Firm Profile > Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP > Nottingham, England

Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP acts for a sizeable number of blue-chip UK and international clients in high-profile, business-critical cases. Led by Steve Dunseath, the team undertakes a significant amount of work for entities in the diversified industrials sector (which includes automotive, industrial engineering, chemicals and aerospace). Another cornerstone of the practice is in the sports and media space, where the work includes assistance with crisis and reputation management. The energy and utilities arena is another pillar of the practice; legal director Louise Howarth heads up the firm's UK energy regulatory disputes offering. Dunseath is the lead adviser on a number of civil fraud claims.

Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Nottingham-based corporate team, which is led by Jon Cox-Brown, has a standout reputation for corporate M&A and private equity transactions of the utmost complexity and significance for clients. It is particularly strong in matters with a nexus to sectors such as education, energy and natural resources, real estate M&A, TMT and diversified industrials. Cox-Brown is recommended for his knowledge about financial services and fintech-related deals. Matthew Hussey and Ian Moore are particularly experienced in technology sector transactions. Elsewhere, the group is a strong performer in capital markets matters, including IPOs and public takeovers. Multijurisdictional mandates form the bulk of the practice's work, and the firm's ability to leverage its international network is a significant value-add. Nick Blane, who heads up the commercial practice, has more than 25 years of experience handling IT, technology and outsourcing projects. Legal director Simon White is another notable individual.

Employment Tier 1

At Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, the 'always solid' team is particularly knowledgeable of the education, retail, transport, industrial engineering and financial services sectors. It undertakes a broad range of employment-related mandates for its 'prestigious client base', including industrial relations matters, cross-border outsourcing and business immigration advice. Tribunal claims are a keystone of the practice and are led by recently promoted partner Mark Pipkin. Practice head Mark Fletcher is highly recommended.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has an excellent reputation for its work on high-profile insolvencies and complex, multijurisdictional restructurings. Under the leadership of respected practice head Mark Wood, it has an outstanding track record in matters involving sectors such as retail, financial services, education, aerospace and leisure. Other areas of activity include energy, life sciences, diversified industrials and the public sector. Other key figures in Wood's group are principal associate Ian Gill , who is highly regarded for insolvency litigation and senior associate Douglas Highet, who handles both contentious and non-contentious assignments.

Intellectual property Tier 1

At Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, the team handles the gamut of contentious and non-contentious matters; its work includes advice on patents and copyrights, trade marks and comparative advertising, company names tribunal disputes and co-existence agreements. Team head Rupert Bent divides his time between the firm’s Nottingham and Birmingham office. The group acts for a mix of domestic and international clients, including those from industries such as retail, utilities, energy and sport.

IT and telecoms Tier 1

At Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, practice head Nick Blane is a go-to for a wide variety of commercial IT contracts, including system development, e-commerce, management arrangements, data protection, outsourcing, procurement and supply. In addition to serving the private sector, the firm also acts for many public sector clients, including central government departments, local government, policing institution and education bodies.

Private finance initiative (PFI) Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP plays roles on a wide variety of domestic and international projects, with the work spanning areas such as clean energy, oil and gas, transport and social infrastructure. In Nottingham, principal associate William Spickett advises the Department for Transport on rail franchise and rolling stock issues, and he also assists other clients with PFI and PF2 projects in the education, social housing and blue light sectors. Senior associate Mike Turner supports clients in global PPP and infrastructure projects; his projects experience has covered more than 25 countries.

Education Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP acts for academies, higher and further education institutions, and various schools. Nicola Bennison, who is the name to note, specialises in education-related Employment Tribunal matters, as well as student issues and regulatory challenges.

Banking and finance Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP  handles a broad range of banking work from Leeds, with the team working at a regional, national and international level. The firm sits on the panels of all national clearing banks. Kathryn Walters heads the team and has a particular strength in leveraged and structured finance work, as well as real estate investments. Paul Castle is also a key name for corporate lending, real estate finance and education finance mandates.

Banking and finance Tier 1

Led by the 'extremely commercial' Joanne Canning, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's seven-strong team advises a bank-focused client base across corporate lending, real estate finance and education finance matters. Leveraging the firm's strong clearing bank relationships, as well as receiving a considerable volume of instructions from challenger and local banks, the team is well-placed to advise on both local and UK-wide work. Associate Melissa Hellio is gaining a strong local reputation and is praised for her 'commercial outlook'.

Banking and finance Tier 1

With excellent strength in depth and international capabilities, the practice at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is led by the'strong' Patrick Davis and was recently strengthened by the arrival of legal director Ben Tumelty from DLA Piper UK LLP in November 2018 and two associates from Gowling WLG in August 2018. The firm's client roster includes lenders, private equity companies and a range of other large companies, which the team advises on leveraged finance transactions, equity finance matters, refinancing and M&A financing. Former partner Richard Davies left to join Handelsbanken Capital Markets in June 2018.

Banking litigation Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP  has a specialist banking litigation team in Birmingham which focuses on high-profile work relating to lending, financing, wealth management, mis-selling and negligence. As well as its well-established relationships with major banks, the firm also has also built a reputation for its work for challenger banks, while the team also handles international work out of Birmingham. Chris Busby, who leads the practice, is and also UK head of financial services disputes and investigations. Neville Gray is another key figure and works on investigations and regulatory advice. Other notable names include principal associate Martin Ward , who specialises in asset, motor and invoice finance; and Sarah Hope , who is an expert in mortgage mis-selling.

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has a national charity practice that includes key members in its Cambridge office. Glynne Stanfield works in both Cambridge and London and is a key adviser in the charity and not-for-profit sector on matters including complex charity and governance issues, joint ventures and mergers. The firm expanded its range of expertise in East Anglia with the recruitment of associate Helen Teague from Macfarlanes LLP and senior associate and education sector specialist Martyn Robinson from Hewitsons. Another name to note is rising star Stephen O’Reilly.

Commercial litigation Tier 1

'Excellent in the public sector area', Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's two-partner team provides an 'outstanding' service on local and UK-focused matters relating, in particular, to public procurement challenges, fitness to practice, and disputes arising in the education sector. Team head Richard Pitt frequently takes the lead on commercial disputes arising within the transport, IT and renewables sectors, and alongside senior associate Luisa Gibbons has been pivotal to the firm's thriving public procurement contentious offering. Noted for his 'impressive strategic sense', Peter Jones heads the firm's 'superlative' national inquiries and investigations group.

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

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises its impressive client roster on a range of contentious matters, with experience handling high-profile litigation and international arbitrations. Gary Pellow (who heads up the commercial litigation group nationally) jointly leads the practice alongside product liability and procurement disputes expert Richard Matthews, and international head of TMT disputes James Hyde. The group's other specialisms include energy disputes, for which Mark Howarth is a key name to note; Chris Buddle focuses on the food and retail, industrial engineering, defence and waste resources sectors, and Deborah Polden is developing a growing expertise in unfair prejudice claims and breach of confidence and restrictive covenant cases.

Commercial litigation: Manchester Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's commercial dispute resolution team is co-led by hugely experienced Manchester senior partner Michael Clavell-Bate and Matt Taylor, who focuses on the industrial, chemicals and aviation sectors. The firm works with many of the largest corporates in the North West, as well as others with national and global coverage, with key sectors including diversified industrials and transport. Principal associate Phil Duignan is experienced in procurement disputes, while fellow principal associate Thomas Whitfield is also recommended.

Commercial property Tier 1

Led by James Trafford, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's ten-partner team has the critical mass to handle a tremendous volume of work, primarily in the private sector, for a well hedged array of clients including developers, investors and corporate occupiers. While the team does handle some regional projects, it is best-known for its work outside of Wales, including on real estate-related energy and transport matters. David Watkins, who has expertise across a range of finance, portfolio acquisitions and estate management; Helen Thomas, whose clients include a number of high-profile UK and international corporate occupiers; Geraint Pullin Thomas, for renewable energy-related real estate matters; James Emberson , who has extensive experience in acting for institutional clients in connection with acquisitions and disposals, property management work, are all recommended. At an associate level, Jonathan Woodward is very well regarded.

Commercial property: Birmingham Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, which acts for a diverse client base of international, national and regional developers and investors, provides comprehensive advice on all real estate-related matters, from residential development, commercial development and infrastructure projects to leasing,  financing and corporate real estate. The team features strong lawyers such as Iftkhar Ahmed, global real estate sector head Gurjit Atwal and residential development specialist Philip Medford, while Mark Chester has particular expertise in data centres.

Commercial property: Cambridge Tier 1

The Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP real estate practice acts for an impressive list of national and international clients in the regional, London and international markets. Among its clients are private and public sector developers, land promoters, corporate and institutional occupiers, as well as institutional, private and offshore investors. The firm's broad offering includes market-leading knowledge of property matters in the transport, hotel, education and senior living sectors.  Dominic Morris, who focuses on development and regeneration projects, and Clare Whitaker, who handles investment and occupier matters, lead the practice.

Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a market leader in the corporate occupier space and recently acted for Facebook on a multi-building pre-let of 620,000 sq ft at Argent’s King’s Cross development. The highly recommended Bruce Dear led on the matter, with other recent highlights including office relocations, headquarter expansions and a range of complex leasing issues. The retail sector is another area in which the practice excels as it handles data privacy, insolvency and smart warehousing matters, among many others. The firm is also recommended for its work in the hotels and leisure industry as well as development and investment matters.

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

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP boasts a national team with expertise in retail, development and investment work, and its large and prestigious client base puts it in the top tier for commercial property. George Bacon heads up the practice, which advises a range of big-name retailers and shopping centres, while Simon Harris has taken lead roles on some of the firm's major deals since his promotion to partner in 2018. Ian Barker, who has significant public sector development experience, recently relocated to the Leeds office from Manchester, while hospitality and leisure expert Susan Samuel departed for DLA Piper UK LLP.

Construction Tier 1

Best-known for its transactional expertise, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's 13-strong Cardiff team either takes the lead on its own or in collaboration with offices from across the firm's network, on large-scale energy and infrastructure projects. Rob McNabb excels in handling the construction aspects of big-ticket international energy projects, including advising the developers engaged in solar projects in Egypt. Focusing more on UK-based matters, Alison Short is the other partner in the team and has developed specialist expertise and many years’ experience in the nuclear, water and transport sectors.

Construction Tier 1

The construction and engineering practice at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP in Cambridge is led by Dominic Lacey, who is also head of the firm's international transport group. In 2018, leading a firm-wide team, he acted for the Government of Rwanda in the funding and construction of New Bugesara Airport. Alongside his international work, he also handles UK matters, which recently included a £125m portfolio of senior living development. The firm has a deep bench of rising star associates handling high-value matters, including Tom Douglas, Catherine Andrews, Ed Freeman and Patrick Cooney.

Corporate and commercial Tier 1

With three partners focused on handling corporate work from the firm's Cardiff office, and also able to leverage a significant national and international presence, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is particularly strong at handling upper/mid-market transactional work, often without a connection to the Welsh market. The firm is particularly strong at handling investments by private equity sponsors in the financial services and renewable energy sectors. Team head Paul Pugh has an excellent reputation for handling fintech M&A, while Michelle Davies and Charles Reynard  regularly lead on the firm's energy-related M&A matters.

Corporate and commercial: Birmingham Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP  covers the full spectrum of corporate and commercial work from its Birmingham base, with an enviable client roster that includes a number of large corporates and private equity houses, carrying out high profile transactions in the region. Mark Beardmore , who has experience of both private equity and M&A transactions, sits at the helm of the practice. Susan Lewis is another key M&A partner with a strong focus on cross-border deals, while Theresa-Marie Stodell  adds experience of restructurings as well as M&A.

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

Corporate and commercial: Manchester Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises on M&A, sales, joint ventures, private equity and commercial matters. The firm acts for public and private sector clients and continues to advise on major regeneration and development projects across the UK. The team, headed by  Tom Bridgford ,  focuses on client sectors including healthcare, aerospace and defence, technology, retail, real estate and chemicals.  Key partners include Alistair Cree, Daniel Hall and Michael Birchall , who recently joined from Addleshaw Goddard. Senior associate Elizabeth Tindall  and legal director Jamie Partridge are also recommended. Nicola Brookes was promoted to partner.

Debt recovery Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's two-partner team excels at handling big-ticket debt recovery for large corporates and financial institutions. Housed within the firm’s wider financial litigation offering, the team stands out for its ability to handle complex matters, often involving consumer credit issues, for a wide variety of financial institutions including challenger banks and mortgage banks. Nick Rundle excels at handling complex mortgage-related disputes and co-heads the team alongside Anthony Davies, whose expertise encompasses mortgage enforcement litigation and unsecured debt recovery matters.

Education Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's dedicated team works with the full range of education clients, including higher education and further education institutions, schools, academies and private education providers. Chris Mordue leads the group in Leeds and specialises in providing employment and industrial relations advice to universities. Other key names include employment expert Ben Wood, litigator Alison Oldfield and Paul Castle, who handles finance work for further and higher education borrowers.

Education Tier 1

Nationally, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has one of the largest education sector practices in the UK and its Cambridge office houses substantial expertise. It handles employment, student, charity law, disputes, real estate, corporate and commercial, intellectual property, health and safety, constitutional and regulatory matters for HE and FE colleges, schools, academies and private education institutions. Education and corporate governance expert Glynne Stanfield and real estate specialist Clare Whitaker are the lead partners. Matthew Kelly is a key partner in the firm's education employment practice. Also recommended are Stephen O’Reilly for charity law and senior associate Martyn Robinson who joined from Hewitsons.

Education Tier 1

The 'outstanding' team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP routinely advises a raft of clients across the higher education and further education sectors, and also acts for schools, academies and private education institutions.  Employment, student matters, charity law, dispute management, real estate, corporate, commercial, IP, health and safety, constitutional and regulatory mandates are key areas of expertise. Team head Diane Gilhooley is a 'true leader in the field' and is ably supported by Simon Chamberlain, who is based across the Manchester and Leeds offices and heads the estates education team. Legal director Robert Gray  handles employment matters in the education sector and senior associate Siân Jones-Davies specialises in student issues and regulatory matters.

Education: institutions Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is renowned for its work for higher education institutions, advising its large corporate client base on the full spectrum of employment and regulatory issues, mergers, and overseas establishments. The 'superb' Diane Gilhooley leads the multi-disciplinary national education team, which includes Leeds-based Ben Woods; Glynne Stanfield, who heads the corporate governance team; and Christopher Mordue, who handles contentious employment matters and dismissal claims. The group has also been involved with topical issues surrounding #MeToo in the education landscape and has provided advice on internal processes.

Employment Tier 1

The Cambridge office of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP plays a central role in the firm's nationwide employment practice, which handles a high volume of cross-border matters for an international client base. The practice has particular experience in the education, financial services, pharmaceutical and transport sectors, for which it handles complex Employment Tribunal litigation, business restructuring and redundancies, and business immigration. Practice head Simon Tytherleigh, co-head of the financial services employment sector team Elizabeth Graves, and head of the firm's international employment counsel team Constanze Moorhouse, are leading lights in the market. The team also includes Matthew Kelly, who has worked on a number of high-profile further education mergers, as well as principal associates Rachel Bennett and Sasha Willmott who both demonstrate broad experience.

Employment Tier 1

Primarily working for employers, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's experienced team has a range of specialists who work in sectors including energy, manufacturing and transport. Practice head Shirley Hall has particular expertise with gender pay gap and equal pay work, while principal associate Jessie Uppal specialises in immigration and Brexit related advice. Also notable in the team is associate Suzanne Caveney, who frequently assists clients with pension scheme changes.

Employment Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises a number of FTSE 100 companies, and other global and Fortune 500 companies, on the full spectrum of employment matters. It also acts for public sector organisations, as well as educational institutions (including those in the further and higher education sectors, and schools and academies). David Beswick leads the team, which includes Nick Jew, who specialises in high profile litigation and senior executive issues. Hannah Wilkins is particularly active in the IT sector.

Employment Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's practice handles both contentious and non-contentious employment law issues, with sector specialisms in education, food retail, aerospace and defence, utilities, chemical and healthcare. The department has seen an uptick in cross-border matters, as well as employment-related immigration advice and maters relating to equal pay and gender and ethnicity pay. Other areas of expertise include worker status, TUPE, class actions, restrictive covenants, trade unions and advocacy in the higher courts. Michael Thompson, who leads the team, has a particular focus on the chemical sector.

Employment Tier 1

Led by the 'outstanding' Anthony Rees, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's four-partner team has the strength-in-depth to cover the waterfront of contentious and non-contentious matters for an impressive roster of domestic and international private and public sector clients. Thomas Player has extensive knowledge of international labour matters, including European Works Councils and cross-border restructuring. Other key partners include Huw Jones, who is the lead on public sector employment matters, and Tom Bray, who as well as his expertise on contentious matters, also regularly handles human resources support work.

Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP’s employment practice acts for a range of domestic and international clients, with a reach extending from global corporates to banks and universities. The team provides advice on European Works Councils and trade unions, particularly in the industrial and education sectors. Practice head Paul Cotton specialises in employment aspects of M&A, as well as trade union and industrial relationship issues. Simon Rice-Birchall is well regarded for employment tribunal litigation and complex discrimination cases, while the recent addition of Christopher Mordue from Pinsent Masons LLP has added higher education expertise.

EU and competition Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has a dedicated team of competition specialists in Leeds advising regional, national and international clients across a range of sectors. In recent years the team has developed a particular specialism in regulated industries and utilities, with a specific focus on water and energy clients. The team is led by the hugely experienced Kate Newman, who has particular expertise in the application of competition law to complex regulated sectors and utilities.

Fintech Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's fintech practice acts for financial institutions, challenger banks, start-ups and numerous investors in the sector. The group's broad expertise covers corporate matters, such as joint ventures and M&A; regulatory advice in terms of the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2)/open banking, FCA approvals, GDPR and other pertinent legislation; ICOs, cyber crime, and high value disputes concerning digital finance platforms and the provision of digital products. The practice has strength assisting clients with FCA applications, and advising on specific, complex regulatory matters in relation to the application of blockchain within the context of new digital currencies and on the launch of new cryptocurrency platforms. Under the overall leadership of digital financial services and fintech head Matthew Gough, Andrew Henderson leads the group's crypto practice and has advised several key clients, such as Nivaura, through the FCA sandbox process, which provides a restricted environment in which companies can test new tech in a live environment. Senior associate David Cook manages contentious and non-contentious matters regarding cyber crime, cyber security and data protection, including GDPR.

Education: individuals

Private funds

Listed funds

Transport

Hedge funds

Employment: Hull and East Yorkshire

Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire

Commercial property

Employment: Cardiff

Health and safety Tier 1

The environment, health and safety team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP combines contentious and non-contentious expertise to assist its impressive client roster, which includes a range of household names and highlights the firm's sector specialisms in the energy, manufacturing and education industries. The practice is jointly led by national practice head Kevin Elliott, who splits his time across several offices, and Leeds-based Paul Verrico, who has particular experience in the education sector. Senior associate Surekha Gollapudi is also singled out; she specialises in corporate criminal defence work and non-contentious compliance advice, and frequently handles inquests.

Health and safety Tier 1

Specialising in preventative works and training, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is particularly active for diversified industrial manufacturing clients and construction clients. The practice increasingly provides proactive consultancy, assurance and governance, as well as notable expertise in compliance reviews. Kevin Elliott is the national head of the health and safety team, while Tim Hill leads in the north and is an expert in the high hazard energy area.

Health and safety Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a popular choice for multinational companies in relation to both contentious and non-contentious health and safety matters. Birmingham-based Kevin Elliott leads the team nationally and regularly advises on fatalities and serious incidents. Another notable name from the Birmingham office is David Young, who is especially experienced in the aerospace, energy, and food and beverage sectors. Newcastle-based Tim Hill leads the offices in Northern England and Scotland, and his work has a strong emphasis on the energy and manufacturing industries. Also recommended is senior associate Sarah Valentine who is experienced in corporate manslaughter investigations.

Health and safety Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP represents large global and UK-based clients in all aspects of high profile prosecutions and investigations. In addition, its team is increasingly sought out to provide consultancy advice to clients on the development of policies, and to also assist with behavioural reviews. It also conducts general compliance appraisals. National team head Kevin Elliott acts for some of the world’s largest organisations.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

As well as acting for administrators of insolvent businesses in the retail, energy, financial services, real estate, education and leisure sectors, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is well-known for advising lenders on refinancing, restructuring and transactional matters, as evidenced by its appointment to numerous bank panels. Practice head Andrew Jordan is particularly experienced in restructurings in the retail, financial services, automotive and energy sectors.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

The group at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is able to draw on the firm's wider restructuring expertise, often working closely with the banking, private equity, pensions, employment, real estate and regulatory teams. It also has a strong non-performing loan (NPL) portfolio practice. The team is led by non-contentious restructuring and insolvency expert Paul Dutton.

IT and telecoms Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's technology team has significant experience in handling transactions and high-profile disputes, with particular expertise across the telecoms, media, retail, utilities, financial services and diversified industrial sectors; the group counts local, national and international companies as clients. Nick Stubbs, who splits his time between the Leeds and Manchester offices, and James Hyde head up the non-contentious technology and TMT disputes practices respectively. Principal associate Ed Williams is another name to note for contentious matters.

IT and telecoms Tier 1

Led by the 'excellent' Matthew Gough, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is particularly well regarded for handling IT-related work for financial services companies, including on software licensing issues, e-commerce and outsourcing projects. Gough has gained an excellent reputation in the market for advising on fintech matters, both from a contractual law perspective associated with new products developed by financial institutions, as well as in relation to providing due diligence input on M&A handled by the firm in the sector. Principal associate Eve England has a focus on supporting clients on the digitisation of their services and operating models.

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

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises national and international clients on cross-border M&A transactions, acting for corporates, financial institutions and private equity firms. The firm's global reach facilitates this multi-jurisdictional approach, with the London office operating as a hub for advising clients. Key sectors for the firm include energy and infrastructure, industrials, real estate, TMT and financial services. Head of department Richard Moulton is especially experienced in the latter two, in addition to acting for private equity clients. Although the firm saw Sebastian Orton leave for Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP, the team was bolstered by the hire of Stewart Womersley from Addleshaw Goddard, a specialist in real estate transactions, covering both indirect real estate and real estate funds. Co-chair of cross-border M&A, Roger Johnson, is also recommended.

Pensions Tier 1

Aided by a vast array of pensions practitioners across its UK and European offices, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP provides a 'very high standard of service' to a varied mix of trustees, employers and providers. Team head Stuart Earle is particularly accomplished at providing pensions advice to multinational employers and trustees of large occupational schemes, and has a particular degree of specialism advising on matters within heavily regulated sectors. Ian Davies is the other key partner of the six-strong team that also includes senior associate Collette Davies, who as well as regularly handling the pensions aspects of corporate transactions also has a burgeoning public sector practice.

Pensions Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's client base consists of trustees, employers and providers, which it advises on the full gambit of pensions issues including debt and liability management, pensions insurance, scheme funding solutions, scheme closures and scheme mergers. The practice is led by Ele Lovering, alongside Charmian Johnson, who is particularly adept at handling moral hazard investigations and advising employers and trustees on compromise deals with the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator. Helen May, Sarah Lown, Simon Daniel and principal associate Amanda Small are also key team members.

Pensions Tier 1

Led by Emma King, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's large team covers the full range of pensions matters and works on a myriad of high-value projects. It regularly generates mandates from the trustees of many of the Midlands’ most prominent pension schemes, as well as many local employers. In addition, the group also advises a number of Midlands LGPS pension funds. Sarah Franklin is a key figure in the group. Liz Fallon has retired as a partner but remains a consultant at the firm.

Pensions Tier 1

The pensions team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has significant experience acting for a combination of trustees, employers and providers on a range of instructions. Richard Shelton advises on the full spectrum of pensions matters, and heads up the team which includes the well-regarded Anthea Whitton and principal associate Gemma Hanley; Hanley has particular expertise in advising employers and trustees in the energy, water and rail sectors.

Pensions (non-contentious) Tier 1

The non-contentious offering at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP covers the full range of key issues in the pensions market, with Francois Barker and Jeremy Goodwin handling bulk annuity transactions, benefit plan closures, derisking exercises and master trust implementation exercises. Of particular note is the team’s expertise in the emerging field of defined benefit consolidation structures. Claire Carroll leads the dispute resolution practice with a particular strength in the financial services sector, offering substantial experience acting in cases involving the exercise of trustee powers, Pensions Regulator investigations, GMP equalisation, rectification claims and professional negligence claims for trustees and employers. The team also offers advice on the growing field of pensions liberation fraud.

Pensions: dispute resolution Tier 1

The non-contentious offering at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP covers the full range of key issues in the pensions market, with Francois Barker and Jeremy Goodwin handling bulk annuity transactions, benefit plan closures, derisking exercises and master trust implementation exercises. Of particular note is the team’s expertise in the emerging field of defined benefit consolidation structures. Claire Carroll leads the dispute resolution practice with a particular strength in the financial services sector, offering substantial experience acting in cases involving the exercise of trustee powers, Pensions Regulator investigations, GMP equalisation, rectification claims and professional negligence claims for trustees and employers. The team also offers advice on the growing field of pensions liberation fraud.

Personal injury: defendant Tier 1

Planning and environment Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's planning team, which is led by Richard Lloyd and Michelle Moss, handles development and infrastructure projects. It advises on residential schemes, regeneration projects, CPO-based schemes and CPO compensation cases. The energy and retail sectors are also key areas of focus.  Lloyd heads the compulsory purchase group and Moss is an 'excellent CPO practitioner'. Senior associate Fiona Barker is also noted. The environment team, which is led by legal director Jane Southworth , handles contentious and non-contentious work and stands out for its chemicals expertise. Senior associate Catherine Manning is noted for non-contentious environmental and health and safety matters.

Professional negligence Tier 1

Co-headed by Nick Rundle and Anthony Davies, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP benefits from a 'core team of accomplished lawyers dealing with complex and higher-value professional negligence cases'. The team specialises in acting for banks as secured lenders in claims brought against solicitors and valuers. As well as expertise in the core professional negligence issues, the team's  has broader financial services litigation knowledge enabling it to act in matter relating to fraud, title rectification and enforcement of directors' guarantees. Principal associate Wayne Davies has a 'wealth of experience' handling negligence claims arising in commercial lending - often involving large portfolios of properties. Senior associate James Coleman has a thriving practice for lenders in claims relating to retail and commercial lending.

Project finance and PFI Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's Cardiff team forms a key component of the firm's multi-disciplinary/office offering to developers, investors and an increasing roster of financiers engaged in energy, transport and social infrastructure projects including those structured on a PFI/PPP basis. The team is particularly well-known for its renewable energy projects expertise, where it is able to provide corporate, real estate, regulatory and financing input on many large international mandates handled by the firm. Corporate partner Michelle Davies is noted for her clean energy projects expertise, work which regularly sees her involved in global deals, including in the Middle East. Iwan Walters  recently relocated to the firm's Dubai office.

Property litigation Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Leeds team, which forms part of the global firm's national practice, includes experts in the retail, transport, education and telecoms sectors with practitioners focusing on niche areas of expertise. Team head Damian Hyndman is highly regarded for telecoms-related property disputes, Alison Oldfield is a key name nationally for reputationally sensitive disputes and protester and campaign group-related issues; and insolvency specialist Andrew Todd has recently handled a number of high street company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). Associate Charlotte Miller is noted for her portfolio management expertise.

Property litigation Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP stands out for its impressive client roster of leading banks, institutional landlords, large housebuilders, corporate occupiers and utility companies, and covers all property disputes arising out of developments, real estate management, insolvencies, investment transactions, and landlord and tenant conflicts. The group is increasingly involved in rent review disputes as legal assessor. National head of the real estate dispute resolution group Paul Moorcroft, head of litigation in Birmingham Lisa Barge and David Feist are highly respected litigators who handle a broad range of work in the sector, while principal associates Rob Holloway, who specialises in the retail and real estate investment sectors, and utility sector expert Arren Thornton are also recommended.

Property litigation Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is engaged on a full range of property litigation work and boasts expertise across cases involving lease terminations and renewals, breach of covenant, rent reviews, dilapidations, rights of light and insolvency. The team assists clients to de-risk property portfolios and it acts for clients across the transport, education, industrial, chemicals, financial services, telecoms, consumer, aviation, energy and utilities sectors. James Batham is engaged by retail occupiers and developers and is instructed on professional negligence claims relating to complex transactions. Department head David McGuirk handles a raft of contentious landlord and tenant portfolio management and property disputes. Senior associates Alex Wright and Joanne Mills are also key figures.  Gemma Staples has joined Pannone Corporate LLP.

Property litigation Tier 1

Sitting as an integral part of the firm's UK-wide property litigation offering but also regularly generating and leading on its own case load, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's seven-strong team has the strength-in-depth to handle a broad range of litigation for a diverse array of clients, such as major institutional landlords and financial services entities (including SIPP providers). The transport and energy sectors are also growing and key focal points for the team, with major national clients instructing the team on property disputes arising across their portfolios including on major strategic advice. Team head Kathryn Cook acts on a range of contentious property issues including landlord and tenant matters and property-related professional negligence.

Public sector Tier 1

Able to call upon the expertise of corporate, real estate, employment and litigation lawyers, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's multi-disciplinary team handles a range of work for Welsh and English public sector clients, including on transformational projects, outsourcing, governance and regeneration developments. Spearheaded by the 'superb' Peter Jones, the Cardiff office is, however, best-known in the public sector arena as a result of  its market-leading public inquiries team which regularly has key roles in inquiries of national significance.

Rail Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's cross-practice rail group is focused on concessions, rolling stock and infrastructure work, where it handles major transactions and complex projects. The team is increasingly utilising its global footprint to advise on a raft of cross-border rail sector mandates. Mark Brunton specialises in rail sector commercial contracts and Agnes Koko handles UK and international rail infrastructure projects. Birmingham-based Anne Harris advised the Department for Transport on the termination of the Inter City East Coast franchise, operated by franchisee Virgin Trains East Coast, and the transfer of responsibility for delivery of the passenger services to government-controlled operator of last resort, London North Eastern Railway. Elsewhere, the firm's parliamentary and infrastructure consenting team advises on the promotion and implementation of public transport projects.

Retail funds Tier 1

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's track record serving clients in the fund management industry dates back to the 1960s. It has a particularly dominant presence in the retail funds market, where it acts for many of the largest and most active asset managers, insurance companies and pension funds. It is also increasingly sought out to act for banks and institutional investors. Team head Michaela Walker has an excellent record establishing unit trusts and open-ended investment companies, and handling mergers of authorised unit trusts, among other matters. Phil Spyropoulos is a go-to adviser for advice on charity authorised investment funds. Camilla Spielman is an expert in funds taxation. Richard Batchelor is another name to note. Pamela Thompson is chair of the firm and joint head of the UK financial services team. .

Administrative and public law Tier 2

Public inquiry work is the main point of strength for the public law offering at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, with the team acting in some of the most significant ongoing matters in this field. The team has been instructed by an extensive list of public and regulatory bodies as core participants in the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and a host of others in the police, healthcare and private sectors. The practice also provides expertise in defending and forwarding judicial review claims, with recent cases involving the provision of special needs learning assistance, wrongful terminations and the extent of regulatory bodies’ powers. Cardiff-based Peter Jones and Birmingham-based principle associate Isabelle Mitchell are particularly highly praised by clients for their expertise across the full suite of instructions.

Banking litigation Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has long-established relationships with a raft of major banks including HSBC, for which it manages a multimillion-pound portfolio of live matters. The team also advises clients on regulatory risks and contentious regulatory matters, as well as pensions litigation and financial crime. In recent months the firm has been working on an increasing amount of cyber and data privacy matters in relation to fraud. James Southworth and Birmingham-based Chris Busby head the team, while Sarah Louise Naylor is also recommended.

Brexit Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP’s Brexit group is jointly led by Ros Kellaway and Annabel Borg, who are members of the firm’s competition, EU and trade group. The team has particular expertise assisting with the Brexit elements of EU law, trade mandates and environment work and also has a designated parliamentary advisory service. The firm’s European network, which includes its Brussels office, enhances its EU law expertise, which includes advising multinational and UK clients on their goods and services in EU jurisdictions and the potential regulatory fallout of Brexit. On the trade side, the group is experienced in WTO rules, customs issues, contractual agreements, tariff changes, quotas and other trade barriers. James Lindop heads the international trade practice and has assisted clients with customs and WTO issues. Other key individuals include Manchester-based Tom Bridgford, who leads the international outsourcing group; and state aid and public procurement specialist Totis Kotsonis. Andrew Henderson is a partner in the financial institutions group. He recently advised multiple asset managers on their arrangements for providing services in the EU after Brexit.

Commercial contracts Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP provides expertise across key sectors including financial services, payments, energy, technology, health and sport. The firm acts for private and public sector clients and has experience advising on Brexit-related commercial work locally and internationally. In addition, the team is known for strategic transactional work. UK practice head Richard Prowse specialises in advising private and public sector clients on a range of commercial agreements, notably complex outsourcings and concession agreements. Alison Brearey leads the London group and has particular experience in international and global contracting. In a recent highlight, the department advised American Express on all aspects of its corporate co-brand agreement with British Airways, including drafting and negotiating the contract terms.

Commercial litigation: Birmingham Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's litigation practice has a strong international bent, with a heavy focus on the automotive, aerospace, energy and media sectors. Adam Fisher is one of two practice heads and is particularly prominent in fields of automotive and technology. He works in tandem with Rich Lloyd, whose practice has a strong emphasis on the industrial and engineering sectors.

Commercial property: Manchester Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's 'very well established' team regularly acts for private and public sector developers on development and regeneration schemes as well as acting for  real estate funds and institutional investors on the funding, acquisition and disposal of investment properties and is experienced in 'build to rent' mandates. The team also stands out for its experience in advising corporate clients on property mandates, and for its retail and healthcare sector experience. Team head Nancy Brown is 'very experienced' and handles a range of corporate real estate mandates, with particular experience in advising clients in the financial services, healthcare, retail and logistics sectors. Phillip Tunney acts for industrial clients on their property holdings and is also experienced in the minerals sector, and legal director Joanna Sowerby is also recommended.

Commercial property: retail Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a market leader in the corporate occupier space and recently acted for Facebook on a multi-building pre-let of 620,000 sq ft at Argent’s King’s Cross development. The highly recommended Bruce Dear led on the matter, with other recent highlights including office relocations, headquarter expansions and a range of complex leasing issues. The retail sector is another area in which the practice excels as it handles data privacy, insolvency and smart warehousing matters, among many others. The firm is also recommended for its work in the hotels and leisure industry as well as development and investment matters.

Construction Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP acts for national and international clients in the energy and infrastructure spaces on both contentious and non-contentious matters. The group is also growing its experience in specialist rail work and cross-jurisdictional oil and gas issues. Jo Hatton-Jones leads the practice and handles mandates in the energy, water, utilities, retail, property and education sectors. Senior associate Matthew Shotton focuses on contentious issues, and Simon Chamberlain and Gregory Buckley divide their time between Leeds and Manchester.

Construction Tier 2

The Birmingham construction team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is well known for handling heavyweight energy, infrastructure and utility projects. Focusing on non-contentious work, the 'brilliant' Peter Scurlock and the 'technical' David Jones advise infrastructure owners and utility companies on the drafting of framework agreements as well as the negotiation of construction contracts and professional appointments. Another area of expertise for the firm is commercial development.

Construction Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP handles a raft of contentious and non-contentious construction mandates. The team is instructed by employer and purchaser clients on construction projects and it is active on matters across the energy, utilities, transport, property development and public sectors. Simon Chamberlain heads the firm's North construction and engineering practice, and Chris Pickens is active in energy, utilities and transport sector work. The 'first-rate' Gregory Buckley heads the firm's national construction and engineering disputes team.

Corporate tax Tier 2

Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity Tier 2

Paula Barrett heads up the privacy and cybersecurity law team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, which sits as part of the firm’s wider international privacy and information law group. The dedicated practice assists with the full spectrum of data protection work with particularly notable expertise in freedom of information law matters and cybersecurity issues including cyber readiness work and data security breaches. Liz Fitzsimons, who is based in Cambridge, leads the firm’s freedom of information and environmental information regulation group and regularly assists with GDPR and privacy programmes including data audits, breach management issues and access requests. Birmingham-based Gayle McFarlane focuses on the retail, technology, automotive and manufacturing sectors and also handles data transactions and issues involving the interaction between data protection and technology.

Education Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises colleges and universities on corporate, governance and regulatory issues and real estate and charity matters, with a particular focus on the higher education sector. Mark Taylor, who heads the team, has expertise in handling mergers, international collaborations and other corporate and governance related matters, while co-lead Gary Delderfield focuses on pension issues in the higher education sector. Corporate lawyer and principal associate Morag Roddick has particular expertise in charity law.

Education: schools Tier 2

The education practice at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has considerable experience in the academies sector and is renowned for acting as a 'one-stop-shop' for all of the legal needs of schools. Jointly overseen by Ben Wood and Diane Gilhooley, the team has sector strengths in commercial property (where Charlotte Tanikal is particularly active), corporate law and regulatory matters, enabling it to handle complex restructurings, mergers and conversions. The team also handles judicial review proceedings and the management of social media issues such as defamation. Other team members include Glynne Stanfield, who leads the international education practice area; employment lawyer Nicola Bennison, who leads the national student team; and Helen Cairns. The corporate education practice has been strengthened with the appointment of Jon Baskerville to the partnership.

Equity capital markets – small-mid cap Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has historically been a strong performer in the mid-market IPO space, working across the AIM and main market. The practice group has shown a particularly strong client base of nomad/brokers and UK investment trusts. Steve Nash and Richard Moulton are key contacts.

EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs Tier 2

At Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, the international trade team is adept at handling a wide range of cross-border matters, such as trade control requirements, export classification and licensing audits, sanctions compliance analysis and investigations. The group has experience in dealing with WTO-specific issues, including providing advice on trading within the organisation’s framework, as well as on quotas and trade barriers, pricing mechanisms, reviews of contractual obligations in light of Brexit, and regulatory compliance risk assessments. While the department has already carved out a significant reputation in these areas, it is further expanding its presence in the aerospace and defence, engineering, chemicals, technology, utilities, transportation and energy sectors. ‘Truly excellent’ practice head James Lindop has particular expertise in diversified industrials and technology. Giles Salmond’s practice focuses on customs duties with a particular emphasis on litigation.

Financial services: contentious Tier 2

The Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP department provides a broad range of regulatory advisory services, particularly specialising in cryptoassets. Co-head Michaela Walker advises fund management clients and depositary banks in regulated activities and product development, as well as related corporate work; co-head David Saunders has expertise in project managing regulatory investigations, regulatory change projects and past business reviews for financial services firms. The contentious wing of the practice is notable for anti-money laundering regulations, financial crime and is appointed to the FCA/PRA Skilled Person’s panel. The firm also has an in-house team of regulatory consultants and compliance professionals. Gregory Brandman leads the contentious team and specialises in representing financial institutions, senior managers and approved persons in FCA and PRA enforcement proceedings. He can call on the expertise of Jake McQuitty, formerly the Head of Investigations & Enforcement at Barclays Bank plc, who focuses on corporate investigations and regulatory enforcement. The group was strengthened by the arrivals of corporate crime and investigations specialist Steve Smith, who joined from Nomura International Plc, and hedge fund expert Ben Watford, who joined from MJ Hudson. Partner Neill Blundell left for Macfarlanes LLP in 2018.

Immigration Tier 2

Principal associate Simon Kenny, who leads Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Manchester immigration team, frequently advises universities and companies seeking to sponsor from overseas for study or work in the UK. Another key stream of work is advice on the immigration risk issues in the aftermath of Brexit, as well as handling illegal working allegations and helping clients to respond to sponsor licence suspensions. Kenny also handles global immigration programmes for multinationals seeking to transfer employees to multiple jurisdictions.

Immigration Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises an impressive array of education sector clients, including numerous major universities and further education institutions, on all aspects of tier 4 immigration. The firm has also continued to undertake large-scale compliance projects, including in relation to Brexit and the EU Settled Status Scheme.

Infrastructure (parliamentary) Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's areas of expertise span the promotion and opposition of private bills in Parliament; acting on behalf of Network Rail and Transport for London, as well as local authorities and objectors, on TWA orders and other statutory orders; and compulsory purchase, land compensation and other issues affecting the implementation of infrastructure projects. Parliamentary agents Stephen Collings and Monica Peto and real estate partners Morag Thompson and Stuart Andrews are the key contacts. James O’Connor specialises in the consenting of public infrastructure projects, including the promotion of TWA orders, harbour orders and development consent orders.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's specialist restructuring team is focused on a number of key sectors, including retail, diversified industrials, energy and infrastructure, construction and further education. Team head Paul Dutton is a key name for non-contentious work, consultant Peter Cranston focuses on corporate matters, principal associate Lemi McAuley handles board advisory and transactional matters and senior associate Victoria Procter works with key clients including banks, accountants and other corporates.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is active on high-value restructuring and insolvency mandates and acts for a range of insolvency practitioners as well as large corporate and lender clients. The team has recently advised on a raft of high-profile administrations. It particularly noted for its experience in pensions-related work, and is active across real estate, retail and professional services sector instructions. Department head David Gray  and principal associate Sarah Duignan  are noted.

Intellectual property Tier 2

Active in work across the TMT sector, including in niche areas such as consumer law, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP regularly advises IP-rich companies on the commercialisation and protection of their IPR. The 'excellent' Matthew Gough handles a significant amount of IP work for clients in the digital financial services and fintech space, including advice on their commercial arrangements.

Intellectual property Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Cambridge office is home to a substantial part of the firm's national IP practice, which comprises six partners. Simon Crossley is the key partner in Cambridge and he has more than 20 years' experience in areas such as open source software and open innovation, establishing licence models for app stores, and the use of technology in healthcare. Adrian Toutoungi has extensive experience in all aspects of intellectual property but has a particular focus on complex patent litigation.

IT and telecoms Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's practice is headed by Charlotte Walker-Osborn, who specialises in non-contentious technology and telecoms law. The firm works for clients across a wide range of sectors, advising on cloud agreements, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Another name to note is partner Adam Fisher, who heads the technology and outsourcing practice.

IT and telecoms Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP in Cambridge draws on an experienced team of corporate, IT and IP lawyers to handle complex projects for both national businesses, including financial institutions, and high-growth companies based in the technology hub of Cambridge. Transactional technology lawyer and practice head Simon Crossley. He is a key member of the firm's national life sciences practice and an expert in regulatory matters and IT commercialisation projects.

Licensing Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP stands out for its experience in licensing and gambling law and is active across the hospitality, leisure, gambling and retail sectors. It regularly acts for hotel operators and owners, retail and online gambling sector clients, as well as real estate developers, landlords and occupiers. Principal associate David Roberts heads the licensing team.

Local government Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's public law expertise includes advising local authorities on areas such as procurement - Jackie Heeds  is noted for her infrastructure procurement expertise. Core team members Bridgette Wilcox, Paul Pugh and Huw Jones are based in Cardiff.

Local government Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP stands out for its public sector expertise and the firm advises on projects, governance and structures, collaboration with the private sector and third sector, regeneration developments, major outsourcing, procurement, investigations and public sector pension matters. In Manchester, the team has handled significant transport and development projects. Jackie Heeds is 'brilliant' and has vast experience in infrastructure transactions procured through PFI/PPP/PF2 and Joint Ventures. Kuljeet Gill is also a key figure.

Planning Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has a significant presence in the field of infrastructure planning, with experience in promoting complex DCOs for energy, renewables and transport projects. The team regularly advises developers and landowners on all development planning issues such as CPO applications and compensation, urban extensions, regeneration schemes and contentious instructions including public inquries. Recent high-profile work involved advising on fracking projects across the UK, securing consent for large-scale garden city projects, advising on strategic rail freight interchange projects, and securing consent for a major football stadium redevelopment in London. Other strong fields of expertise for the practice include strategic residential projects, commercial office space developments, and retail and leisure projects.

Planning Tier 2

Well-known for its strong track record in residential and energy work, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP also advises clients in the private and public sector on infrastructure projects in the rail and aviation sectors, and also advised on the planning for the athletes' village for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Paul Maile, who leads the team, advises major energy suppliers, utility companies, national housebuilders, land promoters and local authorities, often supported by senior associate Duncan Williams.

Planning Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's planning and infrastructure consenting team has notable experience in the retail, renewable energy and commercial development sectors, with practice head Peter Nesbit excelling in minerals and oil and gas work, and principal associate Roddy Macdonald leading on residential work.

Planning and environment Tier 2

Although the Cardiff team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is fairly small, it regularly works alongside other practitioners across the firm's network, as well as in conjunction with the office's vast real estate offering, across a range of planning and environmental issues. 'Very solid' principal associate Kee Evans heads the team and is particularly noted for her environmental expertise, which includes advice on contaminated land matters, acquisitions/disposals and all Welsh legislation. Key industry sectors include transport, health care and renewables.

Private equity: transactions – mid-tier – up to £250m Tier 2

At Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, the 'focus on building strong client relationships is simply exemplary'. The firm's practice regularly advises national and international PE houses, in addition to management teams and providers of debt finance, and now counts more than 20 different buyout houses on its client list, with many providing repeat instructions. Besides MBOs and management buy-ins, the group is also instructed on public-to-private transactions, leveraged buyouts and 'debt for equity' restructurings. The corporate offering further boasts integrated sector expertise in areas such as financial services, energy, industrial engineering, TMT, aerospace and defence and healthcare. Andy Case, who acts as global head of company secretarial services, is a key contact.

Project finance and PFI Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP handles a range of infrastructure transactions procured through PFI, PPP, PF2 and joint ventures. Its expertise spans the health, energy, waste, accommodation, transport, housing and regeneration sectors and it is instructed by public and private sector clients, and lenders. The team works closely with colleagues across the UK and overseas to handle on domestic and cross-border work. Jackie Heeds, Kuljeet Gill , Chris Pickens and Phillip Tunney, who is UK head of the chemicals sector group, are key figures in Manchester.

Property finance Tier 2

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is known for its expertise in development finance. It acts for traditional lender banks, as well as investment firms and specialist development lenders. The team is particularly active in the PRS sector and has advised on several high-profile residential developments. Other areas of strength include structured deals and cross-border transactions, particularly involving assets located in Europe. The firm is also expanding its practice on the borrower side, advising several real estate investment and asset management firms. Simon Mead leads the team, and Robert Ludwig is also a key contact.

Property litigation Tier 2

Working in close co-operation with its real estate and financial services departments, Will Densham's team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP regularly acts for major development and investment companies in landlord and tenant disputes, dilapidation claims, rights to light issues, judicial reviews and energy-related litigation. Recently, the team has been particularly active in obtaining injunctions to prevent free climbers and urban explorers from trespassing on various well known London skyscrapers, including the Shard; this type of work is frequently handled by real estate litigator Stuart Wortley. Telecoms code specialist Thekla Fellas joined the team from Fladgate LLP in March 2019.

Property litigation Tier 2

The Cambridge office of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP plays a key role in the firm's national property litigation practice. The departure of key partner Richard New to Mills & Reeve LLP leaves principal associate Samuel Maw as the key contact. The firm is highly regarded for matters involving business rates, on which it advises blue-chip clients in the retail and online sectors. The firm also represents major UK lenders and property developers.

Real estate funds Tier 2

Thanks to a strong historical reputation for funds regulation work, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP often advises clients on compliance with non resident Capital Gains Tax (CGT), European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and Brexit planning. Besides fund management work of this kind, the firm's recent highlights have been marked by an increasingly steady flow of fund formation instructions. The group is capable of handling matters involving alternative real asset classes such as build-to-rent schemes and homeless shelters. Additional teams in Luxembourg, Dublin, Hong Kong and the US ensure seamless coordination during cross-jurisdictional fund work. Michaela Walker heads up the practice; Richard Batchelor is an expert in alternative funds.

Banking and finance Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP stands out for its strong corporate borrower following and handles a raft of high-profile transactions. The team is also developing its bank side practice and counts several major banks as clients. Real estate finance and education finance are key areas of expertise, as are care home finance and renewable energy finance. Department head Jason Wurzal and  Taslima Salam who specialises in in corporate banking and real estate finance, are key figures.

Brand management Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is able to assist with the exploitation and monetisation of IP rights through licensing, promotions and commercial agreements, as well as handling the core aspects of trade mark portfolio management, enforcement and prosecution, including advising on the seizure of counterfeit goods and managing online content. Andrew Terry advises on all aspects of trade marks, copyright, design rights, advertising and reputation management matters. Head of brands Kate Ellis is another name to note. Neil Mohring left for Apple Corps and Harrisongs in February 2019.

Commercial litigation Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's commercial and corporate litigation team was recently active in taking three cases to trial, with one in the Court of Appeal. Commercial dispute resolution group head in London Mark Davenport is also global international commercial disputes head; Neville Byford has over 25 years’ litigation experience; Richard Little's experience includes high-value actions in the Commercial Court; and Jonathan Leach has particular expertise in energy, trade and finance related disputes.  Lucy Webster and Tim Browning are experienced principal associates, and legal director Rachel Bennet was hired from Enyo Law LLP.

Commercial property: development Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a market leader in the corporate occupier space and recently acted for Facebook on a multi-building pre-let of 620,000 sq ft at Argent’s King’s Cross development. The highly recommended Bruce Dear led on the matter, with other recent highlights including office relocations, headquarter expansions and a range of complex leasing issues. The retail sector is another area in which the practice excels as it handles data privacy, insolvency and smart warehousing matters, among many others. The firm is also recommended for its work in the hotels and leisure industry as well as development and investment matters.

Commercial property: hotels and leisure Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a market leader in the corporate occupier space and recently acted for Facebook on a multi-building pre-let of 620,000 sq ft at Argent’s King’s Cross development. The highly recommended Bruce Dear led on the matter, with other recent highlights including office relocations, headquarter expansions and a range of complex leasing issues. The retail sector is another area in which the practice excels as it handles data privacy, insolvency and smart warehousing matters, among many others. The firm is also recommended for its work in the hotels and leisure industry as well as development and investment matters.

Commercial property: investment Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a market leader in the corporate occupier space and recently acted for Facebook on a multi-building pre-let of 620,000 sq ft at Argent’s King’s Cross development. The highly recommended Bruce Dear led on the matter, with other recent highlights including office relocations, headquarter expansions and a range of complex leasing issues. The retail sector is another area in which the practice excels as it handles data privacy, insolvency and smart warehousing matters, among many others. The firm is also recommended for its work in the hotels and leisure industry as well as development and investment matters.

Construction: contentious Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's contentious construction team has expertise in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, rail and transport sectors. Jonathan Douglas, who leads the team, acts on disputes in the retail, logistics, renewables and offshore wind sectors, with particular expertise in complex delay claims. The 'extremely capable and diligent' James Pickavance is another notable name in the practice, acting for public bodies, governments and international corporations across a range of sectors - he advised Toucan Energy Holdings on multiple disputes arising out of the acquisition of a portfolio of renewable energy projects.

Contruction: non-contentious Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's non-contentious team handles a broad range of matters for energy, transport, real estate clients. Within the construction sphere, it is one of the largest teams in the UK, working almost exclusively for purchaser clients, while the London office serves as both a domestic and global hub for a variety of international work. Global practice head Simon Oats has been leading the firm's team on the £1bn redevelopment of Chelsea Football Club’s new stadium, while disputes specialist James Pickavance  also acts for construction purchasers across a range of sectors including energy, healthcare, hotels and transport. Other key partners include Jonathan Bowley, who leads the transactional team in London.

Employee share schemes Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP focuses on acting for FTSE 100 and Fortune 100 companies, advising on rewards and incentives. The firm has particular expertise in relation to implementing and advising upon employee incentive schemes in multiple jurisdictions. Practice head Mathew Gorringe is a cross-border specialist and is known for taking the lead on rolling out schemes in various jurisdictions, as well as guiding companies through the laws of local jurisdictions to facilitate this.

Energy Tier 3

The energy team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP handles contentious and non-contentious matters relating to planning, development and corporate transactions in the water, gas and electricity sectors, and of late has been taking on more work for institutional investors. UK head of water David Jones focuses on the energy and water infrastructure sectors in relation to construction and engineering procurement.

Energy Tier 3

The key contact in Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Leeds office is Mark Howarth , who leads the international firm's UK energy sector commercial and regulatory disputes team. The practice works closely with the firm's national and international network to advise on global issues across the oil, power and renewable energy sectors. Jo Hatton-Jones is also noted for her renewable and clean energy expertise.

Infrastructure (including PFI and PPP) Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP fields a large team of experienced lawyers, who are regularly involved in infrastructure projects across the energy, transport and social infrastructure sectors. It is also instructed to advise on PPP projects and clean energy matters. The firm has different practice heads for various areas, with Robert Pitcher serving as  European co-head of the international energy & infrastructure group. Alex Doughty knows the financing space, including credit support and performance bonds, well. Stephen Hill and Mark Dennison are key contacts in the renewable energy sector, for transactions and financing respectively. Conrad Purcell left for Bird & Bird LLP in late 2018 and Michael Grimes departed as well.

Insurance and reinsurance litigation Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's offering covers all lines of business including tax, product liability, property damage and business interruption, trade credit and energy. As global head of the insurance group, Simon Brooks handles a wide range of matters including negligence claims against insurance brokers. He is supported by associate Naz Gauri, who has experience in financial, professional and property claims.

Insurance: corporate and regulatory Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has a broad insurance practice, which is led out of London but made up of partners and associates spread across the UK. The team acts for top insurers on matters of risk transaction (life and non-life), reinsurance and regulation, while distribution is another key area for the firm. The team is led by global insurance co-head Simon Brooks, while a key member of the London team is Hugo Laing, who specialises in M&A and Part VIIs, and led the firm's team advising longstanding client Legal & General on the £2.4bn buy-out of the Nortel Networks UK pension plan, a deal which represented the second biggest buy-out ever.

IT and telecoms Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP 's key client sectors include TMT, energy, retail, utilities, financial services and industrial. Tom Bridgford heads the technology department in the North West and is the key partner for large corporate clients. Nick Stubbs splits his time between the Leeds and Manchester offices and handles outsourcing, licensing, procurement and commercial arrangements. Principal associate Richard Hill deals with outsourcing, software contracts, data security and data centre arrangements.

IT and telecoms Tier 3

The IT team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP frequently handles major IT projects and assists financial services clients with the regulatory aspects of infrastructure issues and application deployments to cloud services. Simon Gamlin heads up the practice, which includes Craig Rogers, who regularly assists with cross-border IT and outsourcing arrangements, and international head of telecoms Simon Cloke, who has notable strength in projects which involve technology and communications elements.

Local government Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's national team counts central government, local authorities and other public bodies as clients, which it assists with projects, governance issues, development, outsourcing, procurement work and investigations. In the Leeds office, Alison Oldfield focuses on contentious mandates and Michael Grimes handles projects and infrastructure work, particularly in the waste sector.

Media and entertainment (including media finance) Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's media and entertainment practice is noted for its experience in music industry mandates, where it acts for a number of household names. The team is adept at handling reputation management issues, particularly in relation to social media. TV, film, gaming, sport, advertising and sponsorship are also key industry focuses for the team, which advises on media buying, IP, marketing and advertising agreements for major brand owners and blue-chip clients. The firm is also able to advise on media finance and banking issues. Advising Apple Films on a new Beatles film, which is directed by an A-list director, is a notable highlight for the team.

Oil and gas Tier 3

The energy lawyers at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP specialise in acquisitions and disposals, delivering projects, raising funds and resolving problems in the most sensitive and challenging markets. Recent work highlights include divestments and restructuring of upstream assets for Shell, CNOOC and NIOC, joint-venturing for Shell and Gunvor, and project development of LNG terminals for LNG Canada and New Caledonia. Also notable is the firm's energy disputes practice. The team led by Robert Pitcher and Jubilee Easo was recently joined by construction expert Jessica Neuberger from Ashurst. Conrad Purcell departed to Bird & Bird LLP.

Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) Tier 3

The energy team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP stands out for its work on projects in emerging markets, transactional work for Chinese state-owned enterprises and 'whole lifecycle' nuclear work. Michelle Davies, who set up the firm's international clean energy and sustainability Group 17 years ago, continues to lead that group from the Cardiff office, working in tandem with energy and infrastructure co-head Robert Pitcher in London. Stephen Hill recently led the firm's team on one of Europe's largest solar transactions during 2018 - infrastructure fund Greencoat Solar Assets II's purchase of 24 solar farms across the UK. Construction and engineering expert Jessica Neuberger joined the firm from Ashurst while Conrad Purcell left for Bird & Bird LLP .

Product liability: defendant Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is experienced in a variety of industry sectors, with notable expertise in the automotive and technology space, where the team is regularly instructed to advise on product safety and regulatory matters, as well as on emerging technologies. Other work includes defending clients in product liability claims, recalls and withdrawals, brand protection, and compliance advice. Leeds-based Richard Matthews leads the UK team, as well as the firm's pan-European practice, and is well versed in handling multi-jurisdictional disputes. Principal associate Peter Shervington, also in Leeds, has considerable knowledge of the automotive sector.

Professional negligence Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's Birmingham team, which includes Chris Busby and Neville Gray, works closely with practitioners in the Nottingham office on a substantial portfolio of professional negligence claims. The group covers both residential and commercial lending claims as well as having considerable pension sector professional negligence expertise. It routinely advises on major pension related professional negligence claims against actuarial firms and solicitors and also acts for pension trustees and major corporates.

Professional negligence Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP defends claims against insurance brokers, pension advisors and accountants, and it is instructed by blue-chip professional services firms, insurers and major insurance brokers on complex claims. The London team is ably supported by its regional network of offices to handle high-profile claims. Its pensions sector expertise is demonstrated by its involvement in defending Airways Pension Scheme Trustee, the corporate trustee of the Airways Pension Scheme, in a long-running claim that examines the extent to which a trustee body must have regard to the sponsoring employer’s views and funding of the scheme when exercising its discretionary powers.

Public international law Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's investor-state arbitration practice continues to be highly sought after by states in the most significant disputes. It is acting for the state of Libya in its defence of three separate and unrelated arbitrations, brought in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.  The group also draws upon its network of international offices to advise on treaty obligations and interpretation, the status of foreign governments, state immunity, and international human rights claims. Jonathan Leach advises multinational corporates on non-contentious and contentious matters arising from their investments into and trade with emerging markets. Other key figures to note include Mark Howarth, who is representing the Islamic Republic of Iran in a long-running dispute with the USA, before the Iran-US Claims Tribunal; Greg Falkof, and senior associates Cameron Forsaith and Ahmed Abdel-Hakam.

Regulatory investigations and corporate crime Tier 3

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is experienced in handling cross-border investigations including those brought by the SFO, CFA, HMRC and CPS. Areas of expertise include compliance, fraud, tax evasion, financial crime and prosecutions. Clients include multinationals, financial institutions and individuals. Manchester-based Zia Ullah heads the team and is adept at advising on sanctions, money laundering and bribery matters. Steve Smith joined as a partner from Nomura International plc. Former head of team Neill Blundell left the firm for Macfarlanes LLP.

Tax litigation and investigations Tier 3

Key areas of expertise for the contentious tax team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP include VAT disputes, customs duty disputes, international tax, Stamp Duty Reserve Tax matters and tax investigations by both UK and international tax authorities. Department head and solicitor-advocate Giles Salmond stands out for his experience of contentious VAT cases and has appeared before courts at every level. Associate Kunal Nathwani is a specialist in international tax disputes.

VAT and indirect tax Tier 3

Key areas of expertise for the team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP are investment fund taxation, international tax, real estate tax, finance tax and tax risk insurance. The group is led by Ben Jones, who has a strong tax insurance practice alongside VAT and indirect tax work. The group also includes real estate tax specialist Paul Beausang, who joined from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP in May 2018, and principal associate Deepesh Upadhyay, who is an expert in finance-related tax. Giles Salmond is another key name, with indirect tax disputes experience. Cathryn Vanderspar retired.

Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 4

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's disputes experience includes banking law and regulation compliance controversies, co-ordinating case strategy for the cross-border aspects of disputes, fraudulent payment litigation and recoveries, and consumer finance litigation and class action defence. Matthew Allen is co-head of financial services disputes and investigations globally, and Andrew Legg is a senior litigation partner who is highly rated for his litigation and contentious regulatory work, which often contains cross-border elements. Also key to the practice are David Flack, Jennifer Miles and Jake McQuitty. Mariafrancesca De Leo   relocated to the firm's Milan office.

Corporate tax Tier 4

Cathryn Vanderspar leads the team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, which has a broad offering in investment fund taxation, cross-border M&A, real estate investment, finance tax and tax risk insurance. The team includes funds taxation specialist Camilla Spielman and real estate tax expert Paul Beausang, who joined the group from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP in May 2018.

Employment: employers Tier 4

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's has a particular focus on three areas - City financial service firms and major plcs; international work; and industrial relations. With regards to City/financial services work, the team handles much work relating to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, while its international practice is continuing to thrive on the back of the firm's transatlantic merger in 2017 and other recent global expansion. Manchester partner Diane Gilhooley heads up the firm's global HR practice; in London, the team is led by Paul Fontes, who handles both non-contentious and contentious matters, including Employment Tribunal and High Court disputes, with a particular focus on the financial services sector. Other key London partners include labour relations head Martin Warren, industrial relations head Marc Meryon and Sophie White, who joined from Abbiss Cadre LLP in April 2018.

EU and competition Tier 4

Acting nationally and internationally, the competition, EU and trade team at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP provides full-service legal advice to clients on matters concerning market studies and investigations, competition litigation, merger control, distribution arrangements, regulatory issues, state aid, and competition law compliance. Established as a standout in the merger control space, the team also handles reviews regarding foreign direct investment. Of recent note, a team led by Peter Harper convinced the CMA to grant a Phase I clearance to client Tayto Group in relation to its acquisition of The Real Pork Crackling Company. Among other high-profile matters, practice head Ros Kellaway provides competition law advice relating to Brexit. Bringing ‘a great deal of experience across multiple sectors’, Lesley Farrell is also noted. Currently serving as a consultant at the firm,Stephen Rose retired from the partnership in October 2018. Rod Lambert joined from Brodies LLP in April 2018 and splits his time between Brussels and London.

Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory Tier 4

The Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP department provides a broad range of regulatory advisory services, particularly specialising in cryptoassets. Co-head Michaela Walker advises fund management clients and depositary banks in regulated activities and product development, as well as related corporate work; co-head David Saunders has expertise in project managing regulatory investigations, regulatory change projects and past business reviews for financial services firms. The contentious wing of the practice is notable for anti-money laundering regulations, financial crime and is appointed to the FCA/PRA Skilled Person’s panel. The firm also has an in-house team of regulatory consultants and compliance professionals. Gregory Brandman leads the contentious team and specialises in representing financial institutions, senior managers and approved persons in FCA and PRA enforcement proceedings. He can call on the expertise of Jake McQuitty, formerly the Head of Investigations & Enforcement at Barclays Bank plc, who focuses on corporate investigations and regulatory enforcement. The group was strengthened by the arrivals of corporate crime and investigations specialist Steve Smith, who joined from Nomura International Plc, and hedge fund expert Ben Watford, who joined from MJ Hudson. Partner Neill Blundell left for Macfarlanes LLP in 2018.

Fraud: civil Tier 4

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP has a strong track record of work on corporate investigations, regulatory enforcement and fraud matters, with areas of expertise including market abuse, money laundering, cybersecurity, asset tracing and recovery, online fraud and identity theft. The firm is also experienced in multi-party litigation and multi-jurisdictional trust disputes, with key client sectors including commerce, finance and sport. Neville Byford and Neville Gray head the team. Former head of corporate crime and investigations Neill Blundell left the firm for Macfarlanes LLP; he was succeeded by Zia Ullah.

Intellectual property Tier 4

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP handles a variety of contentious and non-contentious matters across all aspects of IP, and much of the team's work is international or cross-border given the firm's increasing global footprint. Department head Rupert Bent, who joined in early 2018 from Walker Morris LLP, where he also led the IP practice, has substantive experience of high-profile litigation, with clients including a number of media and entertainment giants.

Aviation Tier 5

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's cross-office and multidisciplinary team is instructed by airports, airlines and aviation support businesses on a range of issues including disputes, projects, regulatory, employment and corporate matters.

Charities and not-for-profit Tier 5

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP acts for over 250 charities. It has particular expertise in advising clients in the education, health, regeneration, mental health and grant-giving sectors. Glynne Stanfield and Paul Pugh are key members of the team that has significant expertise in advising research institutions and grant makers on issues ranging from governance, international giving, social investments and tax. Legal director Stephen O’Reilly is another name to note for his work on diverse matters such as the release of permanent endowment restrictions through to payments to trustees.

Derivatives (including commodities) Tier 5

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP focuses predominantly on representing buy-side clients and it is a leading adviser to authorised funds complying with new regulations affecting the derivatives market. Among its clients are numerous investment funds and pension schemes, which it assists with trading and hedging matters. The practice also acts for banks and building societies in balance sheet management. Jonathan Master leads the UK derivatives practice and his recent work includes advising hedge funds on ISDA agreements and other related derivatives documentation. Key partner Richard Batchelor, principal associate Jamie Dunlop and senior associate Paul Denham, who advises banks, building societies, asset managers and corporate buy-side entities on derivatives and securities finance transactions, play key roles in the practice.

International arbitration Tier 5

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP advises on both commercial and investor-state arbitrations, and the practice has particular experience of challenging jurisdictions in emerging markets. Jonathan Leach is the UK international arbitration and PIL head; Mark Howarth in Leeds acts in international commercial arbitration proceedings across the energy and industrials sectors; and Greg Falkof focuses on disputes in the oil and gas, construction and infrastructure sectors, primarily in Africa and the Middle East. Cameron Forsaith is an experienced principal associate and senior associate Ahmed Abdel-Hakam joined from LALIVE's Geneva office.

Reputation management Tier 5

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP offers reputation management services from five key offices across the UK. Privacy work for senior individuals at board level is one of the firm's areas of expertise. Furthermore, the practice specialises in claimant work and provides defamation advice to many existing clients of the global law firm. Reputation and corporate brand management expert Andrew Terry heads the team, together with Michael Clavell-Bate, who is based in Manchester. Associate Eileen Weinert brings expertise in working on technical disputes to the table.

Acquisition finance Tier 6

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is best-known for handling the financing requirements of the firm's impressive roster of mid-market private equity sponsor clients, including Inflexion and LDC. It is able to provide a cost-effective service by dint of its ability to resource matters from London, as well as many of the firm's regional offices, including Birmingham. Significant clearing bank relationships ensure that the firm also regularly handles a range of corporate lending mandates and acquisition financing matters. Co-head of the London banking practice, Nick Swiss, is recommended.

Intellectual property Tier 6

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's IP team, which is particularly experienced in trade mark matters, portfolio and brand management, and advertising issues, counts well-known national and global brands among its client roster. Andrew Terry, who focuses on brand protection issues, heads up the team, which includes individuals across its national office network including Cambridge-based Adrian Toutoungi, who specialises in trade mark and patent litigation, and Manchester-based legal director and trade mark attorney Kate Ellis. Neil Mohring left to an in-house role at Apple Corps and Harrisongs.

Corporate restructuring & insolvency Tier 7

Led out of London by 'safe pair of hands' Simon Waller, and also able to tap into the expertise of practitioners from across the firm's extensive regional network of offices, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's eight-partner team excels at handling domestic mid-market mandates for a diverse client base that includes clearing banks, funds, corporates and insolvency practitioners. The 'fantastic' Jamie Leader has 'huge intellectual ability and sound commercial sensibilities' which he applies to good effect in relation to complex contentious insolvency matters.