jain, who moved over from Linklaters LLP in November 2018 after almost 18 years at the magic circle firm.

Oil and gas Tier 2

The full-service offering at Pinsent Masons LLP has significant expertise in foreign jurisdictions and has developed particular strength in North Sea infrastructure deals as well as the decommissioning of oil and gas assets. The team also has notable capabilities in the fields of restructuring, dispute resolution, capital markets and regulation. Aberdeen-based Bob Ruddiman leads the firm's global oil and gas team. In London, Paul McGoldrick is the key contact; he has extensive experience in upstream joint ventures, project development, corporate matters, and asset acquisitions and disposals.

Pensions (non-contentious) Tier 2

Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology Tier 2

Clare Tunstall heads the life sciences and patent litigation practices at Pinsent Masons LLP, which is entrusted with a range of IP protection cases by pharma and biotech companies. Christopher Sharp also takes on patent litigation cases whilst Allistair Booth focuses on IP transactions such as asset sales and purchases, collaborations and licensing. The team also assists clients on financing (Charles Waddell) and UK and European regulatory regimes (Catherine Drew). The team has been enhanced by David Lancaster, whose expertise is in patent and SPC-related litigation, joining from Powell Gilbert LLP and the arrival of Nick Finnie from Novartis.

Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's team has been busy acting for purchasers and vendors of renewable energy assets, and the project finance sub-team continues to represent both sponsors and banks in UK wind farm and solar refinancings. The group has significant expertise in low carbon projects, energy regulation, energy trading, offshore wind and has recently been advising its stellar client roster on the closure of the Renewables Obligation subsidy scheme. Global practice head Paul Rice and his team also handle significant volumes of work in relation to nuclear power and interconnectors.

Property litigation Tier 2

Rated for its 'commercial approach', Pinsent Masons LLP's client roster includes property developers, housebuilders, institutional investors and investment funds, who benefit from the team's notable expertise in rights of light - including rights of light insurance - energy and infrastructure-related property disputes, vacant possession strategies and mass protest and trespasser actions. 'Rights of light guru' Siobhan Cross and the 'very helpful, experienced and knowledgeable' Melissa Thompson jointly head the 'tremendously proactive, energetic and innovative' practice, which also offers litigation avoidance advice and dispute analysis assistance.

Reputation management Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's media defendant practice combines advising on libel claims with its 'unrivalled in-depth knowledge' of data privacy. It also demonstrates crucial understanding of technology , with 'strategically aware' practice head David Barker counting Google as one of the firm's core clients., representing the tech giant in the first UK "right to be forgotten" cases. Thanks to this high-profile client, the firm was also active for the defendants in Richard Lloyd v Google, a landmark case in the emerging field of data protection class actions. 'Formidable' senior associate Alex Keenlyside and associate Imogen Allen-Back are key pillars of the media and privacy disputes practice, acting for technology companies as well as more traditional media clients.

Social housing: finance Tier 2

Although Pinsent Masons LLP's national social housing finance practice is primarily weighted towards acting for lenders (including all the main clearing banks and alternative funders), its excellent reputation sees the firm also generate work from government bodies, local authorities and registered social landlords. The firm has a longstanding relationship with Homes England, for which it has provided legal advice for more than 20 years. A key practitioner is Edward Sunderland, whose experience spans securitisation, debt capital markets, receivables and asset-backed finance. Sunderland was the lead adviser to Pension Insurance Corporation plc on a £100m secured private placement issued by Accord Housing Association Ltd. In another mandate, Sarah Whitty (who leads the national social housing finance practice) and Stephen Brown acted for HSBC Bank on the provision of a £200m loan facility to Genesis Housing Association and the charging of over 1,000 units. Anne Bowden and David Meecham are also highly rated.

Sport Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's sports group has particular expertise in handling major corporate matters for clients, including establishing new businesses, advising on shareholder rights and acting on the acquisition of professional football teams. The team displays further ability on regulatory disputes, sensitive safeguarding matters and commercial work; in the former area partner Julian Diaz-Rainey, whose clients include several Premier League football clubs, was recently instructed by the IAAF in two high-stakes CAS appeals, and on the commercial side partner Trevor Watkins has been retained by Yorkshire 2019 to manage numerous contractual requirements in relation to the upcoming UCI Road World Championships. Additional expertise is offered by the practice in employment law, where the team are currently instructed in a leading tribunal case on the scope of employee rights, and competition law, an area in which partner Angelique Bret is the firm's go-to specialist.

Asset based lending Tier 3

Headed by Edward Sunderland and aided by practitioners throughout the firm’s national network of offices, Pinsent Masons LLP provides a ‘commercial and pragmatic service’ to funders and corporates across the spectrum of primarily domestic deals. Leveraging strong institutional ties with many of the clearing banks, the team has exposure to a vast range of work, running the gamut from complex securitisation-style mandates through to receivables financings and invoice discounting. As well as acting on the front end of deals, the team also has a strong reputation on the restructuring front, where ‘exceptionally knowledgeable’ senior associate Gemma Kaplan has a thriving reputation in the market.

Commercial litigation Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP' 'lawyers are very tough and determined in the pursuit of their clients' interests'. The practice is noted for high volume, big-ticket litigation and stands out for  complex commercial disputes in the energy, financial institutions and technology sector. It  frequently advises on cases with cross-border and multi-jurisdictional elements, including Russia and Ukraine. Michael Fenn is London litigation and regulatory head with Glasgow-based Laura Cameron heading the risk advisory services group . Also highly rated are Katharine Davies, Stuart McNeill, Alan Sheeley, Ben Fairhead, and legal directors Richard Dickman and Michael Fletcher. Daniel Gardiner is an experienced senior associate.

Competition litigation Tier 3

In addition to advising its varied client base on contentious matters at UK level, Pinsent Masons LLP also handles cases before the EU General Court and the Court of Justice. Acting primarily on the defence side, the team adopts a holistic approach towards litigation by collaborating with other departments at the firm. Recent work highlights for the team, which is led by Alan Davis,  include follow-on damages claims of a high-profile nature. In May 2019, The firm expanded its offering with the hire of the well-regarded Robert Vidal from Taylor Wessing LLP. It had previously seen Ben Lasserson leave to become a  partner at Strange & Butler UK LLP in 2018.

Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity Tier 3

At Pinsent Masons LLP, Claire Edwards, David Barker and Ian Birdsey lead the practice, focusing on advisory work, litigation and cyber issues respectively. On the advisory side, the group is noted for its expertise in the financial services and technology sectors. The firm’s litigation strength also extends to the technology sector with Barker recently acting for Google in the High Court in two right to be forgotten cases and defending the same client in a landmark data protection class action relating to iPhone cookies. The cyber team regularly handles cross-border breaches and has developed separate US and EU/GDPR desks. Cerys Wyn Davies leads the information law practice in Birmingham. Former global practice head Marc Dautlich joined Bristows LLP.

Employee share schemes Tier 3

Lynette Jacobs leads the team at Pinsent Masons LLP, which was joined by legal director Fleur Benns from Bird & Bird LLP in 2018. It is noted for advising domestic and international clients on share incentive arrangements, often over several jurisdictions. The group also assists with the interaction between remuneration policy, share plan rules and regulatory clients in the financial services sector, as well as the day-to-day operation of employee incentive arrangements.

Employment: employers Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP's London employment and reward practice, which has a particular focus on the financial services, infrastructure and TMT sectors, has enjoyed strong growth over the past year. The team has aimed to distinguish itself from other competitors by leveraging new technology to provide a more cost-effective service, and has developed a client portal to more efficiently manage multiple claims for large clients. The practice is also continuing to build on its acquisition of diversity and inclusion firm Brook Graham in 2017, a deal which added a new string to the firm's bow. The team is led by Ed Goodwyn, who works with a raft of top infrastructure clients, while Fleur Benns , who has expertise in share schemes and incentives, joined as a legal director from Bird & Bird LLP in later 2018.

EU and competition Tier 3

As recognised by the market, Pinsent Masons LLP’s competition, EU and trade department has ‘outstanding’ expertise in the consumer protection space, which makes it a suitable destination for multinational companies active across a number of industries, including technology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and retail. Notably, the group receives instructions from high-profile clients in the financial services and insurance sectors. On the merger control side notable work highlights include advising Post Office on its acquisition of Payzone, as well as handling the £14.6bn acquisition of Discovery by client UKTV, a joint venture formed by BBC Worldwide and Scripps. ‘Clear thinker’ Alan Davis serves as head of the practice, where Angelique Bret and Guy Lougher are also noted. The team is experiencing growth at senior level, as Taylor Wessing LLP’s former department head Robert Vidal joined in May 2019.

International arbitration Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP is 'notable for its breadth of expertise and experience in international arbitration, as well as its efficient case management'. The international arbitration practice fields specialists in the energy, infrastructure, technology and financial services sectors. Mark Roe is international arbitration head and Michael Fenn is London litigation and regulatory head; other experienced practitioners are Katharine Davies, Jason Hambury, Alistair Calvert, Gurmukh Riyat and Jean-François Le Gal. The senior associates to note are Clea Bigelow-Nuttall, Daniel Gardiner and Cécile Tangy, while construction disputes senior associate Richard Ashmore joined from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.

Licensing Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP covers the full range of licensing work. The firm is known for its UK-wide work in the restaurant, hotel and retail sectors. Legal director Audrey Ferrie heads the team and has expertise in liquor and civic government licensing, where she represents companies in the leisure and hospitality industry. Associate Christopher Rees-Gay  has experience handling contentious and non-contentious alcohol licensing issues.

Mining and minerals Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP continues to build upon its traditional strengths in the fields of construction and planning, translating its relationships into an enviable contractor client base and expanding its mining offering. Recently, the group has been advising on major UK-based projects, such as its work for Sirius Minerals subsidiary York Potash on the lease of land for storage facilities with Redcar Bulk Terminal. This facet of the practice has been bolstered by the arrival of construction specialist John Woolley from Dentons. The firm is also building up a record of regulatory mandates in the emerging markets of Africa.

Product liability: defendant Tier 3

The team at Pinsent Masons LLP handles the full gamut of product liability matters, ranging from advice on product compliance and regulatory requirements to product recall and the defence of claims. It also has a good technical understanding of numerous industry sectors, including food and drink, retail and medical products. Andrew Masterson leads the national team and is regularly instructed in defence and costs recovery claims. Jacqueline Harris in Edinburgh is an expert in medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Leeds-based legal director Louise Nahon is also noted.

Professional negligence Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP is instructed on professional negligence disputes by claimants and defendants. It is particularly noted for its expertise in cases across the financial services and legal sectors and it is also active on complex pensions-related professional negligence claims. Disputes involving tax, property, fraud, construction and the TMT sector are also key focuses of the team. Its international presence is particularly utilised in the construction sector, where it handles claims covering multiple jurisdictions, and the London team is also able to draw on its resources throughout the UK. Newly promoted partner Michael Fletcher is leading advice for James Goddard-Watts, one of the founders of the Screwfix DIY chain, on a £6.35m claim for professional negligence against his former solicitors, Burges Salmon LLP, and his accountants, Dixon Walsh, following the re-opening of his divorce which had originally concluded in 2010. Isabel Nurse-Marsh  is 'outstanding' on pensions-related disputes.

Property finance Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP is known for its strong lender-side client base, which includes traditional clearing banks, German mortgage banks and specialist real estate lenders, as well as an increasing number of US lenders and Middle Eastern banks. The team advises on acquisition and development finance, loan portfolio purchases, and the restructuring of real estate finance transactions, and is highly active in the hotel financing space. The ‘highly rated‘ William Oliver leads the practice, while Frances Mallender advises on financing for a range of asset classes, including hotels, student accommodation and healthcare facilities.

Regulatory investigations and corporate crime Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP's team is lead by Tom Stocker, who splits his time between Edinburgh and London and has experience of large-scale investigations and also provides crisis management advice. The practice advises on a range of work from matters relating to the Bribery Act to money laundering, modern slavery and enforcement and compliance issues. It is experienced in dealing with investigations brought by the SFO and Information Commissioner's Office. The multidisciplinary team is made up of specialist criminal lawyers, investigative lawyers and forensic accountants. It includes criminal defence specialist partner Neil McInnes , who relocated back to London from Singapore, David Hamilton , who joined as senior associate from Stephenson Harwood and Alex White , who joined as an associate from the CPS. Anne-Marie Ottaway and Barry Vitou left the firm for Greenberg Traurig, LLP .

Social housing: local authorities and registered providers Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP's national team undertakes a significant amount of work for London-based local authorities in relation to major housing regeneration schemes in the city. Practice head Anne Bowden, legal director Nick McDonald and senior associate Amy Walker are part of a team acting for Westminster City Council on a flagship 1,750-home housing regeneration project at Church Street. In another matter, Scot Morrison and others assisted the London Borough of Wandsworth with setting up a joint venture with Taylor Wimpey to deliver an innovative 2,000-home regeneration scheme at the Winstanley and York Road Estates near Clapham Junction Station. The firm is also involved in the Earls Court regeneration scheme, which is currently the largest housing scheme in London. Elsewhere, the firm is one of only seven to serve as legal advisers on Homes England's programme panel, with the group assisting the client with projects nationwide. David Meecham and Caroline Ramsay are among other notable individuals in the team.

Structured products and securitisation Tier 3

The structured finance group at Pinsent Masons LLP works across its network of UK offices, in addition to its London hub, and handles syndicated lending, real estate finance, acquisition and leveraged finance, asset-based lending, social housing finance, securitisations and debt capital markets work. Edward Sunderland leads the practice, which hired partner Carl Posern from Linklaters LLP, whose work includes cash and synthetic securitisations, and senior consultant Ian Falconer from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, who has been active in the UK securitisation market since its inception. The practice is lender-focused and is on the legal panels of all of the main UK clearing banks. For one bank, it handled several several asset-backed commercial paper transactions in 2018, both new deals and restructurings, and its securitisation team frequently advises arrangers and originators on term and conduit deals. Roberta Markovina, formerly of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, has added US securities capability to the practice.

Water Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP's London office boasts substantial expertise on the construction front, and head of construction advisory and disputes Neal Morris advised a joint venture of leading UK contractors in connection with the procurement of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. The environmental law team is led from Manchester by Claire Gregory. Former practice head Adrian Eakin moved to Riyadh for a new role at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Centre for Privatisation.

Art and cultural property Tier 4

Pinsent Masons LLP fields an excellent team that advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals, royal family members, art foundations and cultural institutions, as well as artists and government bodies on all aspects of their collections. The practice is also adept at advising on the loaning of art for discrete and large scale exhibitions and on loan agreements with major international museums. Richard Hart often advises clients on how to structure their collections and on their philanthropic endeavours through cultural foundations.

Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans Tier 4

Led out of London by Martin Bishop  and aided by a strong regional offering, Pinsent Masons LLP has 'good depth' and the ability to provide a cost-effective service to UK clearing banks on syndicated lending facilities to many large listed corporates. Bishop has a particularly strong and longstanding relationship with HSBC, which he advises across a range of transaction types and sectors, and Liam Terry has a flourishing reputation in the corporate lending market.

Contentious trusts and probate Tier 4

Pinsent Masons LLP fields a well-resourced team that handles the full range of private client disputes for ultra-wealthy families and individuals as well as their corporate entities and family offices. Other significant clients include leading trust companies and corporate service providers. Its client base is strongly international. It has worked with clients from the Middle East, the US, Russia and for aristocratic families and individuals from the crown dependencies and from overseas territories. Head of team Michael Pulford’s main area of expertise is in trust litigation as well as high-value international family disputes.

Corporate tax Tier 4

The team at Pinsent Masons LLP stands out for its transactional work and structuring  advice, for which it is able to provide a cross-border service via the firm's international network of offices, as well as a strong transfer pricing practice. The team is led by Eloise Walker, who often works closely with the German tax team advising UK investors on tax issues across the EU. Following the retirement of John Christian in 2018, the group was joined by dual-qualified lawyer and chartered tax adviser Peter Morley from Squire Patton Boggs and real estate tax expert Richard Croker from CMS

Debt capital markets Tier 4

Pinsent Masons LLP operates a full-service banking practice that handles syndicated lending, real estate finance, acquisition and leveraged finance, asset-based lending, social housing finance, securitisation and debt capital markets work. It advises arrangers and issuers on public and private deals, and is a recognised leader in privately placed bond deals in the social housing space. Practice head Edward Sunderland covers EMTN programmes, private placements, listed bonds and commercial paper financing. Legal director Alexis Hayworth, who joined from Allen & Overy LLP, has a particular focus on social housing bond finance, on which he frequently advises lead managers, issuers and corporate trustees. Stephen Tobin leads on energy and infrastructure finance. The London office now has US law capability following the arrival of partner Roberta Markovina from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.

Family Tier 4

Pinsent Masons LLP has a small but full service family law team that predominantly advises clients who are high-profile and high-net-worth international individuals. These clients are mainly businessmen, celebrities and royalty who have substantial assets often located in a number of countries and held under complex corporate or trust structures. The vast majority of its clients are resident but non-domiciled or non-resident and domiciled in the UK. The practice under the leadership of Michael Pulford has a particular niche in Russian and Middle Eastern family work. Pulford is known for his work on complicated financial remedy litigation.

Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory Tier 4

Pinsent Masons LLP’s non-contentious practice covers a range of matters ranging from Brexit and fintech to consolidation and regulatory change projects. The firm also has notable expertise in the asset management and payments spaces. David Heffron leads the team and has a particular focus on regulatory and transactional work for regulated businesses including insurers, wealth managers, banks and brokers. Examples of its work include advising UK investment platform provider AJ Bell on the financial regulatory issues of its £500m IPO and listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Colin Read leads a contentious offering made up of experienced white collar and corporate criminal defence practitioners. The group has a particular speciality for advising on legacy PPI difficulties. Andrew Barber joined from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP in 2019 and focuses on retail banking and consumer finance. Bruno Geiringer retired in 2018 while payments specialist Tony Anderson left for Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP .

Insurance and reinsurance litigation Tier 4

At Pinsent Masons LLP, practice head Nick Bradley  covers a wide range of insurance and reinsurance disputes including construction claims. Colin Read focuses on the financial services sector, while Ian Birdsey is an expert in cyber and data breach insurance.

Intellectual property Tier 4

Pinsent Masons LLP is instructed in contentious and transactional matters with a particular strength in life sciences work and further experience in the technology, media, telecoms, financial services and retail sectors. Practice head Clare Tunstall is 'impressive in patent litigation, particularly for generics pharmaceutical companies', while Iain Connor leads the soft IP team, which specialises in software copyright disputes. Charlotte Weekes and Deborah Bould handle patent disputes in the life sciences and technology sectors respectively; Catherine Drew is a life sciences patent and regulatory expert, and Florian Traub focuses on trade mark and brand protection matters. The team has added life sciences patent attorney capabilities with the addition of legal director Nick Finnie who joined from Novartis.

Acquisition finance Tier 5

Led by Martin Bishop,  Pinsent Masons LLP's 'highly experienced and knowledgeable' banking team has a strong presence in the mid-market for clearing banks and private equity sponsors, both out of London and regionally from its Manchester and Leeds offices. The team is praised for its 'excellent understanding of the leveraged finance environment and ability to handle complex matters'.

Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5

Pinsent Masons LLP's 'extremely sound and measured team' regularly advises major banks on high-profile litigation, including cross-border disputes, indirect taxation matters involving banking clients, and major claims against banks. It has also built a robust capital markets and derivatives litigation practice. Stuart McNeill, Edinburgh-based Jim Cormack, and legal director Mike Hawthorne are the principal advisers.

Corporate restructuring & insolvency Tier 5

'Capable of turning their hand to anything', Pinsent Masons LLP's five-partner team provides 'responsive and cost-effective advice' to banks, funds and insolvency practitioners. Under the stewardship of the 'very experienced and capable' Nick Pike , the team is particularly strong within the domestic mid-market and handles a tremendous volume of work for debtors and creditors within core areas of sector focus, including retail and leisure and construction. The 'exceptional' Steven Cottee is a key member of the team and is noted for his expertise at handling law firm administrations.

Financial services: contentious Tier 5

Pinsent Masons LLP’s financial services team covers both contentious and non-contentious matters for clients. The non-contentious practice handles a range of matters from Brexit and fintech to consolidation and regulatory change projects. The firm also has notable expertise in the asset management and payments spaces. David Heffron leads the team and has a particular focus on regulatory and transactional work for businesses including insurers, wealth managers, banks and brokers. Colin Read leads a contentious offering made up of experienced white collar and corporate crime defence practitioners. The group has a particular speciality for advising on legacy PPI difficulties. Andrew Barber joined from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP in 2019 and focuses on retail banking and consumer finance. Bruno Geiringer retired in 2018 and Tony Anderson left for Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP in 2019.

Banking and finance Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP handles some of the region's largest corporate, real estate and acquisition finance transactions for lender and borrower clients, and also assists with securitisation and capital markets work. Team head Philip Scott is 'always good to deal with' and focuses on M&A funding and property finance work; newly promoted partner Matthew Clayton-Stead and legal director Sean Houlihan are also key names to note.

Banking and finance Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP provides 'consistently excellent service' with regards to corporate lending, syndicated lending, real estate finance, acquisition and leveraged finance, social housing finance, securitisation and debt capital markets work. The practice is also noted for its expertise in asset-based lending transactions. David Doogan leads the practice, while legal director Esther Parkes is also well-regarded.

Banking and finance Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is active across real estate finance, corporate lending, acquisition finance, public sector lending, debt capital markets, asset based lending and education finance mandates. The team acts for a raft of major banks, public sector bodies, sponsors and borrowers on complex domestic and international transactions. Team head Matthew Morgan acts for lenders and borrowers on real estate finance, corporate finance and acquisition finance mandates, while Samantha Rollason is experienced in advising on the restructuring of UK and international real estate transactions and UK and overseas real estate funds, and Tim Fearn specialises in corporate finance, acquisition finance and asset based lending. Senior associate Sarah Jay and legal director Pippa Whitmore are also noted.

Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's growing national team is led by property head Jonathan Riley and property development and investment head Richard Daffern. The practice advises key regional developers, taking lead roles on high-profile housing and regeneration projects. Universities and higher education head Victoria Goddard advises universities on accommodation projects, campus redevelopment and estate matters, while other notable names include Stephen Glass, who has investor and residential expertise, and Natalie Harris, who acts for clients including investors, developers and public authorities.

Construction Tier 1

At Pinsent Masons LLP, litigator Simon Plunkett heads up the construction advisory and disputes group while Melanie Grimmitt leads the finance and projects practice. The group excels in the energy and infrastructure sectors at a national and international level and primarily acts on the supplier side of matters. Mark Harris is the key contact for energy sector infrastructure projects internationally, Stacey Collins handles transactional work, John Williams is experienced in the rail, power and highway sectors, while senior associate Naomi Stafford focuses on contentious issues.

Construction Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is active across a raft of complex transactional and contentious construction mandates in the UK and internationally. It is active across real estate development and regeneration work and it operates across the nuclear, conventional power, offshore wind, energy from waste, rail, roads, education and health sectors. Graham Alty heads the transactional construction and projects team and Michael Hopkins leads on construction advisory and disputes work. Anthony Bradley specialises in major construction and infrastructure projects, Mark Job heads the national transactional team and Katherine Sneddon handles contentious construction work. Legal directors Siân Hughes, who is 'first-rate', and Ian Fairclough are also noted, as is senior associate Arwyn Jones.

Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP has a varied client roster of domestic and international companies; practice head Andrew Black counts several large publicly listed companies based in the region as clients, and the 'well-regarded' Andrew Kerr has strong links with clients in Japan and Asia. The team frequently acts across the infrastructure,  manufacturing, technology, and real estate sectors, while senior associate Joanna Jowitt has a particular focus on the financial services and waste management sectors. The commercial team, which is headed up by Lisa Harley, is carving a niche in advising its education sector clients on digital and IT transformation projects.

Corporate and commercial: Manchester Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is adept at representing large corporates on strategic M&A and equity capital markets deals, as well as focusing on private equity, where it works with many buyout houses and management teams . On the commercial side the firm advises on supply chain management, franchising, advertising, agency, distribution, outsourcing, logistics, managed services, licensing, data protection and compliance. Key client sectors include manufacturing, technology and energy. Gregg Davison and Samantha Livesey head the team, with support from Helen Ridge, Kieran Toal and Amie Norris who was recently promoted to partner. Senior associate Alasdair Weir is also recommended.

Corporate tax Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's practice has extensive experience assisting clients with a range of property tax matters, including tax structuring, property investments, property joint ventures and funds, as well as handling mid-market M&A, share plan and incentives work and assisting private equity clients. Peter Morley joined the team from Squire Patton Boggs and leads the practice following John Christian's retirement; he has a breadth of experience across business tax with a focus on M&A transactions, restructurings and IPOs. Associate Andrew McCarthy acts for a number of private equity clients, with expertise in the dental and care home sectors, and also handles real estate-related work for local authorities, funds, investors and universities.

Corporate tax Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP advises on general tax issues, disputes and interventions, share plans and incentives, M&A-related tax, compliance, criminal tax offences and cross-border tax issues. Clients include major corporates, high-net-worth individuals and family offices. Lynette Jacobs heads the team from Manchester with support from Steven Porter who advises on both contentious and non-contentious tax matters, specialising in tax investigations. The team also works with Pinsents' network of offices across the UK.

Education Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP stands out for its advice to higher education providers, counting more than 70 universities as clients. The team handles the full spectrum of issues including the creation and registration of new providers, development and restructuring, staff issues, student accommodation, data protection and regulatory matters, and also leverages the firm's global network to assist with matters extending to other jurisdictions around the world. Victoria Goddard leads the practice and specialises in student accommodation projects, Julian Sladdin heads up the university litigation team and senior associate Rebecca McCall handles corporate governance and compliance matters.

Employment Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP fields a large team, whose expertise spans the energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and university sectors, among others. Birmingham team head Jonathan Coley is recommended for his knowledge of the enforcement of restrictive covenants. The national head of the employment and reward team is Linda Jones. Another name to note is Helen Corden, who is active in the education and TMT sectors. Senior associate Rebecca Stephen is recommended for her work with clients in the higher education and financial sectors.

Energy Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's Leeds-based group leads on national energy projects and fields two distinct transactional and advisory and disputes teams. Notable areas of expertise include conventional power, renewable and alternative energy, oil and gas, nuclear and construction-related matters. Team head and construction lawyer Melanie Grimmitt handles major energy projects in the UK and the Middle East, Stacey Collins focuses on transactional matters, Mark Harris is an expert in infrastructure work, Jon Riley assists with planning work and John Bruce is a specialist in waste-to-energy matters.

Energy Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a raft of national and international projects in the energy sector and acts for large energy organisations, public sector clients, owners, developers, operators, funders and utilities clients. The nuclear, thermal power, oil and gas, biomass, solar and wind, waste management and mining sectors are key areas of focus for the team. Graham Alty  heads the transactional construction team in Manchester and  Mark Job leads the transactional construction and engineering team in the UK. Legal directors Ian Fairclough, who is experienced in nuclear, conventional energy and renewables projects, and Sian Hughes, who handles disputes, are also noted.

Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire

Employment: Hull and East Yorkshire

Health and safety Tier 1

Kevin Bridges leads the health and safety team at Pinsent Masons LLP, which acts for major players in high hazard industries including construction, waste, manufacturing and energy. Bridges, who is also qualified as a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner and member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, has wide-ranging experience, while senior associate Zoe Betts has a particular focus on the waste sector. Associate Emma Evans handles, among other things, manslaughter investigations, inquests and challenges to enforcement notices.

Health and safety Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's Birmingham team, which is part of a wider UK group, acts for many leading industry players in high hazard areas, such as construction, waste, manufacturing and energy. A key feature of the practice is that the team often undertakes its own advocacy, rather than instructing external counsel. Practice head Sean Elson, who has specialised in health and safety for nearly 15 years, has a wealth of experience representing clients in coroners’ inquests and investigations by the HSE. Another cornerstone of the firm's offering involves advising clients on health and safety preventative measures, compliance-related issues and stress tests.

Infrastructure Tier 1

The infrastructure group at Pinsent Masons LLP's Leeds office handles matters from a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, energy and construction, as well as the public sector. Kate Orviss leads the firm's global healthcare projects team and handles major projects, financings and social infrastructure matters; John Bruce specialises in energy and infrastructure projects with notable expertise in energy-from-waste issues; and Stacey Collins handles construction and engineering-related mandates.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP is one of the top firms in the West Midlands for insolvency and lending work. Led by 'great lawyer' Amy Flavell, the team advises banks and insolvency practitioners and on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious issues. Specific sector expertise includes education, automotive, retail and energy. Samantha Palmer joined from Ashfords LLP in June 2018 while senior associate Stuart Taylor joined in May 2018 from Shakespeare Martineau LLP.

IT and telecoms Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's ‘highly proactive and efficient’ team advises top clients on a range of matters relating to IT procurements, outsourcing, cloud computing and online trading. Other areas of expertise GDPR, breach notification and remediation work, which the firm is seeing an increasing amount of instructions for. Clients include both public and private businesses in the tech and retail spaces. Samantha Livesey co-heads the team and focuses on IT, digital and IP matters. Claire Edwards also co-heads the team and specialises in major IT, technology and data protection matters.

Local government Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP  in Manchester is best known for its ability to advise on a range of issues for local government clients including cutting-edge developments in PPP policy in regeneration and social housing, alternative service models, alternative investment models and infrastructure funds in the region and beyond. The team also offers planning advice and is regularly engaged on housing, development and regeneration schemes. Team head Scot Morrison has a 'wealth of experience' and is noted for his experience in joint venture structuring; he is ably supported by Helen Robinson on public-private partnership transactions.

Local government Tier 1

The local government team at Pinsent Masons LLP advises on development and construction matters, with key strengths including advising local authorities on public-private partnerships, procurement and land swaps relating to regeneration works, housing projects, recycling facilities, commercial developments and leisure. Didar Dhillon is an 'insightful' expert in this sector and is often supported by David Meecham .

Pensions Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's pensions and long-term savings group handles contentious and non-contentious mandates for its client roster, which includes a range of large long-standing schemes, major trusts and financial services firms. Practice head Jacqui Timmins specialises in traditional pension law and defined benefits schemes, while the 'experienced, pragmatic and commercial' Tom Barton heads up the team's defined contribution practice. Andrew Masterson and Julian Sladdin are key names to note for pensions litigation.

Pensions Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP has a full–service offering, which covers a diverse range of matters, such as master trusts and occupational pension schemes. The firm is highly active in corporate advisory and public sector work, with the firm advising both employers and trustees (from a variety of industries), as well as national and international insurers. It also has a solid base of occupational scheme work, as well as a significant pension provider practice, and a top-notch pensions litigation practice. Nick Stones and Simon Laight are key figures.

Pensions Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's pension department advises in relation to some of the largest pension schemes in the country with significant experience of scheme restructuring, funding and security projects. The team also has substantial capability in pensions litigation, helping clients with investigations by The Pensions Regulator or the Pensions Ombudsman. The team's client base includes financial institutions and pension providers, as well as pension schemes and their employers. Stephen Scholefield leads the department; litigator Hayley Goldstone was promoted to partner in May 2018 and senior associate Robert Tellwright is also recommended.

Planning Tier 1

Jonathan Riley heads up the department at Pinsent Masons LLP, which advises on some of the biggest planning schemes across Yorkshire and other major northern cities, as well as handling nationally significant infrastructure projects, urban extensions and compulsory purchase orders. Riley is also a key name for transport matters. Legal director Nick McDonald handles development and infrastructure projects and legal director Jo Miles focuses on residential and mixed-use developments.

Planning and environment Tier 1

Project finance and PFI Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a range of national and international development, construction and infrastructure projects and is particularly noted for its experience in energy, waste, transport, health, education and real estate projects. The team is adept at handling joint ventures, PPP and PFI work across a range of sectors. Graham Alty heads the firm's nuclear practice and Scot Morrison is noted for transactional work.

Property litigation Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP's expertise spans the full spectrum of property litigation work including dilapidations, lease renewals, tenant defaults, judicial reviews, easements, trespass work and town and village green matters. Team head Matthew Baker is a expert in the right to light and assisted the Law Commission with a review of the law in this area. Other key practitioners include senior associate Nicola Charlton, who handles rights to light and landlord and tenant disputes.

Social housing Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP regularly advises on complex national housing renewal schemes and has notable expertise in social housing PFI work, finance issues and London housing zone matters. Clients encompass national housing associations, local authorities and government departments. Group leader Anne Bowden acts nationally for housing clients with significant experience in London housing schemes, legal director Nick McDonald has specialist expertise in site assembly and vacant possession matters, and Stephen Glass counts housebuilders and developers as clients.

Sport Tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP advises both national and international sports clients on a broad range of matters, covering investment, disputes, construction, planning and technology. Clients include governing bodies, sponsors, venues, teams, major events, funders, broadcasters and high-net-worth individuals. Julian Diaz-Rainey heads the team and focuses on dispute resolution, commercial and regulatory matters. Senior associate Andrew Mitchell specialises in contentious sports matters. Jo Seed is also recommended.

Commercial litigation: Birmingham Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's broad commercial litigation practice is notably strong in cases involving professional negligence, contract breaches and civil fraud. Jim Richards leads the team, while other key figures include legal director Jason Kirwin, who is heavily involved in the retail and manufacturing sectors; Jonathan Fortnam, who has a focus on the finance and energy sectors; civil fraud expert Andrew Herring ; and legal director Faye Moore, who acts on contract and warranty breaches.

Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a broad range of contractual and tortious disputes, particularly in the manufacturing, engineering and chemicals, technology and outsourcing and higher education sectors. Practice head Andrew Masterson specialises in product liability, pensions and IT disputes, while legal director Louise Nahon is particularly strong in engineering-related cases. Pensions litigator Julian Sladdin and James McBurney, who handles a range of corporate litigation, are other names to note.

Commercial litigation: Manchester Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's practice advises an impressive roster of clients on high-value disputes, with the Manchester team leading on major international matters backed up by the firm's 24 offices around the world. The northwest practice is notable in that it offers a 'search and seizure' practice, which has attracted a number of referrals from leading law firms. ‘Fantastic team leader and a stand-out litigator’ Julian Diaz-Rainey heads the team; he advises on commercial disputes, company disputes and trust litigation, while senior associates Andrew Mitchell and Jo Seed are also well-regarded.

Commercial property: Birmingham Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP has a strong track record of residential development work for investors, developers and public bodies. The practice also stands out for its experience in the healthcare and public sectors, as well as for advising insolvency practitioners on real estate-related matters. Tom Johnson heads the team and handles a wide range of commercial and residential development work, while the 'very good' Tom Eastwood focuses on healthcare transactions and Carl Scott handles insolvency work.

Corporate and commercial: Birmingham Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's Birmingham team has a particularly international focus, with a notable skillset in private equity, M&A and capital market transactions. In terms of sector focus, prominent industries for the team include energy, technology, healthcare and manufacturing. Nicole Livesey  heads up the corporate department and is highly involved in the advanced manufacturing sector. Public sector specialist  Clare Francis  leads the commercial side and is notably skilled in advising on Brexit-related issues. Andrew Hornigold  is another name of note, and is heavily involved in corporate issues surrounding the technology sector.

Education Tier 2

The 'brilliant' team at Pinsent Masons LLP is regularly involved in a range of planning, environmental, projects, construction, finance and employment mandates for higher education clients. Development, planning and environmental specialist Michael Pocock advises on large and complex development projects for clients in the university and higher education sector and legal director Pippa Whitmore leads the firm's education finance bank lending practice and focuses on lending to education institutions.

Education Tier 2

Well-respected for its work in the higher education sector, Pinsent Masons LLP is instructed by universities and colleges on commercial, regulatory, governance, charity and employment matters. Gayle Ditchburn, who heads the team, stands out for her regulatory, structuring and governance expertise; Helen Corden specialises in employment law and handles restructurings and redundancies linked to the pressure to cut costs as well as staff status issues. Charity head Chris Thomas acts for higher education clients on charity-related governance matters and issues relating to joint venture structuring and the acceptance of gifts.

Employment Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's employment team - which is led by Neil Black, who is known for his work for food and drink clients - has expertise in large-scale reorganisations and restructurings, minimum wage enforcement and matters relating to the gender pay gap, industrial relations, TUPE and outsourcing. The team serves local, national and international clients including large bluechip corporates.

Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's practice covers a broad range of employment work, with the Leeds team including the firm's national leads for sectors including financial services, retail and sport. The practice, which also boasts expertise in Employment Tribunal matters and industrial relations, has continued to build on the 2017 acquisition of diversity and inclusion consultancy Brook Graham, a deal which added a new string to the firm's bow. Leeds employment and reward head head Jon Fisher has overseen the practice's recent growth, while also serving as relationship partner for a number of key insurance and retail clients.

Energy Tier 2

Noted for its real estate expertise, Pinsent Masons LLP has a strong track record of work in energy and infrastructure projects as well as real estate transactions, spanning wind, waste-to-energy and battery storage matters. The team's client roster includes national and international clients in the public and private sector, often in relation to PPPs.

Environment Tier 2

Following the departure of former team head Helen Peters - who left at the beginning of 2019 to join a close nuclear client of the firm - key contacts in Pinsent Masons LLP's Leeds office now include legal director Louise Nahon, who handles environment disputes; Jonathan Riley, who focuses on planning work; and corporate partner Andrew Kerr, who assists with transactional matters. On a national level, the team is notably strong in the nuclear, energy, manufacturing and real estate sectors, acting on permitting work, contaminated land issues, waste management, chemical matters, projects advice and carbon trading work.

Health Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP focuses on providing non-contentious corporate and commercial advice to private healthcare clients and investors. Practice head Joanne Ellis handles real estate and corporate transactions including acquisitions of dental practices, sale of care home portfolios and the negotiation of partnerships. She is often supported by director Tom Eastwood on real estate transactions.

Health and safety Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's health and safety and risk advisory practice specialises in advising large retail and food sector clients on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. The Leeds-based team, which includes regulatory lawyer Simon Tingle, works with well-known national and international businesses on strategic advice and in prosecutions.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP is on the panels of four of the UK's largest clearing banks and also counts asset-based lenders, insolvency practitioners, corporates, directors, private equity houses and distressed investors as clients. The firm's team - which has notable expertise in advising distressed law firms - is led by Richard Tripp, who handles corporate recovery and restructuring, with legal director Dawn Allen also a key restructuring contact.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP is adept at handling complex regional and national restructuring and administrations, and its client-base spans a range of banks, asset based lenders, major corporates, directors, private equity houses, distressed investors, pension trustees and public sector bodies. The pensions and charity sectors are key areas of focus for the experienced Manchester-based team which is headed by James Cameron.

Intellectual property Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP has a strong presence in the retail, manufacturing and education sectors, supporting an impressive roster of clients - including a number of high-profile engineering and manufacturing companies - on cross-border transactions and litigation. The team is led by the 'outstanding' and 'exceptionally committed' Cerys Wyn Davies, while director Jo Alderson is highly regarded for her technical excellence in M&A and private equity transactions. Legal director Tom Nener joined from HGF Law in June 2019.

Intellectual property Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP has a particular focus on the life sciences, TMT and retail sectors for soft IP. Other client sectors include construction, IT, financial services, media and entertainment and consumer. Areas of expertise include brand reputation and development, portfolio management, patent procurement strategies, design right protection, unfair competition, breach of confidence actions, patent litigation and GDPR. Samantha Livesey heads the team and focuses on IP, IT, digital and data matters.

IT and telecoms Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's practice has a strong focus on the manufacturing sector, working with both international and national clients in the technology and retail fields. Andrew Hornigold co-heads the practice while also handling major M&A work for key technology clients, working alongside Birmingham commercial head Clare Francis, who acts for both private and public sector clients.

Local government Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's Leeds-based group forms part of the wider firm's expansive local government team, which is one of the largest in the UK, with a client roster of more than 160 local authorities. The practice handles real estate, regulatory, governance, education, energy and contentious issues at a local and national level, with a strong focus on property and development work. Anne Bowden heads up the national practice and regularly handles regeneration schemes, Jonathan Riley is the key contact for planning work and Nick McDonald focuses on planning, regeneration and compulsory purchase orders.

Planning Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP recently brought in a new local team head with the hire of former Ashurst partner Lucy Thomas, who handles large-scale regeneration schemes. The practice has outstanding expertise in advising local authorities on infrastructure and housing development matters, often working in collaboration with the London office, and also acts for developers on residential projects. Director Heidi Slater, who has 'an infinite capacity for sustained hard work', is well-regarded for her infrastructure work and also specialises in compulsory purchase and acquisition matters.

Project finance and PFI Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP has expertise in handling work relating to PPPs in the waste sector, contracting arrangements in the rail market, alternative funding sources and development projects. Practice head Didar Dhillon, who specialises in PPP projects across the energy and waste sectors, works alongside Nigel Blundell, who leads much of the practice's most important work, as well as senior associates Gemma Glasspole and Oliver Mangiapane.

Property litigation Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP is instructed by investors, developers and occupiers on a range of landlord and tenant disputes and development issues. Its sector expertise is wide, and it spans the financial services, agriculture, housing and development, utilities, infrastructure, leisure, energy, retail and education sectors. The team has specialist knowledge of rights to light, electronic communications, tresspass, professional negligence, judicial review and vacant possession cases. Michael Smith  has transferred from Leeds to Manchester to lead the local property disputes team. Senior associate Stuart McCann is experienced in the application of non-domestic business rates and agricultural law. Associate Patricia Mellody is also a key figure.

Property litigation Tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP's diverse client base includes investment funds, local authorities, energy providers, waste operators, universities and housing associations, and the practice is well-regarded for its expertise in the telecoms, energy and waste sectors. The team also provides comprehensive advice on landlord and tenant issues such as break clauses, rent reviews and land ownership, as well as on development, regeneration and transactional disputes. The highly regarded Alicia Foo has broad expertise in all types of property disputes, while the 'outstanding' senior associate Craig Downhill is frequently involved in development and insolvency cases.

Social housing Tier 2

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP is well-known for providing specialist charity law advice to universities, as well as assisting commercial clients with the establishment of corporate foundations. It also acts for major insurance companies on their entering into ‘affinity’ arrangements with charities, and also generates work from local government charities. Legal director Chris Thomas is the name to note.

Commercial property: Manchester Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a raft of complex, high-profile development and regeneration projects including investment work, and regularly acts for international investors. The firm also advises on public and private sector developments and joint venture projects, and advises on residential development projects. The hotels, leisure, logistics, energy and infrastructure sectors are key areas of focus, and the team also handles real estate finance mandates. Team head Jonathan Brocklehurst specialises in tax efficient funding structures and is experienced in complex promotion agreements, site assembly and regeneration projects. Helen Robinson, legal director Matthew Rowlands and senior associate David Herbert are also noted.

Construction Tier 3

The Birmingham team at Pinsent Masons LLP, which focuses on non-contentious work, is led by Nigel Blundell, who has advised a number of contractors on issues relating to the collapse of Carillion. The team acts for an impressive range of public and private sector clients, including some of the best-known names in the property and infrastructure sphere, and works in tandem with the firm's market-leading lawyers across the UK on major matters.

Intellectual property Tier 3

The intellectual property team at Pinsent Masons LLP assists clients with a range of non-contentious and strategic advice. Legal director Louise Fullwood heads up the practice and focuses on matters with a science and technology component.

IT and telecoms Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP's IT team frequently acts for national and multinational clients on a range of commercial matters and disputes. The group is instructed by companies investing in IT and service providers, and has particular experience in the edtech sector. Andrew Masterson and legal director Lisa Harley jointly head up the practice and focus on contentious and non-contentious work respectively. James McBurney has experience handling a range of IT and telecoms disputes.

Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP’s focus is on trusts in a commercial context. The team acts for insurance companies, banks, pension providers and government agencies on all types of trusts that are used in commercial transactions, such as funeral trusts and insolvency customer monies trusts. It also has considerable strength in tax-specific trusts, particularly those that are linked to employment and reward structures. Chris Thomas is a key contact.

Social housing Tier 4

At Pinsent Masons LLP, the team led by David Meecham stands out for its expertise in housing development work for local authorities and charities, and regularly acts on land acquisitions, planning, construction, procurement and regeneration matters. Homes England is a key client of the practice.