Firm Profile > Mills & Reeve LLP > Birmingham, England

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has longstanding relationships with some of the UK’s biggest charities. It is noted for its particular experience of working with health, education and research charities. It also has considerable strength in sport-based charities. Principal associate Adam Williams, who leads the Birmingham charities practice, has experience across all areas of charity law, governance and philanthropy. Another principal associate  Lucy Howard, who recently relocated to the Birmingham office, manages contested legacy cases.

Education Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP, one of the most respected firms for work in the education sector, has recently been particularly busy advising universities and further education colleges on real estate matters such as transactions, developments and landlord and tenant issues. Christian Bull covers all real estate work in the education sector, often supported by principal associate Robbie Turner, while Stuart Pemble specialises in construction work. Other areas of expertise for the firm include The Higher Education & Research Act, the implications of Brexit, GDPR, and  employment and commercial matters, which are handled by Tim Winn and Midlands education sector head Nick Abbott.

Family: Birmingham Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP's team head Marc Saunderson primarily undertakes high net worth financial remedy matters, with the vast majority of cases falling in the £1m-£10m bracket. The group overall places a real emphasis on focusing on out of court settlements, but is also adept in assisting clients with litigation, where necessary. It has increasingly been advising on pre- and post-nuptial agreements. In addition to undertaking complex and high value financial cases, the team also has considerable expertise in national and international children matters.

Health Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP's diverse client roster includes NHS hospitals, commissioners, trade unions and independent providers. Key strengths of the practice lie in employment, commercial and contentious matters. Jill Mason, who leads the team, has broad expertise, while employment expert Jog Hundle handles mergers, race and disability discrimination claims, union claims and unfair dismissal cases, while 'very strong lawyer' Rhian Vandrill leads the commercial health practice.

Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP provides the full range of estate planning and wealth structuring advice to business owners (particularly family businesses), wealthy individuals, families and landed estates. It is increasingly active in the creation of family investment companies, and also advises on international estate planning and wealth structuring for families with properties and businesses abroad. Matthew Hansell and John Grundy are highly regarded.

Professional negligence Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP is a first port of call for many clients in the professional indemnity insurance market. It handles multimillion pound claims involving brokers, construction professionals, financial lines and loss adjusters, among others. The team includes Angus Turner, who specialises in solicitors' negligence claims, and Neil Frankland, who focuses on construction and insurance brokers negligence claims. The other key partner is David Gooding, whose expertise includes claims against accountants and independent financial advisers, as well as more general coverage issues.

Sport Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP advises clients across a wide range of sporting disciplines, including gambling, football, golf and tennis, handling both contentious and non-contentious employment, corporate and regulatory matters. Team head - and former professional tennis player - Richard Santy is an employment specialist who also handles work relating to match-fixing. Phil Hutchinson, who was recently promoted to senior associate, has a particular focus on football litigation.

Commercial litigation: Birmingham Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP represents a wide range of multinational clients in commercial disputes, particularly in the automotive, manufacturing and sport sectors. Steve Allen heads the practice, supported by principal associate Anthony Minnis, who is an expert in contract and warranty breaches.

Construction Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP is highly regarded for its contentious expertise under the leadership of Martino Giaquinto, who represents clients from the energy, infrastructure, education and construction sectors in various multi-jurisdictional and national disputes relating to delay, defect and cost claims. Stuart Pemble leads on non-contentious matters, and is often instructed by universities and colleges to handle their construction projects. Principal associate Paul Slinger left to join Wright Hassall LLP in July 2018.

Corporate and commercial: Birmingham Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP 's corporate practice is led by Julian Smith , who focuses on the healthcare sector; Peter McLintock  , who is an expert in private equity; and Jayne Hussey , who specialises in  mid-market transactions, with a particular focus on the automotive sector. Also recommended is principal associate Ruth Andrew  , who specialises in commercial contracts.

Corporate tax Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP 's team covers all of the main areas of corporate tax, handling a range of local, national and international work. Working at the helm are Kevin Lowe, who predominantly focuses tax aspects of M&A transactions, banking work and company reorganisations, and Neil Pearson, who has expertise in social finance, venture capital funding and employee incentives.

Employment Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP handles all aspects of employment matters for clients across the public and private sector. The group is also adept at providing corporate support on transactions that frequently have an international dimension. Richard Santy is the sports and gaming lead on employment matters and has represented a number of high profile athletes and organisations over the past 12 months. Jog Hundle leads the 16-strong health and care sector employment team.

Banking and finance Tier 3

Led by structured and corporate finance specialist David Varnham, the banking and finance team at Mills & Reeve LLP handles refinancing, project financing, and acquisition finance matters on both the lender and borrower side. Sector specialisms include education, manufacturing, agriculture, and property development.

Contentious trusts and probate Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP's specialist contentious trust and probate team is experienced in disputes over the validity of wills, actions involving trustees and executors, claims under the Inheritance ( Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and related claims about lifetime transactions. It also acts for a number of charities in contested legacy matters. Principal associate Lucy Howard has relocated to the Birmingham office.

Health and safety Tier 3

The team at Mills & Reeve LLP, which is led by Cambridge-based Duncan Astill and Jamie Wheatley, acts for a wide range of institutional and corporate clients. It has particular expertise in the firm’s two largest sectors, namely health and education; in relation to the latter area, the group has been particularly active in advising university estates on asbestos-related incidents. The group overall is adept at advising on corporate manslaughter and health and safety prosecutions. It also advises on other matters, such as Care Quality Commission enforcements and inquests.

Intellectual property Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP's IP team has a strong focus on the automotive, technology, food and agribusiness sectors. The practice, led nationally by IP litigator Claire O’Brien, regularly advises on high-profile trade mark disputes for a number of manufacturing and education clients.

Pensions Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP demonstrates strong credentials in pensions matters connected with the automotive, agribusiness, charities/not-for-profit and education sectors. Another area of focus is on public sector pension schemes; Clare Grice is skilled at advising on the management of LGPS liabilities. In addition, the team routinely advises trustees and employers on a wide range of issues relating to occupational pensions.

Commercial property: Birmingham Tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP has particular strength in the education sector. Under the leadership of Christian Bull, the team advises universities, further education colleges and academies on development schemes and real estate transactions. Co-lead Michael Whatley focuses on advising corporate occupiers and clients in the healthcare sector on transactions and leasing.

Property litigation Tier 5

Principal associate Christopher Bartley leads the property litigation practice at Mills & Reeve LLP and has a strong track record in the education and healthcare sectors. Areas of expertise include landlord and tenant matters relating to contentious lease renewals for retailers and pension funds, maintenance of properties and dilapidations disputes, as well as breach of contract arising out of properties sales and ownership litigation.

Agriculture and estates Tier 1

At Mills & Reeve LLP, Michael Aubrey in Cambridge is joint head of the firm’s food and agribusiness sector group and has a national reputation as an expert on all areas of agricultural law. Tim Ryan in Norwich acts for landowner clients on multimillion-pound, complex collaboration, promotion, option and contribution agreements as well as in relation to general acquisitions and disposals. Amanda Tagg handles matters relating to agricultural land diversification. These three standout practitioners, backed by an experienced junior team, give the firm a prominent role in some of the largest and most complex deals nationally in the agricultural and landed estates sector.

Banking and finance Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a banking and finance practice with a truly national focus. The real estate finance group, spearheaded by leading light Laura Holdaway, acts for a broad range of lenders and borrowers including banks, debt funds, local authority and governmental bodies, property investors and developers. Acquisition finance and asset-based lending expert Zak Virgin acts for the structured and leveraged finance teams of the main UK clearing banks. Sarah Seed has a national practice for debt capital markets and private placements issuance for not-for-profit clients. William Roles is the overall head of the practice. Principal associates Matthew Howling and Frances Churchard are promising rising stars in the field.

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP acts for some of the UK's biggest charities and in 2018 it was appointed as the key adviser to the £6bn Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. The charities and social enterprise group in Cambridge is led by Neil Burton and advises on philanthropy and legacies as well as corporate, regulatory, employment and property matters. It is a key adviser to numerous religious charities, health charities, education institutions and research organisations. Finance partner Sarah Seed, whose charity fundraising practice introduced the first ever university alumni bond, plays a central role in the practice.

Commercial litigation: Cambridge Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP focuses on contract disputes, notably for technology and life science companies, and procurement challenges on public sector tenders. Commercial litigation and insolvency partner Jamie Wheatley leads the practice in Cambridge, where the firm has a deep bench of principal associates that includes Helen Prandy, who specialises in procurement disputes for a range of clients including government departments, the NHS and pharmaceutical companies; Douglas McDonald, who handles contract disputes for technology companies and life sciences companies, including and cross-border disputes; and Lino Di Lorenzo, who deals with complex commercial and insolvency litigation.

Commercial litigation: Norwich Tier 1

The broad practice at Mills & Reeve LLP handles complex and high-value regional, national and international contract disputes; corporate disputes, including board disputes, minority shareholder actions and post M&A claims for breach of warranty; fraud cases and investigations, including search and seizure and freezing orders; and the enforcement of restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations. It also has niche expertise in disputes in the food and drink sector, including matters under the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. Rachel Higgs leads the practice with clients in key sectors including food and agri-business, automotive, energy, health and education, with a focus on mid-market corporates.

Commercial property: Cambridge Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a large commercial property practice that handles regional, national and international property transactions for blue-chip clients. It has a nationally recognised specialist real estate finance team, led from Cambridge by Charles Staveley, who acts for institutional pension funds, management houses, property companies, and onshore and offshore investors. Key partner Vincenzo Maggio handles investment work and landlord and tenant matters, particularly those involving science parks. The firm's development work in the higher education sector is led by partner Michelle Cookson, while Christine De Ferrars Green handles large development projects for clients such as Urban&Civic and Keepmoat Homes. Nick Finlayson-Brown, who is now head of the Cambridge office, Richard Noble and Tim Allsop are also key partners in the practice.

Commercial property: Norwich Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a large real estate practice that handles regional, national and international work. Its work encompasses development projects, landlord and tenant matters, real estate aspects of corporate transactions, investments and finance, and major projects in the renewable energy and utilities sectors. Caroline Dean, who focuses on development work for landowners, and Carina Cobbold, who specialises in mixed-use development sites, joint venture agreements, corporate real estate and large-scale projects, are the lead partners. Associate Lisa-Marie Kennedy, Anna Aldous and Zoe Cooke are rising stars in the practice.

Construction Tier 1

The projects and construction practice at Mills & Reeve LLP in Cambridge is the largest in the region and handles a diverse range of large projects in sectors such as education, waste-to-energy, infrastructure, healthcare, food and agri-business. Among its clients are major contractors, local authorities and leading developers. The group handles the full range of procurement and state aid matters, contract negotiation and drafting, review of technical documents, project management and dispute resolution. Stuart Thompson leads the practice, in which principal associates Alison Garrett for disputes and Alexandra Pike and Robert Weatherley for  non-contentious matters stand out.

Contentious trusts and probate Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has the largest contentious trusts and probate team in East Anglia, in which all of the lawyers are ACTAPS members. The practice led by David Catchpole deals with disputes concerning the validity of wills, actions involving trustees and executors, Inheritance Act claims and related matters concerning lifetime transactions, as well as handling contested legacy matters for charities. The firm handles high-value matters involving estates with up to £50m in assets. Associate Lucy Mitchell is also recommended.

Contentious trusts and probate Tier 1

The team at Mills & Reeve LLP advises a roster of high-profile clients on disputes over the validity of wills, actions involving trustees and executors, breach of trust and Inheritance Act claims, handling high-profile Court of Appeal cases and significant trust disputes involving offshore individuals and institutions. Simon Pedley, who heads up the team across the national firm's northern offices, has a long-established reputation of acting for very high net worth individuals, charities, Oxbridge colleges and trust companies.

Corporate and commercial: Cambridge Tier 1

The Cambridge office of Mills & Reeve LLP is home to to a deep bench of talent including practice head Tom Pickthorn, private equity expert Anthony McGurk and education and investment funds specialist Claire Clarke, who are leading lights in the market. Zickie Lim stands out for her work in in venture capital finance in the technology and life sciences sectors, as do corporate finance partner Stephen Hamilton and newly promoted partner Jonathan Greenwood for M&A deals in the education sector and mid-market corporate work. The firm is frequently involved in high-profile and high-value transactions around Cambridge, across East Anglia and the rest of the UK, as well as handling a large volume of cross-border matters.

Corporate and commercial: Norwich Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a leading corporate and commercial practice both regionally and nationally, and many of its M&A transactions have an international element. In 2018, the firm as a whole acted in matters involving more than 75 jurisdictions the US, China, Canada and Australia. The Norwich office, where Craig Hodgson leads the practice, plays a key role in many of the firm's high-value deals, which include acting for venture capital funds, angel investors, large corporates and growth companies in equity funding rounds, as well as handling significant transactions in sectors such as food, agribusiness, healthcare, technology, financial services and the mid-market.

Corporate tax Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a new head of corporate tax following the retirement of Christopher Townsend, and principal associate Matthew Short now leads the practice. The firm handles corporate and real estate taxation, particularly in relation to large-scale property development, investment and construction projects. Among its clients are charities, multinationals, local authorities, NHS trusts and pension funds. Consultant Robert Kent, who was previously a tax partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, also plays a key role in the practice.

Debt recovery Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP operates a simple, fixed-fee collection service for both public and private sector clients handling undefended claims. Legal executive Lynne Lawn handles the majority of the work, with senior associate Harriet Wells, who has more than 35 years' experience in commercial litigation, closely involved in the practice when contentious matters arise.

Education Tier 1

At Mills & Reeve LLP, Gary Attle is head of the firm's national education practice group with a special focus on clients in London, Cambridge and the south east. HE legislation, governance, equality law, public and administrative law, freedom of information, data protection, litigation and liability issues are all covered. Head of projects and construction Raith Pickup is a leading light for student accommodation projects and Andrew Wood is a key partner for projects and finance in the HE sector. Employment specialist Nicola Brown and charity law expert Sarah Seed are also recommended.

Education: institutions Tier 1

The multi-disciplinary team at Mills & Reeve LLP has 'unrivalled expertise in higher education' and is led by the 'strikingly good' Gary Attle. The team is handling highly complex and often high-value matters related to freedom of speech, counter-terrorism and academic freedom, among other issues, for an impressive roster of clients, which includes Russell Group institutions. Richard Sykes, who splits his time between Birmingham and Manchester, leads the specialist education team and has particular expertise in data protection legislation. Among the other core members of the group are Sarah Seed, who is recommended for her expertise in working with charitable bodies; employment lawyers Nick Abbott and Nicola Brown; and real estate lawyer Christian Bull, who advises higher education bodies on property matters.

Employment Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a vastly experienced practice led by veteran head of the firm's national employment group David Mills. Nicola Brown has nearly 30 years' experience and focuses on the firm's numerous higher education clients. The firm has the largest employment practice in East Anglia and is a leading player for  technology, mid-market owner-managed, education, health, food and life sciences companies, as well as charities. Stuart Craig is a leading adviser to the health sector. The team also includes experienced principal associate Andrew Secker, and senior associate Lindsey Hill who supports a number of the firm's private clients on employment-related matters.

Environment & planning Tier 1

The Cambridge office of Mills & Reeve LLP handles substantial and high-profile national and, increasingly, international projects for investors, institutional and local authority funds, national developers, strategic land owners, major corporates, and education and healthcare providers. Peter Seaborn, who handles the promotion of high-profile projects, and Beverley Firth, who has a national reputation for her work on new settlements and strategic land, are the lead partners. They lead a deep bench of talent that includes principal associate Caroline Bywater, who joined from RPC in 2018; senior associates Howard Felstead and Saskia Molekamp who handle residential development and estates matters; and rising star associate Jack Barnes Robinson.

Family Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP, which is regarded as being 'one of the leading teams in this area of law', regularly advises on high-profile matters, including representing Resolution, the largest family justice organisation, on a pro bono basis at the Supreme Court hearing of high-profile divorce dispute Owens v Owens. Alison Bull is recognised for her 'innovative, excellent knowledge' and Nigel Shepherd has 'relentless commitment' to delivering family law reform. Another name to note is Rose-Marie Drury, who is a 'rising star in every respect'.

Family Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP advises on the full range of family law issues from cross-border finances matters involving business assets and trusts to complex children cases. It has the largest practice in the region and frequently acts for high-net-worth individuals locally, nationally and internationally. Practice heads Caitlin Jenkins in Cambridge, Nick Stone in Norwich and consultant Roger Bamber call on the firm's leading agriculture, private tax, employment, conveyancing and corporate teams to provide a holistic service in complex cases.

Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP stands out for its knowledge of complex financial arrangements, with the team's expertise encompassing multi-jurisdictional disputes, trust structures, inherited wealth, pensions and marital agreements. Philip Way leads the practice and heads up the firm's Leeds office; he is also an expert on the pensions aspects of divorce. Clients also praise senior associate Claudia Gilham, who has growing expertise in cohabitation cases and private children matters; and principal associate Ellie Foster, who handles financial arrangements and pensions issues.

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Family: elsewhere in Yorkshire Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Education: individuals Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Family: elsewhere in Yorkshire Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Peterborough Tier 1

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 1

Education: individuals Tier 1

Health Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has more than 300 health sector clients nationally, and many of them call on the services of partners in the firm's Cambridge and Norwich offices. It acts for leading NHS trusts, independent healthcare providers, commissioning groups, government bodies, charities and investors in the sector. The key partners in East Anglia are regulatory enforcement specialist Duncan Astill, health and care M&A expert Natalie Wade and technology and contracts adviser Peter Wainman.

Health and safety Tier 1

The regulatory practice at Mills & Reeve LLP specialises in regulatory enforcement actions and related advice. It has notable expertise in the education and healthcare sectors, though it recently handled high-profile matters in the construction industry. Head of the regulatory practice Duncan Astill is a leading light and his group is a key component in litigator Jamie Wheatley's national regulatory, public and commercial disputes service line. Principal associate Amanda Narkiewicz is a rising star who regularly handles investigations and prosecutions by police, the HSE and other regulators following incidents of significant injuries and fatalities.

Healthcare Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP's healthcare expertise spans acute care, mental health, commissioning and service reform, social care and primary care providers and life sciences. Key recent mandates include advising the Department of Health and Social Care on the design, procurement and implementation of the Future Operating Model project - a system governing over £5bn annual NHS spend - and supporting a US hospital group on the planned opening of a new London site. Jill Mason leads the group and is supported by public law specialist Dawn Brathwaite, while Rhian Vandrill focuses on NHS reforms and commercial relationships between NHS and the private sector. Natalie Wade and Peter Wainman are also of note for M&A transactions and technology contracts.

Immigration Tier 1

At Mills & Reeve LLP, principal associate Alex Russell leads the firm's immigration practice, which has a large roster of clients in the education, healthcare, sport, commercial and charity sectors. He has a particular specialism in advising universities on immigration matters. Principal associate Emma Tuck specialises in advising higher education institutions on Tier 4 student immigration matters. Consultant Tracy Yates is recommended for business immigration.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP handles the restructuring and sale of businesses and assets within insolvency processes, advises office holders in the UK and overseas on cross-border insolvencies, and undertakes asset recovery actions and other litigation for IPs. Practice head Jamie Wheatley is handling a growing workload of early stage strategic advice in connection with possible insolvency, as well as insolvency and restructuring work arising arising from outsourcing agreements between the public and private sectors. Lino Di Lorenzo specialises in cross-border insolvencies and high-value asset recovery actions.

Intellectual property Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a large roster of regional, national and international clients in the technology, life sciences, automotive, food and agriculture, education and sport sectors. Its work includes corporate support, IP protection and commercialisation, R&D and collaboration contracts, branding, technology transfer, licensing and contentious matters. The practice is led from Leeds but the firm's Cambridge office houses key lawyers in consultant and patent attorney Alasdair Poore, IP and life sciences partner James Fry and principal associate Nicola Hanglin who is a Registered Trade Mark Attorney and leads the firm’s trade mark filing and prosecution practice.

IT and telecoms Tier 1

The information technology practice at Mills & Reeve LLP handles a busy workload that includes major IT projects for central government and healthcare providers, as well as handling a range of matters for established technology businesses, regulators and charities. Kevin Calder leads the firm-wide technology and life sciences sector group and frequently acts for government departments in major IT projects. He is also the first point of contact for clients such as Cambridge Mechatronics. Peter Wainman leads the health technology sector group and also acts as relationship partner for key technology company clients including Arm. Associate Sophie Burton-Jones leads the delivery of projects for clients such as Redgate Software.

Education: individuals Tier 1

Licensing Tier 1

Senior associate Harriet Wells at Mills & Reeve LLP has almost 20 years' experience and leads a dedicated licensing practice that assists clients with alcohol, entertainment, late night refreshment, sexual entertainment, marriage, betting and gaming licences, as well as licensing under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The firm has a national client base that includes holiday parks, sports clubs, hotels, restaurants and theatres across the UK.

Pensions Tier 1

The employment law practice at Mills & Reeve LLP in Norwich works closely with the firm's Birmingham office to provide comprehensive advice on both corporate and public sector pension schemes. It has particular expertise on the Local Government Pension Scheme and the NHS Pension Scheme. Consultant Laura Sayer sits on the East Anglia Committee of the Pensions Management Institute and on the public sector sub-committee of the Association of Pension Lawyers.

Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 1

The 'outstanding and thoroughly professional' Tony Hall leads the 'technically excellent' team at Mills & Reeve LLP, which advises a number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families on a wide range of trust and estate planning matters. The firm also advises family business owners on succession issues, and is currently involved in several complex estate issues, some with a cross-border element. The team includes senior associate Charlotte Shaughnessy, who has experience acting for high value estates, including claims for business property relief and agricultural property relief from inheritance tax.

Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP's private wealth practice frequently handles the affairs of ultra-high-net-worth clients, among which are family offices and business owners, landowners, trusts and charities. Partner Chris Belcher leads the firm-wide practice and principal associate Alex Hunt specialises in complex international tax planning, particularly pre-arrival advice, as well as the taxation of residential property holding structures such as offshore trusts. Associate Emma Watton  is also recommended for succession planning. In 2018, the firm acted for an estate with assets in the region of £500m.

Personal tax, trusts and probate: Norwich Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has the deepest bench of private client partners in Norwich. The firm has several leading lights including practice head Virginia Edgecombe, who handles complex and high-value probate and tax matters; Lauren Parker, who acts for landed estates and other high-net-worth individuals; Gregory Laming, who frequently advises UK-based and international clients with foreign domiciles and residence status, and trust companies resident in the Crown Dependencies; and senior partner Justin Ripman, who handles strategic and tax matters for landed estates across the UK.

Professional negligence Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has the region's largest professional negligence practice, which is led from Norwich by partners Stephen King and Neil Davies. King has specialised in professional and medical negligence for 29 years and he leads the firm's national insurance disputes service line. Davies leads the East of England insurance practice. Principal associate Clare Howard, who also 29 years' experience in this field of law, and senior associates Matthew Wilson and Venetia Hanison are highly recommended.

Professional negligence: defendant Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP's Leeds team specialise in professional negligence litigation for defendants and their insurers, handling work in sectors including financial services, construction, engineering and medical product liability. The department routinely acts for large professional firms in claims against insurance brokers, pensions and construction professionals and lawyers.

Property litigation Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP has a national real estate disputes practice that operates through all of its UK offices but is led from Norwich by leading light Richard Hanson. In 2018, the firm hired another standout partner in Richard New, formerly of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, who is an expert in the field of business rates and handles multimillion-pound cases for major lenders and blue-chip corporates. One client describes New as 'very impressive and knowledgeable'. James Hordern, who handled a £16m dispute for an agricultural investment company, and Julian Steed are highly recommended.

Sport Tier 1

The national sports team at Mills & Reeve LLP is led from Manchester and London but the Cambridge and Norwich offices house significant expertise in regulatory matters, image rights, tax and private client matters. The firm acts for high-profile sports personalities and teams, particularly in football, and gained new clients in 2018 in cycling, golf, rugby league, tennis and mountaineering. Tax partner Chris Belcher commercial and IP partner Greg Gibson and IP principal associate Richard Plaistowe are the key contacts.

Sport Tier 1

Mills & Reeve LLP specialises in sports arbitration and litigation. Areas of expertise include image rights, sponsorship and endorsement deals, doping cases, defamation, disputes and tax. The firm's clients include football clubs, national governing bodies, players’ associations, and various athletes. Arbitration specialist Mark Hovell co-heads the team alongside Carol Couse.

Agriculture and estates Tier 2

Following the departure of Julia Rangecroftto Shulmans LLP, Mills & Reeve LLP’s agriculture and estates team in Leeds is now led by principal associate Andrea Newman. Newman, who was previously based in Cambridge, has 16 years’ post-qualification experience and is well versed in high-profile transactions, such as large scale development projects for institutions and landowning charitable trusts. Other highlights of the work carried out by the practice include diversification projects and joint ventures.

Agriculture and estates Tier 2

With its national reach, Mills & Reeve LLP acts for traditional farming clients as well as several of the landowning Cambridge and Oxford colleges. Other clients include a number of pension funds, prestigious landed estates and many substantial national farming businesses. Michael Aubrey is a key member of the firm’s food and agribusiness practice, while Tim Ryan advises a range of landowner clients on a myriad of complex issues including significant acquisitions and disposals of land. Amanda Tagg has considerable experience of agricultural land diversification.

Biotechnology Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP operates a full-service multi-disciplinary practice for life sciences companies. Its clients include global organisations as well as small and mid-sized biotech companies, universities and research institutes. Led by James Fry, the practice draws on the experience of IP consultant Alasdair Poore and corporate finance partner Zickie Lim, as well as lawyers in the firm's employment, pensions, immigration and litigation groups.

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP's cross-discipline charities team, which acts for more than 250 charities and continues to attract new clients, is committed to helping them achieve their commercial goals while maintaining high ethical standards and managing their reputation. Paul Knight, who jointly leads the team with Simon Pedley, was promoted to partner in June 2018. Senior associate Rona McPherson is also recommended.

Clinical negligence: defendant Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP's Norwich office, supported by an extended team in Manchester and London, is part of the firm's nationwide offering for the defence of clinical negligence claims. Experienced litigator Stephen King leads the practice and is national head of the insurance department. The firm's strategy is not to act for NHS Resolution, but to directly represent NHS Trusts, individual practitioners and insurers. It also operates an out-of-hours medico-legal and dento-legal support service Mills & Reeve First Response. Senior associate Matthew Wilson and associate Sophie Briggs are also recommended.

Education Tier 2

The 'breadth and depth of expertise available stands out' at Mills & Reeve LLP . The team handles a range of matters for further and higher education clients across the region and beyond; it is 'often involved in, or has knowledge of cutting edge cases and developments'. The team handles a raft of employment work in the sector where Sara Barrett heads the team. It also handles commercial and IT work, as well as construction work. Richard Skyes heads the specialist education law team in Birmingham and Manchester.

Family: mediation Tier 2

Joanna Grandfield at Mills & Reeve LLP  is typically involved in mediations for City professionals with significant incomes or those with owner managed businesses and their spouses. Grandfield also has experience of mediating on children issues where there are complex jurisdictional discussions about where the child should live. Tim Whitney is also well-regarded for his work in high-value and complex mediations while Manchester-based Alison Bull is another known name. Suzanne Kingston who 'stands out for her expertise in alternative dispute resolution options' joined the team from Withers LLP .

Health Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP offers a 'responsive, expert and professional service on healthcare and strategic commercial healthcare transactional matters' and it is 'increasingly present in the North West'. In Manchester, commercial, technology and information specialist Paul Knight is developing a health tech practice and is ably supported by senior associate Charlotte Lewis . The team also offers specialist healthcare estates experience.

Media and entertainment Tier 2

Mills & Reeve LLP represents sports clients, celebrities, private individuals, public bodies and corporates, with areas of expertise including reputation management and also defamation work. Richard Dawson-Gerrard, who focuses on crisis management, heads the team alongside ‘excellent’ principal associate Rachael Somerset, who specialises in reputation management and libel issues.

Professional negligence Tier 2

Niall Innes and Ben Hardiman lead Mills & Reeve LLP's professional negligence department, which is entirely devoted to insurance disputes involving professional indemnity, construction and D&O policies. The bulk of the team's workload involves the handling of claims against legal professionals including solicitors, barristers and licensed conveyances. Other areas of activity include defending construction professionals such as main contractors, architects and engineers in multi-party disputes, especially in relation to fire safety and cladding issues, as well as acting for insurance brokers.

Commercial property: investment Tier 3

‘Friendly, approachable, comprehensive and commercially savvy’, the team at Mills & Reeve LLP enjoys a rich reputation for investment and development matters. Among its areas of specific expertise are development management and landowner collaboration arrangements, mixed-use schemes, asset specific developments and large scale regeneration projects. The private rented, education, health, rural land, debt funds and residential sectors are industries where the group is well-versed with clients including a number of pension funds, real estate investment trusts and private property companies.

Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP has a full service real estate team which advises on national and international property projects. The firm has a range of clients including investors, developers, land owners, institutional and local authority funds and corporations. The team is led by Simon Sherwood, who focuses on real estate investment, with a particular expertise in primary healthcare development work. Real estate represents roughly a third of Mills & Reeve's total turnover, demonstrating the significance of the practice to the wider firm.

Commercial property: Manchester Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP handles a range of national, and increasingly international, development, regeneration and investment work and has expertise across the industrial, hotels, education, health, retail and public sectors. The 'growing' team is led by the 'exceptional' Mike Edge who has an 'excellent reputation in the Manchester market'. Principal associate Jennifer Lewis is noted for her experience in the education and healthcare sectors. The team also houses real estate finance expertise.

Corporate and commercial: Manchester Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP 's 'responsive' and 'pragmatic' team advises clients in the media, healthcare, retail, food and beverage, property development, technology and private equity spaces. The corporate and commercial team is headed by Chris Ross, who leads on high-value corporate deals, Chris Wilkinson, who is experienced in the pharmaceutical sector, and Paul Knight who leads the commercial, IP and IT side. Vicky Protano joined as principal associate from JMW Solicitors LLP and Charlotte Lewis joined from Hill Dickinson LLP as senior associate.

Court of protection Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP works with a significant number of commissioners and providers of acute and mental health services on Court of Protection matters. The group is skilled at frequently advising on complex matters that have to be heard by High Court judges in the Court of Protection. Jill Mason heads the team.

Education Tier 3

The team at Mills & Reeve LLP has continued to grow on the back of the firm's hire of former Pinsent Masons LLP international universities head Martin Priestley in early 2018. Priestley focuses on education sector commercial projects and international joint ventures, while Mark Pearce is the key name for IP-related issues at universities, and principal associate Poppy Short has experience in governance and structuring issues.

Employment Tier 3

Sara Barrett, who leads the Manchester employment team at Mills & Reeve LLP, routinely acts for senior individuals, and is also recognised for her experience in the education sector. The wider practice advises clients across a wide range of sectors such as food and logistics, manufacturing, pharma, professional services and technology, and has recently seen an increase in work in the insurance sector, representing clients at the Employment Tribunal. Principal associate Deborah Coyne, whose 'personal skills are second to none', is recommended.

Family Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP has a national full service offering. Its family department in London is strong and was pleased to recently add Suzanne Kingston to its ranks from Withers LLP. Joanna Grandfield heads the team and is a qualified barrister, mediator and collaborative lawyer who specialises in complex financial cases typically involving international elements including overseas pensions, trusts and asset bases in excess of £20m. Principal associate Tim Whitney has a particular focus on high-value business and finance cases and wealth protection in addition to complex mediations. Whitney sits as part of the firm’s national sports team and also provides family law support to athletes and other sporting individuals.

Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP's private client team acts for UK and international families, estates, trustees and companies, with a specialist team under the national direction of Leeds partner Andrew Playle, who holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising and is an expert in trusts, wills, tax, probate and related structuring advice. The team also has expertise in succession planning, lasting powers of attorney and acting in Court of Protection matters. Julia Rangecroft left to join Shulmans LLP in early 2019

Planning and environment Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP's environment team is engaged on regeneration projects, contaminated land and asbestos work, and also handles transactions involving petrol filling stations and waste management sites. The manufacturing, education and health sectors are key areas of activity for the team. Consultant Keith Davidson, who heads the team, is an 'expert' and handles brownfield regeneration projects, environmental insurance, Part 2A proceedings and is often engaged on corporate transactions with environmental aspects.

Professional negligence Tier 3

Mills & Reeve LLP's insurance disputes team houses a 'very effective claims team that has good professional indemnity knowledge, and is well respected by the insurance market'; the London team is able to draw on the firm's national network of offices to advise on complex professional negligence cases. The team has a focus on claims involving lawyers, construction and financial services professionals, and it is increasingly involved in claims involving insurance brokers as well as technology sector claims. Aspen Insurance instructed the team to defend an independent financial advisor on £1.5m of claims that were brought under a group litigation order by 22 claimants alleging that they were wrongly advised to transfer their investments in GAS Verdant (Australian farmland) into another fund, which then failed.

Asset based lending Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP has a strong reputation in the domestic market, particularly among independent funders, but also for a growing roster of borrower clients and the ABL divisions of banking clients. Norwich-based team head Zak Virgin is recommended.

Commercial litigation: Manchester Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP advises its clients on a wide range of litigation matters including boardroom disputes, shareholder disputes, warranty claims and fraud. Key client sectors include food and agribusiness, waste, private wealth, sport, manufacturing and education. Richard Dawson-Gerrard heads the team, while Simon Pedley focuses on corporate and commercial disputes and contentious trusts.

Commercial property: development Tier 4

‘Friendly, approachable, comprehensive and commercially savvy’, the team at Mills & Reeve LLP enjoys a rich reputation for investment and development matters. Among its areas of specific expertise are development management and landowner collaboration arrangements, mixed-use schemes, asset specific developments and large scale regeneration projects. The private rented, education, health, rural land, debt funds and residential sectors are industries where the group is well-versed with clients including a number of pension funds, real estate investment trusts and private property companies.

Contentious trusts and probate Tier 4

Through its national offering Mills & Reeve LLP  deals with disputes concerning the validity of wills, actions involving trustees and executors as well as claims under the Inheritance ( Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 in addition to related claims concerning lifetime transactions. It also advises a number of charities on contested legacy matters. Simon Pedley and David Catchpole are the names to note.

Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Tier 4

The team at Mills & Reeve LLP is frequently instructed on a range of mid-market transactions, with key sectors including the technology, food and agribusiness, healthcare and private wealth industries. Practice head Paul Johnson counts a range of private and public companies as clients and has recently been increasingly active in the insurance sector. Martin Priestley joined from Pinsent Masons LLP to head up the commercial team, bringing education sector expertise.

Education: schools Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP's national education practice is led by sector specialist Gary Attle and handles a substantial range of matters. The core team - which also includes head of academies Stuart Pemble, Christian Bull, Jonathan Greenwood and employment lawyer Nick Abbott - has advised on high-value and cross-border issues such as development projects, complex discrimination cases and establishing overseas institutions.

Equity capital markets – small-mid cap Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP's corporate group has acted for technology and natural resources companies in IPOs, AIM fundraisings and other various public company transactions. The practice group has contacts across the firm's London, Leeds and Cambridge offices.

Infrastructure (including PFI and PPP) Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP has a broad practice supporting its clients in public-private partnerships and procurement matters. The team has a strong track record in projects in the student accommodation, aerospace & defence, and health sectors. In Cambridge, practice head Raith Pickup and Andrew Ray are names to note. Adrian Luto and Justin Hennessey both have corporate expertise. Principal associate Jens Henniker Heaton focuses on projects and commercial contracts in the infrastructure space. Stuart Thompson is knowledgeable in disputes.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP stands out for its ability to handle complex investigations and insolvency litigation, and the team is instructed by regional and London-based insolvency practitioners. The team also handles transactional and advisory mandates and the technology, food, health and education sectors are areas of focus. Advising government bodies on special administration regimes is also a key area of expertise for the team headed by Helen Fyles .

Intellectual property Tier 4

With technology, life sciences and education sector expertise, Mills & Reeve LLP is instructed on a range of intellectual property matters ranging from advising on the protection of rights in corporate transactions to representing clients in high-profile patent litigation. Mark Pearce heads up the national practice from the Leeds office and has experience in both contentious and non-contentious matters.

IT and telecoms Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP has particular expertise in the healthtech and edtech sectors. It also advises on data security, data protection and GDPR. Key client sectors include charities and not-for-profit, education, government, sports, technology and leisure. Newly promoted partner Paul Knight heads the team.

IT and telecoms Tier 4

The commercial, IT and IP team at Mills & Reeve LLP has particular experience advising central government, education sector and healthcare sector clients on IT projects; it also assists growing technology businesses. The group is jointly led by commercial lawyer Martin Priestley and IP specialist Mark Pearce, who splits his time between the Leeds and Cambridge offices.

IT and telecoms Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP's Cambridge-based team is highlighted for its experience in technolology transactions, with particular expertise assisting clients in the public sector, healthcare, charity and education sectors including technology companies and start-ups. Kevin Calder and Peter Wainman jointly lead the team and are names to note for advising government departments on IT projects and health technology matters respectively.

Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 4

Sarah Cormack now heads the team at Mills & Reeve LLP  and joined the firm from Withers LLP in October 2018. Cormack is recommended for her work with very wealthy individuals and often advises on international asset holding structures and international family offices. She is skilled at advising on the governance of these structures as well as the use of private trust companies, protector and appointor entities, family councils and family constitutions. Most of her work spans multiple jurisdictions. Cambridge-based Chris Belcher is also recommended.

Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology Tier 4

James Fry heads the Mills & Reeve LLP multi-practice life sciences offering which is valued for its 'in-depth biotech sector knowledge'. Fry brings wide experience of transaction in the technology/digital health and IP fields including research collaborations and clinical trial agreements. Mark Pearce handles contentious and non-contentious IP matters and the team also provides expertise in areas including employment (Melanie James) and corporate finance (Zickie Lim). Other IP experts in the team include Alasdair Poore.

Venture capital Tier 4

Mills & Reeve LLP has a strong pedigree in the local Cambridge market and beyond, where investors and investees appreciate the firm's 'pragmatic and proactive approach' to getting deals done. As well as executing transactions for clients, the firm is also regularly engaged in structuring venture capital funds, which often provides an entry into the pursuant transactional work. 'Highly knowledgeable and influential' team head Zickie Lim has a particular niche in relation to university spin-out mandates.

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP works with universities, independent schools, international charities and some of the biggest names in social finance as well as government departments. The national team under the leadership of Neil Burton has built up specialisms in various areas such as philanthropy and legacies, sport and religious charities as well as health charities. Other areas of expertise lie in education and research organisations as well as livery companies.

Construction Tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP handles a raft of non-contentious construction work in the region and across the UK, acting for contractors and developers. The team stands out for its arts sector expertise, as well as its education and healthcare sector nous. It is also often engaged on the demolition and build of mixed-use retail, office and residential developments. Team head Catherine Kay is noted for her experience in large construction projects and has a 'wealth of knowledge'. Senior associate James Badger is also a key member of the Manchester-based team.

Fintech Tier 5

Acting for challenger banks, payment services, insurance companies, and investors in the sector, Mills & Reeve LLP advises clients on commercial agreements, corporate transactions, GDPR compliance, tax and intellectual property matters. Practice head Kevin Calder acts for regulators, private companies and start-ups, advising on commercial arrangements and IT projects. Partner Zickie Limm heads up the firm's venture capital and equity investments team and also advises start-ups and fast-growth companies on fundraisings, growth transactions and exit transactions.

Insurance and reinsurance litigation Tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP covers matters spanning professional indemnity, D&O, cyber liability, commercial property and construction insurance claims under the leadership of the experienced Neil Davis. Other key members of the team are Michael Mitchell, who heads the property risks team and has 'exceptional investigative skills', and Adrian Luto, who specialises in advising surety insurers on construction matters.

Sport Tier 5

Mills & Reeve LLP's sports team has notable strength representing clients in a wide range of arbitration and litigation proceedings, covering breach of contract, match fixing and employment matters. During 2018, Mark Hovell, who is regarded as 'one of the best British sports lawyers', was appointed by CAS to arbitrate the high-profile dispute between AC Milan and UEFA relating to the Italian team's financial fair play ban. The team has further expertise advising on image rights deals, player transfers, GDPR compliance and reputation management. Julian Moore joined as head of the practice in 2018 from Pinsent Masons LLP.

Administrative and public law Tier 6

The healthcare and higher education sectors are points of strength for the public law practice at Mills & Reeve LLP. Key NHS bodies (including a significant proportion of clinical commissioning groups) and universities comprise the bulk of the client roster, with regular mandates involving the defence of judicial review applications. Recent matters involved defending challenges to policy and regulatory changes, claims of negligence and procurement challenges. Advisory work typically involves handling policy and regulatory changes with an emphasis on risk mitigation. Richard Sykes handles judicial review, Freedom of Information and data protection matters.

Commercial contracts Tier 6

Mills & Reeve LLP specialises in public sector and contracting work. Notable names for the firm in this area are commercial contracts and procurement expert Greg Gibson; firm head of technology and life sciences Kevin Calder; and Peter Wainman, who is known for his expertise in IT law and data protection.

Immigration

Based across the national firm's Norwich and Birmingham offices, the team at Mills & Reeve LLP handles immigration matters for businesses, private clients and education sector clients. Its client base also includes organisations across the commercial, health, charity and sports sectors. The team has recently been engaged by several universities, NHS Trusts and other organisations to advise on issues relating to EU national staff following the Brexit referendum. The team also handles visa applications and compliance issues. The team is led out of Norwich by principal associate Alex Russell, who 'provides a fantastic service'.