Firm Profile > Mayer Brown International LLP > London, England
Mayer Brown International LLP Offices
201 BISHOPSGATE
LONDON
EC2M 3AF
England
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Mayer Brown International LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Asset based lending Tier 1
Leveraging a strong international brand, the 'very technical and knowledgeable' team at Mayer Brown International LLP excels in handling highly structured big-ticket multi-jurisdictional asset based lending (ABL) mandates for funds, banks, sponsors and corporates. Its expertise on complex deals mirrors the growing sophistication of the ABL product in the European market, which is increasingly being used in the context of large syndicated facilities, as well as forming a part of the debt package to fund M&A transactions. The ‘excellent’ Dominic Griffiths excels at handling commercial and investment bank ABL and structured finance, and is a key part of the team, which also includes the ‘fantastic’ Alex Dell. Dell has generated strong relationships with European banks and alternative credit providers and frequently leads on the most significant domestic and international ABL deals handled by the firm. Senior associate Ravi Amin is noted for his ‘very nifty and effective advice’ for banks, sponsors and corporates.
Testimonials
‘The team’s technical expertise and industry knowledge is very strong‘.
‘Given the size of the team, it has the ability to deliver on larger projects and on projects with tight timeframes‘.
‘The very experienced Alex Dell is a leading lawyer in the industry‘.
‘The extremely knowledgeable Simon Fisher focuses on US transactions‘.
‘Charles Thain and Ravi Amin are senior associates who have great technical knowledge and the ability to run transactions on their own‘.
Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 1
The highly regarded commercial property practice at Mayer Brown International LLP is 'well resourced, incredibly capable and commercial'. On the corporate occupier side, it represents both landlords and tenants on headquarter relocations and post-property acquisition leasing transactions, and is also reputed for its handling of large mixed use schemes. Development-related strengths include land acquisition, site assembly and structuring, planning and statutory issues, tendering and procurement, development constraints strategy and environmental issues. Firmwide managing partner Jeremy Clay is a key name on the investment side and primarily represents private equity funds, though the group also acts for property companies, family offices and overseas investors. Martin Wright recently acted for First Base Limited, Macquarie Capital and Chelsfield Properties on the sale of The Silvertown Partnership to a joint venture vehicle between Lendlease and Starwood Capital. Iain Roberts is recommended for high-value investment transactions and mixed use property developments while Caroline Humble is another standout name.
Testimonials
‘Very high quality; exceptional availability and thoughtful approach.’
‘Exceptional quality of personnel around the whole team. Highly commercial and effective.’
‘Diligent, knowledgeable and highly commercial.’
‘A well resourced and incredibly capable team who are highly commercial.’
‘Excellent at giving strategic advice and structuring complex deals. Always commercially aware.’
‘Outstanding strategic advice on complex transactions – Jeremy Clay is particularly recommended.’
‘They have a number of talented junior lawyers who provide a strong service’.
‘Martin Wright is very adept at understanding our key commercial objectives. He is able to strike a sensible and pragmatic balance between covering the detail and ensuring our commercial property transactions progress expeditiously.’
‘Very strong commercially, ability to think round corners in extremely complicated scenarios.’
‘Chris Harvey has excellent skills and always provides great partner time.’
Key clients
The British Land Company Plc
Helical Plc
Unilever Plc
Derwent London plc
Teighmore Limited
Tishman Speyer
Cabot Properties Inc
Putnam Investments Limited
Commercial property: development Tier 1
The highly regarded commercial property practice at Mayer Brown International LLP is 'well resourced, incredibly capable and commercial'. On the corporate occupier side, it represents both landlords and tenants on headquarter relocations and post-property acquisition leasing transactions, and is also reputed for its handling of large mixed use schemes. Development-related strengths include land acquisition, site assembly and structuring, planning and statutory issues, tendering and procurement, development constraints strategy and environmental issues. Firmwide managing partner Jeremy Clay is a key name on the investment side and primarily represents private equity funds, though the group also acts for property companies, family offices and overseas investors. Martin Wright recently acted for First Base Limited, Macquarie Capital and Chelsfield Properties on the sale of The Silvertown Partnership to a joint venture vehicle between Lendlease and Starwood Capital. Iain Roberts is recommended for high-value investment transactions and mixed use property developments while Caroline Humble is another standout name.
Testimonials
‘Very high quality; exceptional availability and thoughtful approach.’
‘Exceptional quality of personnel around the whole team. Highly commercial and effective.’
‘Diligent, knowledgeable and highly commercial.’
‘A well resourced and incredibly capable team who are highly commercial.’
‘Excellent at giving strategic advice and structuring complex deals. Always commercially aware.’
‘Outstanding strategic advice on complex transactions – Jeremy Clay is particularly recommended.’
‘They have a number of talented junior lawyers who provide a strong service’.
‘Martin Wright is very adept at understanding our key commercial objectives. He is able to strike a sensible and pragmatic balance between covering the detail and ensuring our commercial property transactions progress expeditiously.’
‘Very strong commercially, ability to think round corners in extremely complicated scenarios.’
‘Chris Harvey has excellent skills and always provides great partner time.’
Key clients
The British Land Company Plc
Helical Plc
Gaw Capital
Tide Construction
Kennedy Wilson Europe
Tishman Speyer
Scape
Cabot Properties Inc
Crosstree Real Estate Partners
Commercial property: investment Tier 1
The highly regarded commercial property practice at Mayer Brown International LLP is 'well resourced, incredibly capable and commercial'. On the corporate occupier side, it represents both landlords and tenants on headquarter relocations and post-property acquisition leasing transactions, and is also reputed for its handling of large mixed use schemes. Development-related strengths include land acquisition, site assembly and structuring, planning and statutory issues, tendering and procurement, development constraints strategy and environmental issues. Firmwide managing partner Jeremy Clay is a key name on the investment side and primarily represents private equity funds, though the group also acts for property companies, family offices and overseas investors. Martin Wright recently acted for First Base Limited, Macquarie Capital and Chelsfield Properties on the sale of The Silvertown Partnership to a joint venture vehicle between Lendlease and Starwood Capital. Iain Roberts is recommended for high-value investment transactions and mixed use property developments while Caroline Humble is another standout name.
Testimonials
‘Very high quality; exceptional availability and thoughtful approach.’
‘Exceptional quality of personnel around the whole team. Highly commercial and effective.’
‘Diligent, knowledgeable and highly commercial.’
‘A well resourced and incredibly capable team who are highly commercial.’
‘Excellent at giving strategic advice and structuring complex deals. Always commercially aware.’
‘Outstanding strategic advice on complex transactions – Jeremy Clay is particularly recommended.’
‘They have a number of talented junior lawyers who provide a strong service’.
‘Martin Wright is very adept at understanding our key commercial objectives. He is able to strike a sensible and pragmatic balance between covering the detail and ensuring our commercial property transactions progress expeditiously.’
‘Very strong commercially, ability to think round corners in extremely complicated scenarios.’
‘Chris Harvey has excellent skills and always provides great partner time.’
Key clients
The British Land Company Plc
The Silvertown Partnership
Gaw Capital
Crosstree Real Estate Partners
Scape
Xinyuan Real Estate
Rich World Holdings Ltd
Lee Kum Kee / Infinitus
Wing Tai
CIT
Helical
Tishman Speyer
Unilever plc
Insurance: insolvency and restructuring Tier 1
The team at Mayer Brown International LLP benefits from 'diverse connections to other practice groups' around the US firm's global network, enabling it to handle complex cross-border mandates. Areas of particular expertise include long tail liability issues, insurtech and insurance-linked securities. Practice head Devi Shah and Colin Scagell are praised for their 'pragmatic' approach, while counsel Alexandra Wood is also recommended. In 2018 Shah and Wood were both part of the firm's team advising on insolvency of Lloyd's corporate member ACAL Underwriting Limited, securing an important High Court decision which brought the matter to a conclusion.
Testimonials
‘The team has diverse connections to other practice groups. not just in the UK but also in the worldwide Mayer Brown organisation, which makes it particularly helpful in identifying, tackling and resolving issues that involves multiple countries/jurisdictions. They work as a virtual one stop shop for any necessary legal resources that are unavailable internally at our company, whether in UK, US and Japan.’
‘Devi Shah and Colin Scagell have been very pragmatic in their approach to providing recommendations and opinions in instances where other competitors had taken a rather more overly cautious approach that would have resulted in an unnecessarily increase workload.’
Key clients
Ernst & Young LLP
Begbies Traynor
Aspen
Liberty Syndicates
Beazley plc
Zurich
Pension Protection Fund
Brit Limited
Government of Gibraltar
Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP’s 'team is extremely dedicated, efficient and very pleasant to work with'. The practice acts for investment banks, investment funds, asset managers, issuers of listed debt securities, and corporate trustees in high-value, high-profile disputes involving the wholesale financial markets, which usually have cross-jurisdictional elements. The practice is particularly known for disputes surrounding derivatives and structured products, commodities and financial crime. It represented UBS in litigation in London against German water services provider, Kommunale Wasserwerke Leipzig, that arose from the enforcement of structured finance transactions. Ian McDonald leads the practice, of which Alistair Graham , Susan Rosser and Mark Stefanini are also key members. The counsels to note are Ruth Malone, Dan Hart and recently promoted Chris Roberts. White-collar partners Sam Eastwood and Jason Hungerford were hired from Norton Rose Fulbright, while David Allen retired from the practice.
Testimonials
‘The team anticipates the issues at stake and makes the strategy and the legal issues at stake easily understandable.‘
‘The practice is outstanding; its work is uniformly of high quality and it gives the client realistic and practical advice. It is also a complete pleasure to work with the firm’s lawyers.‘
Key clients
Société Générale
UBS
HSBC
ICBC Standard Bank
Wells Fargo
BNY Mellon
Principal Global Investors
Temporis Capital
Construction: contentious Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP has a large team of specialist construction disputes lawyers in London handling an impressive mix of domestic and international matters. The practice - which advises governments, contractors and construction professionals across the energy, transport, mining and residential property sectors - is led by Michael Regan, who has a track record of advising on claims arising out of infrastructure and mining projects. Kwadwo Sarkodie is another key member of the team, and is one of a number of partners handling 'bet the farm' matters and other contract disputes for construction giant Wates, a longstanding client of the firm. Newly promoted partner James Morris is also recommended.
Key clients
Wates
St George
Galliford Try
Costain
Wolf Minerals
Hyundai Corporation
GS Corporation
Alstom Transport
Samsung Heavy Industries
Panama Canal Authority
Debt capital markets Tier 2
The US and English law capability in Mayer Brown International LLP's London office sees it acting in some of the most demanding transatlantic debt capital markets transactions for issuers and underwriters, complementing the work of its pan-European and emerging market debt practices. James Taylor specialises in European debt and equity-linked capital markets, including commercial paper, MTN, Eurobonds, convertible and exchangeable bonds and other structured equity issuances. Robert Flanigan, who is dual-qualified in New York and France, focuses on European debt capital markets, including project bonds, regulatory capital, convertible and exchangeable bonds, US private placements and sovereign debt. Bernd Bohr, whose main focus is high yield issuance in Germany, also handles investment grade transactions, including SEC-registered offerings, Rule 144A offering and Reg S offerings, exceeding €1bn in value.
Testimonials
‘The team has true experts in the capital markets space. It covers a broad range of products – including covered bonds, which involves a special set of complexities – and is efficient, thorough and dedicated‘.
‘James Taylor is a true expert in his field and a top-notch professional. He is responsive, enthusiastic and highly experienced. He and his team always deliver the highest quality of service‘.
Key clients
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Novartis
Barclays
Abbott Laboratories
HSH Nordbank
Progroup
Fincantieri
Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec
Klesch Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland
Derivatives (including commodities) Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP's derivatives, structured products and securitisation group is home to recognised derivatives specialists, among whom is global practice head Edmund "Ed" Parker. Parker has been involved in key market innovations, including OTC weather and catastrophe derivatives, and has advised leading banks and custodians on uncleared derivatives initial margin custody arrangements arising from the new margin rules under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). Key partner Chris Arnold is currently advising ISDA’s newly-formed Sanctions Working Group and is leading on ISDA’s International Financial Institutions Opinions initiative. The practice is at the cutting edge of the derivatives market and it has an impressive buy-side client base advising hedge funds, asset managers, pension funds, insurance companies and multinationals. The firm's combination of US and English law capability in London enables it to handle cross-border transaction work and advise key market players on changes in US and European regulatory markets, including the Dodd-Frank Act.
Emerging markets Tier 2
The 'highly proactive and efficient team' at Mayer Brown International LLP is praised for its 'responsiveness, technical capability and availability'. In 2018, the firm expanded its capabilities in export, trade and multi-lateral financing in the commodities, energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors. Ashley McDermott who focuses exclusively on emerging markets finance joined from Clifford Chance LLP to co-lead the practice with leading lights Ian Coles, who is head of the Africa and mining practices, and Rachel Speight, who acts for banks and sponsors in cross-border structured and project financings in the natural resources and infrastructure sectors. Newly promoted counsel Danuta De Vries is 'highly professional and an excellent communicator'. Clients also recommend James Taylor and Chris Arnold for debt capital markets and structured finance respectively. Active in deals in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Turkey, the firm is highly regarded for project finance, capital markets, export and agency finance, structured commodity finance, structured finance and derivatives.
Testimonials
“Ian Coles has a wealth of experience and is very pragmatic – always looking for a win-win solution to problems.”
“It has a team of experts with long history in Africa and in metals and mining, both on English law and OHADA topics. It has the ability to put together a small and efficient deal team to think about tailor-made and cost-effective solutions for their clients.”
“We recommend the firm for trust, talent, and expertise.”
“Chris Arnold is an excellent lawyer who is very commercially-minded and able to understand the economic imperatives behind a transaction. This combined with his excellent analytical and first principles approach to problems makes him an outstanding and very business-friendly lawyer to work with in the emerging markets sector, where there is often no such thing as ‘standard’.”
“Ian Coles and Rachel Speight tick all the right boxes.”
“It is the team’s level of experience and familiarity with the sector that makes it so strong. it is also very well balanced in terms of partners, seniors and juniors.”
“Ash McDermott is an excellent, client-oriented lawyer. He is very customer-focused and practical in his approach. He understands the files and our organisation, and provides practical business-oriented advice.”
“Ash McDermott is very approachable , knowledgeable , client-centered and practical.”
“Ash McDermott is very experienced in the field of Export Finance and understands the challenges banks face when acting in emerging markets.”
Key clients
UniCredit
Ohridska Banka
Standard Bank
Nedbank
Africa Finance Corporation
Medea Future Materials Fund
Citibank
Macquarie
HSBC
Women in Mining
BNP Paribas
ING
Société Générale
KfW IPEX
Barclays Bank
Investec
Scotiabank Europe
SRK Exploration Services
Credit Suisse
ING Bank
JP Morgan
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd
Employment: employers Tier 2
The employment and benefits group at Mayer Brown International LLP, which is led by Nicholas Robertson, is regularly turned to for high-profile matters involving international clients such as FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 businesses. Disputes work is a core focus of practice, which handles litigation management and avoidance, as well as major cross-border matters relating to organisational change and data protection. Robertson, who regularly represents clients in the High Court and Court of Appeal, works in tandem with Christopher Fisher, who is relationship manager for some of the firm's key clients and advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Senior associate Miriam Bruce is also a key member of the team.
Key clients
AXA
Brookfield
Coller Capital
HSBC
Lombard Odier
Mercer/Marsh
TP ICAP
Tradition Financial Services
Unilever
Union Bank
Equity capital markets – small-mid cap Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP has seen a litany of cross-border instructions in the insurance, life sciences and tech sectors, though the team's geographical reach has of late been a larger generator of work than its sector specialisms. With a particularly strong foothold in the US and Canada, an active Asia-Pacific network and a partner with extensive experience in the Spanish market (Robert Flanigan), the ECM team has managed to stay busy despite a relative slowdown in certain markets worldwide. Also recommended are Kate Ball-Dodd, who has 'an amazing grip on the technical aspects of law and their practical application', and Rebecca Bothamley, 'a junior partner who can run a transaction like a senior partner'.
Testimonials
‘A client-focused team providing high-quality advice.‘
‘Kate Ball-Dodd is commercial, thorough, thoughtful and an absolutely lovely person; there’s no ego there.‘
Key clients
Investec Bank plc
Liberbank, S.A.
Numis Securities Limited
Peel Hunt LLP
Entertainment One Limited
Metrovacesa, S.A.
St Modwen Properties
Helical plc
Promotora de Informaciones, S.A.
GW Pharmaceuticals
Mining and minerals Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP's recent mining highlights include its work for the Government of Oman on its plan to develop mining as one of five pillars of non-petroleum economic diversification currently being fast-tracked by the sultanate. The 'well respected' Ian Coles leads the London team, which works in tandem with the international firm's US and Asia counterparts on mining projects across the world, particularly in Latin America and South East Asia.
Testimonials
‘Very well respected leadership, particularly Ian Coles.’
‘Ian Coles is highly skilled and trusted. He has a unique ability to look through a complex problem and to charter a potential course through it.’
Key clients
UniCredit
Ohridska Banka
Standard Bank
Nedbank
Africa Finance Corporation
Medea Future Materials Fund
Citibank
Macquarie
HSBC
Women in Mining
BNP Paribas
ING
Société Générale
KfW IPEX
Barclays Bank
Investec
Scotiabank Europe
SRK Exploration Services
Sumitomo Corp Mining & Metals
Pensions (non-contentious) Tier 2
The client list of Mayer Brown International LLP’s 'extremely intelligent' pensions team includes the trustees of some of the largest schemes in the market, with a particular emphasis on the energy, electricity, financial services and retail sectors. Significant recent mandates have involved high-value longevity swap transactions, ring-fencing arrangements, investment advice, funding arrangements and multi-employer scheme administration. The firm fields a strong suite of litigators who are regularly instructed on contentious matters relating to entitlement claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, historical errors, employer obligations and proceedings before the Pensions Ombudsman. The practice is co-headed by Ian Wright and Jay Doraisamy; other key team members include Edward Jewitt, Richard Evans, Richard Goldstein and Andrew Block.
Testimonials
‘The extremely intelligent team at Mayer Brown provides insightful and prompt advice, especially when dealing with complicated issues with hard deadlines‘
‘Punctilious and pragmatic‘
‘A very sensible and pragmatic team‘
‘Beth Brown provides fast, intelligent and pragmatic advice. You can’t ask for a better service.‘
‘The team is approachable and able to apply legal issues in a practical way‘
‘Giles Bywater provides advice that is well considered and practical‘
‘Andrew Block has strong interpersonal skills, sound judgement and is overall an excellent lawyer‘
‘Ian Wright has a wide and deep knowledge of all legal and non-legal matters associated with UK pensions‘.
‘Beverly Cox is easy to work with and a safe pair of hands‘
‘A good team with broad experience and strength in depth‘
Key clients
BOC Pension Scheme; BOC Retirement Savings Plan; BOC Senior Executive Pension Scheme and Gist Pension Scheme
BT Pension Scheme
EDF Energy Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme
Electricity Supply Pension Scheme
Ford Hourly Paid Contributory Pension Fund; Ford Salaried Contributory Pension Fund; and Ford Senior Staff Pension Fund
Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund
Prudential Staff Pension Scheme
Reed Elsevier Pension Scheme
Santander (UK) Group Pension Scheme
UK Power Networks Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme and UK Power Networks Pension Scheme
Professional negligence Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP's 'robust and creative team' is engaged on high-profile professional negligence disputes across the legal, engineering, construction and property sectors, where it is instructed by a raft of leading insurers. The team is commended for its international reach and for its experience in cross-border disputes. Head of insurance William Glassey regularly defends claims against solicitors, barristers, pensions actuaries and property professionals, while Michael Regan, who heads the construction and engineering group, is noted for complex construction-related claims. Sally Davies, who co-leads the construction and engineering professional indemnity team, is 'very client-friendly, and is able to steer a course between insurer and insured to deliver a result'. Elsewhere, Jim Oulton delivers 'really outstanding client care and legal advice', and James Morris, who was recently promoted to partner, and Jonathan Stone are experienced in construction-related claims.
Testimonials
Its advice is pragmatic, commercial and quick.
Sally Davies and James Morris are extremely knowledgeable, engaging and give very practical advice.
What really stands out is the team’s responsiveness and clear eye for detail.
Jim Oulton is extremely hands-on.
Tim Shepherd is always available and very easy to deal with.
Michael Regan is very commercial and is able to quickly get to the heart of the matter and find a solution.
Jim Oulton heads a strong team which is proactive.
The team is very responsive and quick to grasp the issues.
Key clients
QBE
Kier
BDO LLP
Markel
Graham Thompson
Beazley
Costain
Knight Frank LLP
AIG
Baker McKenzie
Structured products and securitisation Tier 2
Mayer Brown International LLP's London structured finance group plays a central role in the firm's global offering and has a key role in novel and complex transactions for leading investment banks and buy-side clients, including alternative credit providers, private equity houses and hedge funds. The firm is now on the panels of both Société Générale and BNP Paribas. Its track record of market firsts, notably in Scandinavian markets, and in novel asset classes such as dealer floorplan securitisations, continues to grow. Global practice co-heads David O’Connor, who handles CMBS and RMBS, and Dominic Griffiths, who frequently acts for leading global banks, are standout partners. Kevin Hawken is a US- and UK-qualified partner with extensive experience representing financial institutions and other participants in cross-border securitisation transactions. He also and has a keen focus on regulatory developments in the structured finance market. Newly promoted partner Merryn Craske works on trade receivables, auto loan and lease, consumer loan and insurance premium loan transactions, as well as CMBS and RMBS. Partner Dasha Sobornova, who acts for arrangers, investment managers, issuers and corporate service providers on a range of structured finance work, but has a particular focus on CLOs, joined from Paul Hastings LLP.
Testimonials
“The firm has global reach that is near unparalleled, and high technical expertise, which is a particular advantage in complex multi-jurisdictional, off-balance sheet transactions.”
“The lawyers are very commercial and have great relationships with their clients. They take the time to understand the business of their clients.”
“David O’Connor is a brilliant partner. He is responsive and commercial and has great market and technical knowledge. He is very good at breaking down complex matters into a digestible form.”
“Merryn Craske is a ‘go-to’ expert in trade receivables securitisation and is very personable.”
“Kevin Hawken, David O’Connor and Merryn Craske are all highly responsive and effective communicators. They provide value-added and high-quality legal and regulatory analysis. They are also highly commercial.”
” Dominic Griffith has an excellent depth of knowledge across the entire spectrum of banking and finance law. He combines an incredible business sense with a first class strategic approach.”
Key clients
BNP Paribas
Citigroup
HSBC
Morgan Stanley
NatWest Markets
Northcross Capital
Commercial litigation Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP's 'team is strong and has good cross border capability'. It acts for clients in commercial litigation across a number of industries, such as finance, manufacturing, telecoms, consumer products, energy and media. Ian McDonald heads the litigation and dispute resolution practice in London; pensions litigation practice head Stuart Pickford is particularly focused on commercial trusts, with his practice also including shareholder disputes and warranty claims; and Miles Robinson is recommended for substantial contractual and commercial litigation court claims, often with a cross-border element. Also key to the practice are Mark Stefanini, Alistair Graham and counsel Dan Hart . Well known white-collar partner Sam Eastwood and Jason Hungerford were hired from Norton Rose Fulbright.
Testimonials
‘Miles Robinson is a strong litigation team manager with good judgement‘.
Key clients
Société Générale
Panama Canal Authority
Principal Global Investors
HSBC
UBS
ECOM Agrotrade
Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund Trustees
Unilever
Contruction: non-contentious Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP's non-contentious team advises a prestigious client list comprising purchasers, lenders, project sponsors, contractors and suppliers, covering sectors including commercial and residential property, energy and waste. The non-contentious practice is headed up by Jonathan Olson-Welsh, who has expertise in construction and engineering contracts and leads on development and project transactions, both domestically and internationally. Jonathan Hosie is a key member of the practice, working on a diversity of projects and acting as lead partner on major matters. Chris Fellowes retired from the partnership as of December 2018 and now serves as a consultant to the firm.
Key clients
Wolf Minerals
Gardiner & Theobald
Panama Canal Authority
British Land
St George
Equity capital markets – mid-large cap Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP has seen a litany of cross-border instructions in the insurance, life sciences and tech sectors, though the team's geographical reach has of late been a larger generator of work than its sector specialisms. With a particularly strong foothold in the US and Canada, an active Asia-Pacific network, and a partner with extensive experience in the Spanish market (Robert Flanigan), the ECM team has managed to stay busy despite a relative slowdown in certain markets worldwide. Also recommended are Kate Ball-Dodd, who has 'an amazing grip on the technical aspects of law and their practical application', and Rebecca Bothamley, 'a junior partner who can run a transaction like a senior partner'.
Testimonials
‘A client-focused team providing high-quality advice.‘
‘Kate Ball-Dodd is commercial, thorough, thoughtful and an absolutely lovely person; there’s no ego there.‘
Key clients
Investec Bank plc
Liberbank, S.A.
Numis Securities Limited
Peel Hunt LLP
Entertainment One Limited
Metrovacesa, S.A.
St Modwen Properties
Helical plc
Promotora de Informaciones, S.A.
GW Pharmaceuticals
EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs Tier 3
Operating as an integrated wider trade group globally, Mayer Brown International LLP’s government and global trade team focuses on advice concerning economic sanctions laws, export controls, customs, and trade remedy investigations. Apart from its traditional client base of large multinational companies, the team has also been receiving compliance-focused instructions concerning the application of WTO agreements from governmental bodies. While London-based team members have dual UK and US qualifications, the department also works extensively with its Asian counterpart. Having joined from Norton Rose Fulbright in July 2018, Jason Hungerford currently heads the practice, where associates Paul Whitfield-Jones and James Ford are also key contacts.
Key clients
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association
Fintech Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP's fintech group acts for global financial institutions, asset managers, technology companies and start-ups and has expertise advising on cloud-related outsourcing agreements, blockchain projects and smart contracts, data protection and intellectual property risks in the development of new platforms and services. The firm generally has strong corporate practices, and in the fintech space the team has experience advising on significant investment transaction, acquisitions and IPOs. Mark Prinsley assists clients across the spectrum of fintech with IP, outsourcing, cyber security and data privacy matters.
Key clients
HSBC
The Bank of New York Mellon
Grant Thornton
T Rowe Price
Previse
Mitie plc
Overmore Group
High yield Tier 3
The high yield practice at Mayer Brown International LLP focuses on high yield deals in the German market, bringing to bear the English, US and German law expertise housed in its London office. In 2018, the firm's work included advising debut issuers, which included acting for Raffinerie Heide on its inaugural offering of €250m high yield senior secured notes. It also advised repeat issuers including Germany-based Progroup, for which it handled deals including its offering of €450m senior secured high yield notes. Practice head Bernd Bohr and his team are 'very technical, detail-oriented, diligent, fast and pleasant to work with'. Bohr has a long-standing reputation for his work on innovative deals, including market-first high yield transactions in Germany.
Testimonials
“We deal with Mayer Brown mainly through Bernd Bohr for german High Yield transactions and he is highly knowledgeable for US-law related matters and always extremely professional and available.”
“The firm has a strong focus upon delivery and time to market, and provides state-of-the-art documentation and high-quality German law advice.”
“The high yield practice offers an unrivalled ability to complete deals in demanding timetables and responds quickly to changing circumstances.”
“Bernd Bohr was extremely proficient at guiding us through the process as a first-time issuer. He provided the right level of follow up both before, during and after the issue, and he brings a great deal of industry expertise.”
Key clients
Klesch Group
Raffinerie Heide
Progroup
JH-Holding
Wepa Hygieneprodukte
Deutsche Bank
Insurance and reinsurance litigation Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP advises insurers on disputes across a variety of insurance sectors, including multi-jurisdictional coverage, warranty and indemnity policies, D&O, transactional liability and cyber insurance. Practice head William Glassey has particular expertise in professional indemnity, while Jane Childs specialises on financial lines and transactional liability claims. After a number of departures in 2017 and 2018, the firm reaffirmed its commitment to the sector with the promotion of two partners - James Whitaker and James Morris.
Testimonials
‘The firm has genuine expertise of the insurance sector‘
‘The individuals I have worked with at the firm are very knowledgeable’
Key clients
Chubb Insurance Company of Europe SE
Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) SE
Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe Limited
Novae
Liberty Specialty Markets
QBE
Chaucer
Zurich
Resolute Management Services Limited (formerly Equitas)
XL Catlin
Insurance: corporate and regulatory Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP's activity in the insurance sphere is focused on M&A, longevity insurance swap transactions, protection (re)insurance policies and catastrophe bonds. The practice is led by Colin Scagell, who has 'a wealth of knowledge' in insurance linked security (ILS) transactions and is 'friendly, knowledgeable, accessible and responsive' - providing an 'exemplary client service'. 2018 was a fruitful year for the team, as it was bolstered with the addition of 'outstanding insurance and corporate finance lawyer' Jeremy Hill, who joined as a senior counsel from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, while Rebecca Bothamley was promoted to the partnership. The 'exceptionally collaborative' Jane Childs heads up the firm’s UK pensions risk transfer group.
Testimonials
‘A very strong technically capable team, with real focus on collaboration – a very solutions-focused style.
‘The team’s industry knowledge always ensures they deliver an end product that is exactly what is needed.’
‘Able to offer value on our transactions by simplifying the structure of deals.’
‘I have a lot of time for Colin Scagell. He is always on the ball, enthusiastic and keen to help. He knows what he is talking about and knows the industry well.’
‘Jeremy Hill is an outstanding insurance and corporate finance lawyer with vast experience in the Lloyd’s market. When M&A deals come along both sides will want to be the first to appoint him. Definitely in the top three practitioners in his field.’
‘Rebecca Bothamley is honest, pragmatic, and provides and market insight. She has shown a lot of flexibility delivering a product that best fits our requirements.’
‘Jane Childs has an exceptionally collaborative style, with a solutions focused approach.’
‘Colin Scagell is commercial yet very knowledgeable. Easy to deal with but committed and focused.’
Key clients
Beazley plc
Aspen
EU Lotto
The Hartford
Tokio Millennium Re
The Hanover
KD Group/Adriatica Slovenica
Peel Hunt LLP
Chubb
Brit Limited
IT and telecoms Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP is recognised for its expertise in IT outsourcings, insurance technology transactions and cybersecurity and data protection advice; it also has particular knowledge of the financial services sector. Outsourcing specialist Mark Prinsley, corporate partner Richard Page and Andrew Stewart, who assists suppliers and customers with commercial IT transactions, jointly lead the practice, while Oliver Yaros focuses on fintech and digital transformation projects.
Key clients
HSBC
Mitie plc
The Bank of New York Mellon
Grant Thornton
T Rowe Price
Overmore Group
Corney & Barrow
Previse
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Omega Pharma/Perrigo
Emasan AG
Interoute Communications
ARM
Media and entertainment (including media finance) Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP acts for clients across the music, film, TV, publishing, gaming and information services industries. The team is noted for its contentious expertise; it handles contractual and commercial claims, often with a cross-border element. It is also experienced in publishing and music industry disputes and has advised on contentious music royalties cases. On the corporate side, the team handles corporate finance, M&A, joint venture and governance instructions; it advised Entertainment One on its acquisition of a 49% stake in The Mark Gordon Company, a leading TV and film producer, and also advised on a related placing to raise proceeds to part fund the acquisition. The firm is also instructed by major corporate clients and financial institutions on data privacy, advertising and social media issues.
Testimonials
The team is commercially aware and is able to handle complex work.
Key clients
Hachette
Village Roadshow
Entertainment One
Overmore Group
Wolters Kluwer
HSBC
Modern Times Group
Promotora de Informaciones, S.A.
Perrigo
Pensions: dispute resolution Tier 3
The client list of Mayer Brown International LLP’s 'extremely intelligent' pensions team includes the trustees of some of the largest schemes in the market, with a particular emphasis on the energy, electricity, financial services and retail sectors. Significant recent mandates have involved high-value longevity swap transactions, ring-fencing arrangements, investment advice, funding arrangements and multi-employer scheme administration. The firm fields a strong suite of litigators who are regularly instructed on contentious matters relating to entitlement claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, historical errors, employer obligations and proceedings before the Pensions Ombudsman. The practice is co-headed by Ian Wright and Jay Doraisamy; other key team members include Edward Jewitt, Richard Evans, Richard Goldstein and Andrew Block.
Testimonials
‘The extremely intelligent team at Mayer Brown provides insightful and prompt advice, especially when dealing with complicated issues with hard deadlines‘
‘Punctilious and pragmatic‘
‘A very sensible and pragmatic team‘
‘Beth Brown provides fast, intelligent and pragmatic advice. You can’t ask for a better service.‘
‘The team is approachable and able to apply legal issues in a practical way‘
‘Giles Bywater provides advice that is well considered and practical‘
‘Andrew Block has strong interpersonal skills, sound judgement and is overall an excellent lawyer‘
‘Ian Wright has a wide and deep knowledge of all legal and non-legal matters associated with UK pensions‘.
‘Beverly Cox is easy to work with and a safe pair of hands‘
‘A good team with broad experience and strength in depth‘
Key clients
Pension Protection Fund
Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund Trustees Limited
Massey Ferguson Works Pension Trust Limited
Kingfisher Pension Trustee Limited
Santander (UK) Group Pension Scheme Trustees Limited
JMEPS Trustees Limited
Prudential Staff Pensions Limited
BOC Pension Scheme Trustees Limited
EDF Energy ESPS Trustee Limited
Express Newspapers Pension Trustees Limited
Private equity: transactions – mid-tier – up to £250m Tier 3
'Excellent service' is combined with 'the hunger, ambition and hustle that magic circle firms or larger global firms often lack' at Mayer Brown International LLP , according to one client. The group regularly acts for players in the mid-market PE space on both the buy and sell side and is supported by a strong leveraged finance practice, which offers valuable input on debt-financed transactions. While the firm boasts expertise across numerous sectors, practitioners have a keen focus on technology and often assist on deals involving tech-enabled businesses. Highlights included group head Perry Yam leading on the £221m acquisition of ByBox by Francisco Partners. ByBox provides innovative smart locker technology and field service solutions to improve the efficiency of supply chains across numerous sectors. Other key mandates involve the travel, retail and consumer sectors. James West is strongly recommended for mid-market buyouts, venture capital work and advising both investors and management teams on buy-and-build strategies. Also noteworthy are Tim Nosworthy and new partner Neil Evans; Evans arrived from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in February 2018.
Testimonials
‘Perry Yam Is an action-oriented senior partner with a ruthless focus on getting to an actionable piece of advice and applying decades of experience to demystify and resolve complex topics. He sets extremely high standards‘.
‘James West is trusted and pragmatic; he is a low-ego, high-energy individual‘.
‘The team is very strong in mid-market deals, with a strong commercial focus‘.
‘James West is a fantastic lawyer to work with. He is very responsive and able to address issues in a commercial way. Perry Yam leads the team and provides clear direction as to what is important‘.
‘What makes this firm different is its offering of partner-led advice supported by a strong junior team and international presence through its own offices, rather than through relationships with other firms‘.
‘Perry Yam is an experienced PE lawyer who is commercial and gets involved in key decisions. Neil Evans is very dedicated and always available to speak‘.
Key clients
Vitruvian Partners
EMK Capital
Francisco Partners
Stirling Square Capital Partners
L Catterton
Sovereign Capital
CBPE Capital
Equistone
Star Capital Partners
Magnetar
C5 Capital Partners
Volpi NHIG Europe
Aurelius Investments
Blue Gem
Product liability: defendant Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP's team has considerable experience in the food, consumer products, automotive, energy and medical devices sectors. The team stands out for its close collaboration with the firm's other departments, which enables the group to provide comprehensive advice on construction, IP and regulatory aspects in the product liability space. Miles Robinson heads the practice and is a key contact for group actions, as well as recall, labelling and regulatory issues. Other team members include Mark Stefanini and recently promoted partner James Morris.
Testimonials
‘The team comprises of trusted advisers, who are responsive and provide business-oriented solutions.’
‘Mayer Brown has expert knowledge and a calm approach.’
‘Miles Robinson is a great listener and gives considered advice that is commercially savvy.’
Key clients
Perrigo
Sunseeker International
Property finance Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP is active in loan portfolio financings, including NPL acquisitions and disposals, complex restructurings, development finance, and debt fund and mezzanine lending. The team is also noted for its CMBS expertise. Clients range from leading investment banks to an increasing number of private equity firms, and the firm has been particularly active representing Asian investors into the UK real estate market. Nigel White and Andrew Hepner, whose practice is focused on sponsor-side transactions, jointly lead the team. The ‘commercial‘ David O’Connor is also a key contact.
Testimonials
‘The team is very responsive, always on top of matters and runs a very tight ship.‘
‘David O’Conner is very responsive and is a very hands-on partner who will always be on top of things.‘
‘The team is commercial, has excellent market and technical knowledge, and is creative.’
‘David O’Connor is very strong, always accessible, and has deep understanding of the important issues.‘
Key clients
Citigroup Global Markets Ltd
Morgan Stanley
HSBC
Gaw Capital Partners
St Modwen
TD Asset Management
H.I.G Capital
Canary Wharf Group
Finsbury Tower Estates Limited/CIT
Bank of America
Cheyne Capital
JP Morgan
Trade finance Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP joins the ranking this year, having invested in specialist trade finance expertise to build up the depth of expertise in its London office. Partner and emerging markets expert Ashley McDermott joined from Clifford Chance LLP to join practice head and co-head of asset-based lending Alex Dell in a practice that works for banks, funds, corporates and players in the fintech sector in relation to complex global receivables finance structures. Among their clients are ING, Africa Finance Corporation, Klesch Group and Credit Agricole. The firm's recent work includes off-balance sheet receivables purchase facilities in relation to receivables originated in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Romania, South Korea and the UAE. It has in-depth expertise in the increasingly important areas of export and agency finance, and structured trade and commodity finance.
Testimonials
‘We have always found them to be very responsive.’
‘Ash McDermott is an excellent lawyer – proactive , practical and a very good negotiator. He has deep knowledge and experience in both trade finance and project finance.’
Key clients
ING Bank
Africa Finance Corporation
Klesch Group
Raffinerie Heide
Credit Agricole
VAT and indirect tax Tier 3
Mayer Brown International LLP is able to draw on its international tax practice to handle indirect tax matters for a variety of corporates in relation to their investments in the UK. The group has a strong cross-border practice and has particular expertise in VAT and insurance premium tax for financial services clients, as well as a strong grounding in VAT and SDLT in the real estate sector. James Hill heads the department and is supported by Ben Fryer (who has international tax experience) and Simon Rose, who joined the firm from Michelmores LLP in November 2018, and doubles as a chartered tax adviser.
Key clients
The British Land Company plc
Chelsfield Properties
First Base
Macquarie Capital
Manhattan Garments Group
Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans Tier 4
Co-headed by the 'very experienced' Alex Dell and Dominic Griffiths, who both have an excellent pedigree for asset-based lending, Mayer Brown International LLP's banking and finance team excels at handling partner-led, bespoke mandates. Aided by a comprehensive international network which includes practitioners based in other key global financial centres including Hong Kong and New York, much of the team's work is of a multi-jurisdictional nature and often includes UK and US-governed debt products. UK, US and German-qualified partner, Bernd Bohr, impresses clients with his 'ability to personally cover the full spectrum of lending products in Europe', including as it relates to bond and loan transactions. Other niche areas of expertise include real estate finance and funds finance.
Key clients
Francisco Partners Management
Commercial contracts Tier 4
Mayer Brown International LLP specialises in complex and multi-jurisdictional outsourcing transactions for clients in areas including information technology, finance, human resources, procurement and telecoms. The firm is particularly experienced in handling domestic and international sourcing contracts in the financial services sectors. Mark Prinsley is head of the intellectual property and IT group, as well as the technology transactions practice. He leads the team with Andrew Stewart, who focuses on complex commercial transactions.
Key clients
HSBC
Thomson Reuters
BNY Mellon
Mitie
Deutsche Bank
CNA Hardy
The Kraft Heinz Company
Zurich Insurance Company Limited
AT&T
Nomura
Commercial property: hotels and leisure Tier 4
The highly regarded commercial property practice at Mayer Brown International LLP is 'well resourced, incredibly capable and commercial'. On the corporate occupier side, it represents both landlords and tenants on headquarter relocations and post-property acquisition leasing transactions, and is also reputed for its handling of large mixed use schemes. Development-related strengths include land acquisition, site assembly and structuring, planning and statutory issues, tendering and procurement, development constraints strategy and environmental issues. Firmwide managing partner Jeremy Clay is a key name on the investment side and primarily represents private equity funds, though the group also acts for property companies, family offices and overseas investors. Martin Wright recently acted for First Base Limited, Macquarie Capital and Chelsfield Properties on the sale of The Silvertown Partnership to a joint venture vehicle between Lendlease and Starwood Capital. Iain Roberts is recommended for high-value investment transactions and mixed use property developments while Caroline Humble is another standout name.
Testimonials
‘Very high quality; exceptional availability and thoughtful approach.’
‘Exceptional quality of personnel around the whole team. Highly commercial and effective.’
‘Diligent, knowledgeable and highly commercial.’
‘A well resourced and incredibly capable team who are highly commercial.’
‘Excellent at giving strategic advice and structuring complex deals. Always commercially aware.’
‘Outstanding strategic advice on complex transactions – Jeremy Clay is particularly recommended.’
‘They have a number of talented junior lawyers who provide a strong service’.
‘Martin Wright is very adept at understanding our key commercial objectives. He is able to strike a sensible and pragmatic balance between covering the detail and ensuring our commercial property transactions progress expeditiously.’
‘Very strong commercially, ability to think round corners in extremely complicated scenarios.’
‘Chris Harvey has excellent skills and always provides great partner time.’
Key clients
Gaw Capital Partners
Butterfly Hotels Group
TD Asset Management
CTF Hotels
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Capital
Reignwood International
Langham Hotels International
Nan Fung
Westmont Hospitality Group
Employee share schemes Tier 4
Mayer Brown International LLP's equity and incentive plans team, which is led by Andrew Stanger, leverages the firm's international office network to advise clients on share schemes globally, with expertise including tax, securities, stock exchange rules, exchange control regulations and governance. The group has a particular focus on private company arrangements and arrangements in private equity structures. International work includes share plans for dual-listed companies and UK companies listed on US exchanges.
Environment Tier 4
Mayer Brown International LLP advises clients from the oil and gas, energy, health and safety, biotechnology, chemicals and finance sectors; it also has particular expertise in acting for companies and financial institutions in the real estate, energy and sustainability sectors. The team has experience in advising on environmental regulations and renewables incentives regimes, as well as matters related to emissions trading. Practice head Michael Hutchinson also assist high-net-worth individuals with the environmental aspects of real estate transactions.
Key clients
Dow Chemicals Group
Solvay
H.I.G. Capital
Ascott International
Brookfield
Klesch & Company
Crosstree Real Estate Partners
Oxford Biodynamics
Chelsfield
Chuang’s China Investments
Financial services: contentious Tier 4
The multijurisidictional regulatory practice at Mayer Brown International LLP provides a range of regulatory, enforcement, litigation, transactional and policy capabilities. The firm has particular expertise in complex regulatory compliance issues, including around the implementation and key aspects of MiFID II and MiFIR. In addition, the practice advises a number of funds, broker dealers and corporates on issues such as financial crime and market abuse. Susan Rosser specialises in disputes involving financial institutions, asset managers and investment advisers, as well as complex financial products, regulatory investigations and enforcement. She co-leads the contentious team with Alistair Graham, who is a solicitor advocate and has notable experience in financial services disputes, international asset tracing, regulatory and fraud investigations.
Infrastructure (including PFI and PPP) Tier 4
Mayer Brown International LLP fields a team of experienced lawyers, who are regularly instructed to advise on infrastructure transactions. The group is noted for its construction and engineering expertise, assisting governments, purchasers and suppliers from a variety of sectors. Practice head Michael Regan and Sally Davies are key contacts in this area, with both particularly well versed in contentious matters. It is also involved in various international project financings and in transactions in the oil & gas sector. Jonathan Stone, Jonathan Olson-Welsh and counsel Tamsin Travers are also part of the construction & engineering group.
Key clients
Costain
UniCredit Bank
EBRD
International arbitration Tier 4
Mayer Brown International LLP's 'excellent, client-oriented and available practice' fields arbitration experts in post-M&A, international joint venture and energy-related disputes and investment treaty matters. Head of the international arbitration group in London Raid Abu-Manneh is also co-head of the global group; Kwadwo Sarkodie regularly advises on international arbitrations under the ICC, UNCITRAL and LCIA rules; and Miles Robinson represents clients in substantial contractual and commercial claims, often with a cross-border element. Also highly regarded are Mark Stefanini and James Morris, while Joseph Otoo and Rachael O’Grady are experienced senior associates. Tom Duncan left for Ashurst.
Testimonials
‘The team has special expertise in construction disputes all over the world‘.
‘Raid Abu-Manneh deserves special mention for his exceptional ability‘.
‘Kwadwo Sarkodie is an impressive legal expert in this field‘.
‘Senior associate Rachael O’Grady is successful because of her commitment, research skills, writing ability and judgement‘.
Oil and gas Tier 4
Mayer Brown International LLP is best known for its cross-border M&A and fundraising capabilities in the oil and gas upstream sector. The team handles both public and private M&A and debt and equity fundraising, as well as M&A within the refining space. Also notable is the firm's track record in the fields of dispute resolution, environmental, regulatory and legislative matters across all segments of the industry. Robert Hamill, who has notable expertise in acting for listed companies, leads the team, which was strengthened by the arrival of Bob Palmer, the former head of the energy, projects and construction team at CMS. Chris Fellowes recently retired from the profession.
Key clients
Eland Oil & Gas Plc
Velocys plc
Klesch & Company Limited
EF Realisation Company Limited (50% Shareholder in Lonestar Energy Resources Inc (Nasdaq)
Cummins Power Generation Ltd.
Salamander Solutions
Acquisition finance Tier 5
Effectively drawing upon practitioners from within the firm's asset based lending, structured and funds finance teams, as well as its core leveraged finance offering, Mayer Brown International LLP provides a 'responsive and proactive service' to an impressive mix of banks, funds and alternative lenders. Andrew Crotty has a strong reputation within the mid-market private equity space. Stuart Brinkworth has bolstered the team's prowess on the direct lending front following his arrival in 2018 from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.
Key clients
Francisco Partners Management
Corporate restructuring & insolvency Tier 5
Provided with additional bandwidth and critical mass by the arrival in June 2019 of Michael Fiddy and Amy Jacks from DLA Piper, Mayer Brown International LLP 's six-partner team represents a broad mix of stakeholders, including funds, corporate trustees, insolvency practitioners, and banks across a range of contentious and non-contentious mandates. Team head Devi Shah is 'extremely pleasant to work with and provides reliable advice' across both domestic and cross-border mandates, with particular niches on insurance insolvencies and pensions-related restructurings.
Testimonials
‘A closely knit long-serving team of very experienced insolvency and restructuring lawyers.’
‘The team has a clear understanding of the requirements for both distressed and transactions falling into enforcement.’
‘It is an excellent team which works to achieve the aims of the client whilst taking into account the commerciality of the situation.’
Key clients
BDO
Ernst & Young
Alteri Investors
HSBC
Trustees of Mothercare pension schemes
Pension Protection Fund
Grant Thornton
Wilmington Trust
US Bank Trustees
FTI
EU and competition Tier 5
Mayer Brown International LLP 's global antitrust and competition practice is active across four continents, with all of the offices working closely together. Headed up by David Harrison, the London-based team works in conjunction with the offices in Brussels and Paris. Team members often cooperate with the litigation and dispute resolution department on contentious competition matters. While the team has a strength in behavioural work, a big portion of instructions comes from clients seeking merger control assistance. Worthy of note in this regard, the group is advising Unilever on a number of issues including the sale of its French baking business to Dr. Oetker. Other notable clients are active in the private equity and investment space, as well as in a wide-ranging spectrum of sectors such as aviation, energy, financial services, retail, and manufacturing. Julian Ellison is another key figure in the practice.
Key clients
Unilever
Moody’s Corporation
Cummins
Vitruvian Partners
Francisco Partners
Fraud: civil Tier 5
Mayer Brown International LLP handles litigation, dispute resolution, and restructuring and insolvency, and is able to pursue fraud claims throughout the world thanks to the firm's global network of offices across Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. Areas of expertise include multi-jurisdictional fraud, asset recovery, fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of trust, Ponzi scheme busting, injunctions and freezing orders. Clients include banks, insolvency practitioners, lenders, pension trustees and corporates in the financial services, retail, energy and life sciences sectors. Devi Shah and Alistair Graham head the team, which was joined by Sam Eastwood and Jason Hungerford from Norton Rose Fulbright.
Key clients
UBS AG
Principal Global Investors LLC
BDO LLP
Sunseeker London Limited
KBC Bank
Private funds Tier 5
Characterised by one client as 'proactive, business-friendly, excellent at negotiating and focused on problem solving', Mayer Brown International LLP's fund formation and investment management department acts for start-up investment management and family investment firms on both first time and subsequent fund formation matters. It is also known for its strong expertise in real estate private equity funds, where it tends to represent larger asset managers. The firm continues to expand its pension fund offering with experts assembled from different practice areas, all of whom boast a specialist knowledge of pension clients. Tim Nosworthy is practice head and key contact.
Testimonials
‘The team is very approachable and we know we can always phone them to discuss how a piece of work would best be scoped. The partners will draw in the relevant individuals for each piece of work from around the firm‘.
‘Duncan Watson pulls the stops out to complete instructions within even very tight deadlines. He looks at legal questions analytically without making assumptions and thereby achieves better outcomes‘.
Key clients
AEW Europe
British Telecom Pension Scheme
Electricity Supply Pension Scheme
Heitman NoPension Protection Fund
Principal Financial Group
USAA Real Estate
Varde Partner
Corporate tax Tier 6
The group at Mayer Brown International LLP works closely with the firm's international offices, primarily providing transactional support. In addition, it is often called upon to advise on tax planning and structuring work, which it can provide across several jurisdictions. It has a particular niche in the taxation of employee share incentives, an area of expertise for department leader James Hill.
Key clients
British Land
CPPIB
Entertainment One
The Halifax Group
National Grid Pension Scheme Trustees
Unilever
M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £500m+ Tier 6
Mayer Brown International LLP's corporate practice handles M&A transactions across a broad array of sectors, including financial services, energy and natural resources, media, manufacturing and healthcare, with a particular leaning towards real-estate transactions. In addition to public and private companies, the firm frequently acts for financial sponsors on transaction structuring, asset sale and purchases and joint ventures. In addition, the team is experienced in working with senior management, boards of directors and committees on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions. The multi-jurisdictional aspect of the practice's work is facilitated through a strong network of international offices, with colleagues from the US, Germany, France and Hong Kong all regularly collaborating on deals. Perry Yam co-heads the global corporate practice from London, while Kate Ball-Dodd leads the London corporate practice. The firm boosted its ranks with the hire of senior counsel Jeremy Hill from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, who is highly experienced in insurance and financial institutions transactions.
Testimonials
‘A highly responsive and partner-led approach, with a focus on the commercial issues that matter. Able to be strong or aggressive if required but equally happy to be consensual‘
‘A really nice low-key ‘get on with it’ approach‘
‘Strong technical knowledge, combined with a commercial approach. Easy to work with, on top of the details and deliver a great service time and again‘
‘Kate Ball-Dodd is an outstanding lawyer who combines huge technical knowledge and experience with pragmatism and a proper understanding of the real world‘
‘Kate Ball-Dodd is a very strong lawyer, with excellent technical abilities combined with a straightforward commercial approach that makes transactions flow‘
‘Richard Page focuses on the issues that matter and is able to be strong when required and consensual when necessary‘
‘Richard Page is an outstanding counsel who has built a small but strong team around him. He is highly intelligent but always user friendly and commercial and is and usually one step ahead of others in the room‘
Key clients
ARM Holdings
Emasan AG
Entertainment One Limited
British Land
Mitie
Shearwater Group Plc
Sumitomo Metal Mining
Unilever
Universal Coal plc
Wilmcote Holdings plc
Mayer Brown International LLP > Firm Profile
Mayer Brown is a leading global law firm with offices in major cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The firm: The firm is known for its client-focused approach and ability to provide creative solutions to complex problems on behalf of businesses, governments and individuals. The firm’s London office has looked after the needs of clients in the City and beyond since 1895. In Brazil, the firm has an association with Tauil & Chequer Advogados. This presence in the world’s leading markets for legal services enables Mayer Brown to offer clients access to local market knowledge combined with global reach. Mayer Brown serves many of the world’s largest companies, including a significant proportion of the Fortune 100, FTSE 100, DAX and Hang Seng Index companies, together with global leaders in major industries and more than half of the world’s largest banks.
Types of work undertaken:Banking and finance: this is a founding practice of Mayer Brown and one of the firm’s signature strengths. The firm has significant experience in structured finance and has been at the forefront of the markets for securitisation and other structured products since their inception. The firm is also highly distinguished in all aspects of domestic and cross-border financing transactions, including leveraged finance, asset-based lending, fund finance, debt capital markets (including emerging markets and high yield), project finance, real estate finance, derivatives and tax-based lending. The practice also provides a complete financial restructuring service.
Corporate and securities: corporate and securities law is a core global practice at Mayer Brown. In the UK, the firm is known for its strong public and private M&A practice and well-regarded corporate finance team, with its extensive experience in the international capital markets. The domestic and international experience of the practice includes private equity, corporate governance, investment funds, financial services regulation, joint ventures and outsourcing.
Litigation and dispute resolution: litigation is the firm’s largest practice, with more than 450 lawyers globally handling complex, cross-border litigation for a wide variety of clients. The firm has extensive experience in dealing with financial and banking disputes, insolvency and restructuring issues, disputes affecting the global construction industry, and all aspects of insurance and reinsurance. The practice has dedicated teams advising on commercial litigation, international commercial arbitration and all types of dispute resolution.
Other specialist groups: other practices and industry groups also well-respected in the UK legal market and internationally, and with several recognised leading lawyers, include: competition, construction and engineering, employment, energy, environment, financial institutions, financial services regulatory and enforcement, insurance and reinsurance, IP/IT, mining, pensions, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, and tax.
Graduate recruitment: please see www.mayerbrown.com/careers or mayerbrownfutures.com.
Mayer Brown International LLP operates in combination with its associated Illinois limited liability partnerships, a SELAS established in France, a Hong Kong partnership, and its associated entities in Asia, and is associated with Tauil & Chequer Advogados, a Brazilian law partnership.
Other offices: Americas: Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Palo Alto, Washington DC.
Asia: Bangkok, Beijing, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore.
Europe: Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Paris.
Middle East: Dubai
Associated law firms: Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo (Tauil & Chequer Advogados).
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London senior partner | Sally Davies | ||
| Antitrust and competition | David Harrison | ||
| Banking and finance | Edmund Parker | ||
| Construction and engineering | Michael Regan | ||
| Corporate | Kate Ball-Dodd | ||
| Employment | Nicholas Robertson | ||
| Environment | Michael Hutchinson | ||
| Financial services, regulatory and enforcement | Chris Chapman | ||
| Insurance/reinsurance | William Glassey | ||
| Intellectual property | Mark Prinsley | ||
| Litigation and dispute resolution | Ian McDonald | ||
| Pensions | Ian Wright | ||
| Real estate | Martin Wright | ||
| Restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency | Devi Shah | ||
| Tax | James Hill |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mr Raid Abu-Manneh | View Profile | |
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Mr Chris Arnold | View Profile | |
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Ms Kate Ball-Dodd | View Profile | |
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Mr Bernd Bohr | View Profile | |
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Mr Chris Chapman | View Profile | |
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Ms Jane Childs | View Profile | |
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Mr Jeremy Clay | View Profile | |
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Mr Ian Coles | View Profile | |
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Ms Sally Davies | View Profile | |
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Mr Alex Dell | View Profile | |
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Sam Eastwood | View Profile | |
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Michael Fiddy | View Profile | |
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Mr Christopher Fisher | View Profile | |
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Mr Simon Fisher | View Profile | |
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Mr Robert (Rob) Flanigan | View Profile | |
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Mr Will Glassey | View Profile | |
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Mr Alistair Graham | View Profile | |
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Mr Dominic Griffiths | View Profile | |
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Mr Robert Hamill | View Profile | |
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Mr David M. Harrison | View Profile | |
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Mr Chris Harvey | View Profile | |
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Mr Kevin Hawken | View Profile | |
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Mr Jonathan Hosie | View Profile | |
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Caroline Humble | View Profile | |
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Jason Hungerford | View Profile | |
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Amy Jacks | View Profile | |
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Mr Ian McDonald | View Profile | |
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James Morris | View Profile | |
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Mr Tim Nosworthy | View Profile | |
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Jonathan Olson-Welsh | View Profile | |
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Mr Jim Oulton | View Profile | |
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Mr David O’connor | View Profile | |
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Mr Richard Page | View Profile | |
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Mr Edmund "Ed" Parker | View Profile | |
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Stuart Pickford | View Profile | |
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Mr Mark Prinsley | View Profile | |
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Mr Michael Regan | View Profile | |
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Iain Roberts | View Profile | |
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Mr Nick Robertson | View Profile | |
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Miles Robinson | View Profile | |
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Susan Rosser | View Profile | |
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Kwadwo Sarkodie | View Profile | |
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Ms Devi Shah | View Profile | |
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Mr Gary Silverman | View Profile | |
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Ms Rachel Speight | View Profile | |
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Mark Stefanini | View Profile | |
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Mr Andrew Stewart | View Profile | |
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Jonathan Stone | View Profile | |
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Mr James Taylor | View Profile | |
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Jessica Walker | View Profile | |
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James Whitaker | View Profile | |
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Mr Nigel White | View Profile | |
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Mr Nigel Wright | View Profile | |
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Mr Ian Wright | View Profile | |
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Mr Martin Wright | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 86 Number of other UK fee-earners : 160Student (The Lex 100 )
The Lex 100 Verdict
The training at Mayer Brown 'is far superior to other firms'. Many chose the international firm because of its 'small trainee intake' and the 'guaranteed client secondments'. Respondents were pleased that 'partners and associates delivered training sessions' and felt that 'the training given at the beginning of each seat complemented the in-seat training received on a daily basis'. The approachability of colleagues meant that new recruits were 'learning loads from the get-go' as the firm 'listens to trainees' seat preferences and is very transparent about the process', making the work more enjoyable. It comes as no surprise then that 'the retention rate is high' as the 'in-depth foundation training' certainly pays off. Additionally, the 'quality of work is exceptional' with 'offices in all financial capitals' covering 'broad areas of expertise'. However, many felt that there was 'little emphasis on cutting-edge technology'. The long hours were also unpopular, but this is department dependent and 'expected in an international commercial law firm'. Hence, 'late nights and weekends in the office' sometimes feature. Best moments included 'closing a multi-billion dollar transaction', 'working on deals with only the partner' and the 'continuous client contact' that newbies experienced. Evidently, 'challenging and rewarding work' was enjoyed by many, as Mayer Brown encourages individuals to take on responsibility. The firm is a Lex 100 Winner in five categories: international secondments, vacation scheme, confidence of being kept on, quality of work and living up to expectations. If you want to work for a firm that 'recognises hard work' and 'gives you everything you need to progress quickly', consider Mayer Brown.Press Releases
Mayer Brown promotes seven to counsel in Asia
Mayer Brown promotes seven to counsel in Asia
Hong Kong, 21 November 2018 – Mayer Brown has announced the promotion of seven lawyers in Asia to counsel. The appointments are effective January 1, 2019.
Mayer Brown promotes five to partner in Asia
Mayer Brown promotes five to partner in Asia
Hong Kong, 21 November 2018 —Mayer Brown has announced the promotion of five lawyers in Asia to partner. The appointments are effective January 1, 2019.
Comparative Guides
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Hong Kong: Securitisation
Published: March 2020
Authors: Vincent Sum Shirley Huang
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Securitisation laws and regulations that may occur in Hong Kong.
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Germany: Lending & Secured Finance
Published: March 2020
Authors: Dr. Martin Heuber LLM
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Lending & Secured Finance laws and regulations that may occur in Germany.
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Hong Kong: Lending & Secured Finance
Published: March 2020
Authors: Francis Chen Tom Pugh Angie Chan Vienne Chan
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Lending & Secured Finance laws and regulations that may occur in Hong Kong.
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United States: Lending & Secured Finance
Published: March 2020
Authors: Jeffrey P. Taft Mae Rogers Kevin C. McDonald Brian Trust Sean T. Scott Christopher M. Chubb Steven D. Garden Jason Kirschner Joaquin M. C De Baca Youmi Kim Frederick C. Fisher Beth D. Vogel Jaime L. Gatenio
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Lending & Secured Finance laws and regulations that may occur in United States.
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United States: Energy: Oil & Gas
Published: December 2019
Authors: Jose Valera Robert F.(“Bob”) Gray, Jr. Ana Estrada Rebecca R. Seidl
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Energy laws and regulations that may occur in United States.
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