The Legal 500

Yorkshire and the Humber

Transport

Transport - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

The 'robust team' at Addleshaw Goddard handles a wide range of matters within the rail industry and offers its split of public and private sector clients 'good value for money'. The team is currently acting for London Luton Airport on the £200m development of a mass passenger transit system between Luton Airport Parkway railway station and the airport terminal. The practice  continues to be instructed by the Department for Transport on several projects, including advising on the new rail franchise to combine the current InterCity West Coast services with the development and introduction of High Speed 2 services. In another work highlight, Paul Hirst is advising VTG Rail (UK) on matters relating to its freight wagon leasing business, including a contract for the manufacture, supply, leasing and maintenance of specialist jet fuel wagons for a leading UK-based airline. Hirst jointly heads the team and has particular expertise in infrastructure projects, operating concessions and franchises and rolling stock procurements. Co-head Anna Heaton  leads on transport-related real estate matters and is regularly instructed by an infrastructure company on large projects. Other significant clients of the group include West Midlands Combined Authority, Transport for Greater Manchester and Freightliner.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Corporate and commercial

Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire

Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

At Addleshaw Goddard, Yunus Seedat is divisional managing partner for the corporate and commercial department, while Garry Elliott heads the Leeds-based team; both have strength in private equity transactions. The practice is also highly regarded for its expertise acting on high-profile M&A transactions and assisting financial services clients. Recent mandates include advising MKM Building Supplies and the selling shareholders on its £200m sale to Bain Capital Private Equity, assisting the Stadium Group with the sale of four corporate entities which each own a retail park to Epic (No. 2) Limited, and acting for Elysian Capital on its acquisition of Fastflow Group. Other key practitioners include Neil Woodhouse and Mark Hallam, who focus on the financial services sector; Rosanna Bryant, who acts for retail financial services clients; managing associate James Tatro and Leeds office head Tim Wheldon. The department also recently recruited private equity specialist Peter Wood from Pinsent Masons LLP, and Richard Hunt from Squire Patton Boggs.

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EU and competition

EU and competition - ranked: tier 2

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard is ‘a very pragmatic firm that quickly gets to grips with client parameters and the issues at hand’ and ‘utilises its technically excellent and commercial team to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the bigger players in the market’. Managing associate Clare Walker is the key name in the Leeds office and works closely with the ‘invaluable’ Mark Molyneux in Manchester and London-based Bruce Kilpatrick and Rona Bar Isaac. Highlights included acting for Bruntwood Management Services on multiple state aid issues, representing the Road Haulage Association in collective proceedings against truck manufacturers to recover damages arising from a cartel, and defending NKT Cables in claims brought by National Grid and Scottish Power alleging overcharges relating to the high voltage cables infringement decision of the EC. Other clients include JD Sports Fashion, SSE, Saga, the Department for Transport and Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Dispute resolution

Banking litigation

Banking litigation - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

‘First-rate firm’ Addleshaw Goddard is ‘one of the best in the region’ and ‘definitively deserves it place at the top of the table’. Sally Emerton heads the group and ‘always gives sensible advice and keeps a watchful eye to constantly adapt to whatever the case throws at her’; other key practitioners include Ian Hastings, who is ‘hugely experienced with a great well of knowledge to draw on’; the ‘absolutely top-notch’ Ben Lowans and managing associate Steve Walpole, who is ‘a highly tenacious and energetic lawyer with excellent tactical skills and an ability to know when to fight and when to negotiate’. The team’s work spans asset finance and asset based lending issues, professional negligence work and international asset recoveries; it also has niche experience in racial discrimination claims arising from sanction breaches, investment fraud, mis-selling of interest rate hedging products and push payment frauds. The team recently defended Clydesdale Bank in litigation relating to third parties’ investment in a fraudulent investment scheme; HSBC Bank, Yorkshire Building Society, Nationwide Building Society, Santander and Shawbrook Bank are also clients.

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Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard receives ‘full marks across the board’ from clients, who single it out as ‘responsive, pragmatic and commercial with deep technical know-how’. Key individuals include head of international arbitration Simon Kamstra, who is ‘a first-class lawyer'; commercial litigation team head Bill Gilliam, who is ‘a consummate professional and manages to blend by-the-book legal advice with real world application and behaviour to help bring any dispute to a swift and effective solution’; and Sally Emerton, who leads the Northern litigation team and the financial services group and ‘takes a no-nonsense approach’. The team handles high-value complex litigation at a national and international level across multiple sectors with particular expertise in the energy, IT, industrial, transport and health sectors. Kamstra recently represented Scottish and Southern Energy in its support of a judicial review challenge against Ofgem relating to the statutory basis for charging for connections to the national grid by electricity distributors, and Gilliam defended Diageo in a case brought by SAP alleging unauthorised use of its software by Diageo’s customers and sale representatives via third party software. Louise Dobson, who made legal director in 2017, is recommended for health and pharmaceutical matters.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Finance

Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

The ‘well-respected and highly professional team’ at Addleshaw Goddard is ‘incredibly strong in the region; to its excellent knowledge of the latest industry and market positions’ enables it to ‘provide first-rate advice’. The ‘technically brilliant’ David Handy leads the group, which recently saw substantial changes including Geoff McGinley, Tom McHugh and Louise Wood being promoted to managing associate and Andrew Fordham joining from Squire Patton Boggs in 2018. Other key individuals include Jenny Cromack, Lee Shankland and Nick Barlow. The team is highly regarded for its expertise encompassing corporate banking, real estate finance, leveraged finance, unitranche transactions and social housing finance. The group also regularly acts for lender clients including Santander and HSBC; Handy advised the latter on its provision of facilities to Supermarket REIT. Other highlights include assisting Volpi Capital with its debt facilities provided by Lloyds Bank for the buyout of Version 1, handling asset-based lending facilities for Allied Glass Containers from Investec Bank for the refinancing of its existing facilities and acting for Abbey National Treasury Services, AIB Group, Barclays Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ on the refinancing of all existing loan facilities to AmicusHorizon housing group and Viridian Housing.

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Insolvency and corporate recovery

Insolvency and corporate recovery - ranked: tier 2

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard is ‘at the top end of the scale for quality of advice and service’ with ‘an excellent round-the-clock approach, strong business acumen, brilliant attention to detail and strong relationship management skills’. Recent work includes advising Deloitte as administrators of Transline on its accelerated pre-pack sale to Russell Taylor Group and the subsequent disposal of three foreign subsidiaries, assisting Alix Partners as administrators of Olympia Securities Commercial with a contested directions application and acting for KPMG as administrators of Aquila Processing and Eagle Seafoods (Properties). PwC, Leonard Curtis, Endless and Clydesdale Bank are also clients. Graham Briggs and Andy Bates jointly lead the practice; Briggs is ‘incredibly experienced’ and Bates’ ‘market knowledge is outstanding’.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Human resources

Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

The employment team at Addleshaw Goddard stands out for its 'expert advice, response times and value for money'. The practice has had a successful year of new client appointments, including having been recently instructed as sole employment law provider to Scotia Gas Network which the team is instructed by in tribunal claims, contract updates and in various TUPE outsourcing arrangements.  Practice head Sally Hulston has particular expertise in the retail and consumer sector and, following a new panel appointment,  is leading advice to Dixons Carphone Warehouse on national minimum wage issues and in defence of several tribunal claims. The team has also been instructed by Froneri ice-cream to provide ongoing general employment and gender pay gap reporting advice, in addition to acting for the company in a large-scale project to alter terms and conditions of zero hour and annualized contacts. The department acts as Vocalink's sole employment law adviser, and is currently assisting the company on various TUPE outsourcing projects, as well as advising on employment considerations following the acquisition by Mastercard of a 92% stake. The team also continues to advise Primark Stores, Moneysupermarket.com and Wolseley Group. Managing associates Gerri Elliott,   Andy Graham and 'excellent communicator'  Joanne Lightburn are key names to note. Elliot has particular expertise advising education and the charity sector clients; Graham is noted for a range non-contentious and transnational matters; and Lightburn for employment tribunal and TUPE negotiations.

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Health and safety

Health and safety - ranked: tier 2

Addleshaw Goddard

The 'massively effective' health and safety group at Addleshaw Goddard is recommended for its 'profound attention to detail, coupled with an acute awareness of client’s requirements and superb litigating and negotiating skills'. The practice forms part of the wider corporate crime team and is predominantly known for defending clients in crisis management situations. It acted for Accrol Papers in relation to an investigation following injuries sustained by an employee, and successfully reduced the perceived culpability of the company from high to medium, resulting in a significantly reduced fine. In addition to representation of clients in investigations and prosecutions, the team is becoming increasingly involved in providing ongoing compliance advice. The 'bright, well-organised, knowledgeable' Erin Shoesmith was recently promoted to partner and heads the national health and safety team. Britvic Soft Drinks, Boohoo.com and United Utilities Water are all clients.

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Pensions

Pensions - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard's pensions group represents blue chip corporates, key regional businesses and trustee boards in a range of both contentious and non-contentious matters. Rachel Rawnsley heads the national pensions practice, and is supported by Jade Murray, Susan Garrett and Rachel Uttley in the Yorkshire region. The practice is instructed by Saga plc on a cross-border matter consulting staff on amendments to pension schemes. In another work highlight, the team advised WPP 2005 on the £150m buy-in transaction of all pensioner and deferred liabilities with Pension Insurance Corporation, involving five defined benefit schemes. The team has also been engaged by the trustees of a number of pension schemes to provide data protection advice prior to the implementation of the GDPR. With particular experience in both the education and retail sector, key clients of the group include the trustees of the University of Sheffield and the University of Leeds pension schemes, in addition to the trustees of the Asda Group Pension Scheme and Asda Pension Plan and the Co-operative Group. The team also has experience representing clients in the manufacturing, financial services and institutions, and energy and utilities industries.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Insurance

Professional negligence: claimant

Professional negligence: claimant - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard's professional negligence practice represents regional, national and international clients in claims across a range of sectors, but has particular expertise acting for major lenders bringing actions against solicitors, valuers and other professionals. +Sally Emerton is head of litigation for the North, and leads the firm's clinical negligence department. +Joe Wilkinson specialises in claims arising from the construction space, while Bill Gilliam is the firm's go-to for claims brought by commercial clients, outside of the financial sector. Managing associate Lee O’Sullivan is highlighted as 'extremely competent', particularly in complex banking matters.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Private client

Charities and not-for-profit

Charities and not-for-profit - ranked: tier 2

Addleshaw Goddard

The charities team at Addleshaw Goddard is regularly instructed on matters ranging from formation and governance of charities to investigations of organisations . The team also acts for banks and other commercial clients entering into arrangements with charities. +Pervinder Kaur heads up the practice and has particular expertise assisting charities facing practical problems, including funding and solvency issues, Charity Commission investigations, and discussions with HMRC and other public bodies. The team continues to act for the trustees of Bedingfield's Trust on administrative matters. In addition, the practice is representing the NFU Charitable Trust. Another key name to note is Yorke Eaton, who often represents charity clients on a range of matters from registration to property transactions, as well as providing ongoing ad hoc advice.

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Personal tax, trusts and probate

Personal tax, trusts and probate - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

The 'extremely responsive and engaged' private wealth department at Addleshaw Goddard is 'at the top end of the profession in terms of service, expertise and delivery'. The specialist team also benefits from being able to draw on the expertise of other departments in the firm such as corporate, banking, litigation and employment. Practice head Pervinder Kaur has a 'first-class mind' and focuses on representation of high net worth individuals and family trusts. Kaur led a team acting for NFU Mutual on reviewing, updating and amending all trust, documentation and advising on mitigation of any risk. As well as representing national and international companies, the team is regularly instructed by local owner managed and family businesses and trusts. Another key partner, is the 'personable, enthusiastic and commercial' Yorke Eaton who has 'an excellent client manner', acts predominantly for trustees and institutional clients, advising on duties and liabilities and trust and estate administration respectively. 'Professional, thorough and diligent' managing associate Charlotte Smart  is singled out for being 'warm, engaging and extremely reliable' with 'good grasp of all the complex issues'.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Projects, energy and natural resources (including PFI)

Energy

Energy - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard ‘positively stands out’ in the market for its ‘strategic thinking, industry knowledge and unmatched experience’ in the energy and utilities fields. Richard Goodfellow and John Emerton jointly lead the group; Goodfellow is ‘a clear leader for downstream energy work with expansive experience that allows him to step back and see the bigger picture’ and Emerton is ‘genuinely brilliant’ for energy litigation, particularly in the oil and gas sector. Other key figures include energy infrastructure and regulation specialist Paul Dight; utilities expert David Shaw; James Reynolds, who leads the firm’s nuclear group; litigator Simon Kamstra; and managing associate Alex Clayton. Goodfellow recently advised Scotia Gas Networks on the financing and construction of a gas network from Belfast to the West of Northern Ireland, while Dight acted for Britvic Soft Drinks on its procurement and operation of a combined heat and power (CHP) facility. In another highlight, Reynolds assisted Peel Energy with the risk management and close of final accounts related to a wind farm in Cheshire. He also advised multiple clients in the nuclear sector including working with National Nuclear Laboratory on issues surrounding Sellafield while Dight assisted Foresight Metering with its operational smart metering contracts. BP, National Grid and Mitsubishi are also clients.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Public sector

Education

Education - ranked: tier 3

Addleshaw Goddard

The education practice at Addleshaw Goddard in Yorkshire is led by Nancy McGuire and Michael O'Connor both based in Manchester. The practice has a strength advising on real estate construction projects and employment issues. Clients of the firm include several higher education institutions including University of Leeds Becketts, University of Lancaster and Glyndwr University. In addition, the team is able to leverage the firm's strong charity law department's expertise in acting for and forming school trusts.

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Local government

Local government - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

The infrastructure, projects and energy practice at Addleshaw Goddard provides 'quality work and an effective service' to its local government clients with 'experienced and commercially astute support'. The Leeds-based  Andrew Pettinger  jointly heads the practice withMichael O'Connor in Manchester. Pettinger is leading a team acting for Leeds City Council on the procurement of a district heating scheme, including advising on state aid, procurement, corporate, joint venture and general commercial aspects. In another work highlight, the team was instructed by Transport for Greater Manchester in establishing a highways shared services arrangement with three Greater Manchester local authorities. Highlighted for 'providing good strategic oversight', John Emerton acted for the Council of the City of Salford on a review of cladding systems of tower blocks and a significant remediation programme to ensure compliance with fire safety requirements. 'Highly regarded' managing associate Stephanie Townley is also recommended.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: Real estate

Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard’s ‘excellent level of service, outstanding knowledge and responsive approach’ places it ‘head and shoulders above most of the firms in the space’. The ‘unbelievably helpful’ Bruce Lightbody, leads the practice, which includes Lucy Sturrock, who ‘really makes an effort to understand her clients’ business from a commercial and legal perspective’ and regularly acts for retail and leisure sector clients; Ian Smith, who advises institutional investors; investment property and portfolios sales expert Andrew Williamson; and development funding specialist Anna Heaton. In a recent highlight, Lightbody advised Leeds Beckett University on the procurement and development funding agreement relating to the acquisition of a site adjacent to the University’s city centre campus for a new performing arts building. Further mandates for the department include recently promoted partner and energy sector specialist Peter Mason assisting Hull Eco Park with the development of an energy business park, legal director Lesley Reeves acting on the disposal of four retails parks to Edison Property Investment Company for Stadium Group, and Sturrock and Williamson handling over 40 acquisitions and developments for Travelodge Hotels.

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Construction

Construction - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard  ‘can be relied on for fast, accurate and solid advice due to its ability to fully understands its clients’ thanks to ‘a great level of knowledge and experience paired with a team of individuals who are genuinely nice to work with’. The team handles complex national projects with notable expertise in the transport, engineering, energy and nuclear sectors advising on developments, disputes and regeneration matters. Key practitioners include energy and infrastructure expert David Shaw, practice head James Reynolds, and the dispute-focused Joe Wilkinson, John Emerton and legal director Ally MacKenzie. In a recent highlight, Shaw advised Stanstead Airport on its transformation programme including a new arrivals building, an extension to the existing departures building and various infrastructure works; he also acted for SSE on its procurement of a combined-cycle gas turbine. Other work includes Reynolds assisting the House of Commons with its £160 Northern Estate programme which involves the conservation of several historic buildings in Westminster, acting on the construction of a new stadium for Castleford Tigers, and handling multiple regeneration schemes nationally for Muse Developments including schemes in Leeds, Manchester and South Shields.

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Planning

Planning - ranked: tier 2

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard’s practice has seen substantial expansion following the recruitment of department head Glenn Sharpe  from DWF in 2017. Sharpe’s expertise encompasses the aviation, minerals, waste and energy sector; he recently represented NATS in its objection to two proposed wind farms in Scotland, advised Somerset County Council on multiple Highways Agreements regarding the proposed construction of the Taunton Western Relief Road, and assisted the University of Brighton with a Section 106 agreement related to the development of a former barracks site in Brighton. Associate Daniel Marston  is also a name to note; he specialises in residential, industrial and mixed-use developments. London Luton Airport, Muse developments and Standard Life Assurance are also clients.

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Property litigation

Property litigation - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Julie Middlemass  leads the department at Addleshaw Goddard, which has experience across the retail, leisure, food and drink, finance, energy, transport and industrial sectors, with an emphasis on disputes arising from the management of shopping centres, contentious landlord and tenant issues, development disputes, professional negligence issues, trespassing mandates and property-related insolvency. In a recent highlight, Middlemass advised British Land on issues relating to its plans to build a leisure hall at Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield; she also represented multiple clients including Muse and Bizspace in proceedings to remove disruptive travellers from sites owned by the clients, and defended an institutional investor in an attempt by its tenant to break a lease of premises in London. Other names to note include managing associate Elizabeth Cape , who handles landlord and tenant issues, break notice disputes, service charge issues and dilapidation claims; managing associate Chris McGrath , who focuses on landlord and tenant disputes; and associate Louise Minsull , who has expertise in mixed-use development issues. Other clients include Associated British Foods, the National Grid, Network Rail, Primark Stores and Skanska.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

IT and telecoms

IT and telecoms - ranked: tier 1

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard ‘gains the trust of its clients instantly’ thanks to ‘a professional and highly pragmatic team of experts in the field’ who have ‘an excellent ability to wade through negotiations and achieve the best possible outcome in the toughest of circumstances’. Team head Michael Lowry focuses on significant IT procurements, outsourcings, data centre and cloud issues, and software arrangements. Other key individuals include consultant Ian Sampson, who is ‘a pleasure to deal with’, litigator Bill Gilliam and Simon Lofthouse, who advises clients in the financial services, industrials, retail, health and digital sectors. Recent highlights include advising Blue Octopus Recruitment on its restructuring and updating its standard terms and conditions and defending Diageo in a software licensing case against SAP alleging unauthorised use of its software by Diageo’s customers and sales representatives. Other clients include Associated British Foods, Primark, SSE, Arriva and Microsoft. Ryan Gracey joined Gordons LLP.

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Intellectual property

Intellectual property - ranked: tier 2

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard handles the full spectrum of IP work for a client base in the financial services, retail, consumer and digital services sectors; examples include Limitless Digital, Pure Collection and British American Tobacco. Georgina Powling leads the department and handles a mixture of contentious and non-contentious mandates including transactional support, commercial agreements, trade mark and design right infringement disputes and software licensing litigation. The group’s recent work includes advising Mark Millar on the IP elements of the sale of Millarworld to Netflix and assisting Bibby Line Group with a transactional trade mark licence related to a group restructuring. Ryan Gracey joined Gordons LLP.

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