Firm Profile > Collyer Bristow LLP > London , England

Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 2

Collyer Bristow LLP is highly rated in the hotels and leisure space, representing a client base of hotel owners, operators, restaurants, bars and sports clubs on matters such as extensions, sales and leases, refurbishment and licensing. A further key strength is development, with the group holding particular expertise in relation to mixed-use sites, joint ventures, profit sharing, planning agreements, overage agreements and renewable energy matters. Development-related finance is also a core focus, with a number of banks and financial institutions forming the client roster. In the corporate occupier space, the practice has recently represented a number of regulatory bodies in relation to office moves and is also engaged by banks for related matters.

Family: mediation Tier 2

Philippa Dolan at Collyer Bristow LLP is a trained civil mediator and excels at complicated matrimonial finance and children disputes.

Family Tier 3

Collyer Bristow LLP acts primarily for high-net-worth clients and works closely with the firm’s tax and estate planning teams as well as its commercial department to advise on diverse areas such as tax and reputation management. The team is best known for its divorce and matrimonial finance work such as pre- and post-nuptial agreements and private law children disputes. The majority of the team’s work is now international and the children team frequently deals with international relocation cases and other issues such as surrogacy, assisted reproduction as well as parentage disputes. Toby Yerburgh heads the team and Mark Harrop left the firm and has joined Family Law Partners.

Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 3

Collyer Bristow LLP advises the full range of private clients, from landed estates through to entrepreneurs. It advises on wills, trusts and probate as well as on complex questions of personal taxation and structuring. The majority of its work is cross-border and it has a sophisticated understanding of offshore trust structures in specific jurisdictions, including Switzerland, the United States, the Nordics, Russia and the Middle East. Peter Daniel  is now the head of department with effect from May 2019. James Badcock  has left the firm.

Media and entertainment (including media finance) Tier 4

Collyer Bristow LLP handles commercial matters in the media and entertainment sphere, and it is noted for its fashion, arts and sports sector expertise. It has experience in events, marketing, publishing and sponsorship matters, while IP, copyright and data protection matters are also a key specialism. The firm also handles libel, privacy, reputation management, phone hacking and contractual disputes.

Reputation management Tier 4

Collyer Bristow LLP handles reputational issues for individuals, including clients seeking compensation for breach of privacy claims arising out of the misuse of private information. The team headed by Steven Heffer is also heavily involved in phone hacking litigation and acts for 9 claimants in High Court claims against News Group Newspapers. In addition, Heffer has acted in sexual harassment cases involving senior executives and assists charities with reputational threats. Associate Nichola Leach brings expertise in matters related to social media and the GDPR to the table.

Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5

Collyer Bristow LLP is primarily a claimant firm and conflict-free in relation to disputes with the major financial institutions. The team advises on disputes involving derivatives, Forex, assignment of bank debts, and distressed debt trading, along with syndicated lending, securitisation, and unregulated collective investment schemes. It has also expanded into aviation financing and crypto-currency disputes. Banking and financial disputes group head Stephen Rosen, commercial disputes head Richard Viegas, Janine Alexander and Robin Henry are the principal advisers.

Commercial property: development Tier 5

Collyer Bristow LLP is highly rated in the hotels and leisure space, representing a client base of hotel owners, operators, restaurants, bars and sports clubs on matters such as extensions, sales and leases, refurbishment and licensing. A further key strength is development, with the group holding particular expertise in relation to mixed-use sites, joint ventures, profit sharing, planning agreements, overage agreements and renewable energy matters. Development-related finance is also a core focus, with a number of banks and financial institutions forming the client roster. In the corporate occupier space, the practice has recently represented a number of regulatory bodies in relation to office moves and is also engaged by banks for related matters.

Property litigation Tier 5

Working closely with its construction team, Michael Grace heads the property litigation team at Collyer Bristow LLP, which is well versed in handling various landlord and tenant disputes, insolvency-related matters, property portfolio management issues, service charge arrears and litigation arising from business lease renewals. Clients include privately-owned property investment, development and management companies, high-net-worth individuals and companies in the retail and leisure industries.

Commercial litigation Tier 6

Collyer Bristow LLP's team has wide experience of business and high-net-worth disputes, as well as internal disputes (including boardroom and partnership issues). Its team includes specialists in mining, Fintech, financial disputes, insolvency, IP, IT and e-commerce, and competition. Richard Viegas heads the commercial disputes team, which also includes Stephen Rosen, Jeff Roberts, Janine Alexander and media and privacy department head Steven Heffer.

Intellectual property Tier 6

Collyer Bristow LLP's departent is comprised of commercial lawyers and 'excellent all-round IP litigators, with a particular strength in trade mark work'. The team is led by Patrick Wheeler, who has 'exceptional experience' in soft IP disputes, while Tim Bamford, who has 'encyclopaedic knowledge', focuses on patent litigation. Charles Braithwaite is a key contact for commercial IP matters including licensing issues.

Property finance Tier 6

On the borrower side, Collyer Bristow LLP has extensive experience advising developers on mixed-use, residential and commercial projects; the team also acts for a range of lenders, including banks and a number of investors from the Far East and Middle East. The team handles acquisition, investment and development finance. Alex O’Connor specialises in the financing of complex mixed-use developments, while Rory Macpherson focuses on development finance in the residential sector.

Diversity/Community

The firm places great value on all of our employees. We celebrate diversity and respect the unique and distinctive qualities of our colleagues. We believe everyone has the right to enjoy an inclusive working environment which encourages professional and/or personal development free from discrimination or harassment. It is important for everyone to understand workplace behaviour and its implication on the working environment. Our Diversity and Inclusion policy details the firm’s approach to equal opportunities and covers discrimination, harassment/bullying and victimisation.

The firm is committed to promoting gender equality. We have established a professional network called Higher which elevates women and champions equality in the workplace. Its activity is driven by a diverse internal committee.