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38 law – the legal 500


Shoosmiths: ‘Quality alternative to City firms‘


Corporate and commercial


Shoosmiths LLP is ‘a go-to firm on any issue‘, providing ‘commercial and pragmatic answers to concerns‘. Corporate head Emma Gibson ‘offers excellent guidance‘. The team also includes M&A specialist Adam Dowdney, who advised the shareholders of Softbox Systems on a part disposal and vendor re-investment alongside Great Point Partners, and acted for the shareholders of Watch Shop on its sale to AURUM Holdings. The commercial group includes Paul de Vince and Simon Edwards, supported by senior associate Amanda Coale.


In Hampshire, Shoosmiths is ‘a quality alternative to the City firms‘. Team head Sean Wright has longstanding private equity expertise, and advised August Equity on its sale of portfolio company Boat International. Lynn Knight (‘a personable style and guaranteed partner-led service‘) and Mark Shepherd (‘first class‘) are singled out by clients. Stephen Porter is the other key corporate partner, having led on matters for clients such as Fat Face, Ageas and Fitness First. Julia Ishak‘s commercial team was bolstered by the hire of fellow senior associate Matthew Bridger from Glanvilles.


Corporate tax


Reading-based senior associate Tom Wilde is ‘able to articulate complex tax matters in a comprehensive but understandable way‘ for an impressive range of clients including Hewlett-Packard and Octopus Investments. Niall Murphy, who led the team, joined Clarke Willmott LLP in March 2015.


EU and competition


Shoosmiths‘ advice is ‘on a par with City firms‘, and its team praised as ‘business enablers, not deal blockers‘. Led by the recommended Simon Barnes, highlights include advising Ageas on the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into private motor insurance, and obtaining EU merger clearance for client Lloyds Development Capital‘s investment in TNT Post UK.


www.businessmag.co.uk Commercial litigation


Stuart Little has ‘strong managerial skills and good legal instincts‘, acting for a range of clients including Volkswagen, British Gas and Associated British Foods. The group has particular strength in the IT, technology, retail and leisure sectors, and Paul Eccles is a prominent figure in commercial insurance matters. Senior associate Robert Syms focuses on contentious insolvency.


In Hampshire, the ‘excellent‘ Jonathan Grigg‘s highlights included acting for a Swiss technology company in its complex claim for unpaid invoices under multiple software agreements.


Debt recovery


Shoosmiths fields a broad practice and specialist teams focusing on different areas of debt recovery, such as business-to-business and commercial lending recoveries. Richard Gwynne is the key contact.


Banking and finance


The firm ‘can handle high-value, complex transactions with confidence and competence‘. Group head Rebecca Mauleverer and Linda Williams are singled out for ‘their client focus and professionalism‘, and Sean Wright and Chris McClure have longstanding reputations in acquisition and asset finance respectively. Highlights include advising Lloyds Bank on a multimillion-pound facility to Companion Care Services.


Employment


The firm‘s wide-ranging expertise includes tribunal claims, business immigration, data protection and restructuring support. The practice is headed by Jonathan Naylor in Reading; Kevin McCavish leads the national employment team; and newly- made partner Paula Rome specialises in non-contentious matters. Key clients include Hewlett-Packard, The National Trust and Calor Gas.


In Hampshire, Shoosmiths advised clients such as Phase Eight and Gourmet Burger Kitchen on issues including employment contract reviews and long-term absence. Team head Stuart Lawrenson and associate Louise Randall are the key contacts.


Health and safety


Shoosmiths ‘has first-class knowledge of the health and safety landscape‘. In a major case, the firm defended Ace European Insurance against a multimillion- pound prosecution for corporate manslaughter. Ron Reid and Philip Ryan, who led on that matter, are the key figures.


Pensions


The pensions group is spread across four offices, acting for clients in the engineering, media and charity sectors. David Thompson heads the practice from the Milton Keynes office, where the ‘accessible and pragmatic‘ Heather Chandler is also based.


Clinical negligence: claimant


Shoosmiths‘ ‘first-rate‘ team ‘handles extremely heavy cases with a certainty of touch and capability‘. Denise Stephens is recommended.


Personal injury: claimant


Rose Donoghue leads the national personal injury practice. Senior associate Paul Ashurst is also recommended.


Commercial property


Shoosmiths acts for major domestic and international clients, including a range of institutional investors, land developers and retail and leisure companies. Alan Corcoran and Andrew Farmery acted for McKay Securities on £60 million-worth of new property investments, and Nathan Rees and Matt Walker are the other key contacts.


In Hampshire, the firm demonstrated its capacity for big-ticket work by assisting Almacantar with the


redevelopment of Centre Point and Marble Arch Tower in central London. The ‘very experienced and pragmatic‘ Joanne McGuiness leads a strong bench of senior associates and associates.


Planning


The firm ‘has a breadth of experience unrivalled by many of its competitors‘. Team head Kirsten Hewson is ‘a fantastic planning lawyer‘, and associate Aaron Richardson is ‘calm and commercial‘. Senior associate Matthew Stimson and associate Paul Weeks are the other key members in the team, which advises clients such as English Heritage and West Sussex County Council.


Property litigation


Zoe Wright is supported by experienced associates Lucy Barry and Simon Pestell. Highlights include advising a major car manufacturer on the termination of two car dealership leases and the related settlement.


IT and telecoms


Shoosmiths offers ‘relevant and commercially appropriate advice‘, and ‘makes a significant effort to understand the client‘s business‘. Team head Sebastian Price is ‘personable and very astute‘, and Laurence Kaye and associate Vicki Duvivie specialise in e-commerce, digital media and outsourcing. Key clients include The Open University, IKEA and Hewlett Packard.


Intellectual property


Gary Assim‘s group acts for a number of high-profile clients including Red Bull Racing, TK Maxx, H&M and Mulberry. Anastasia Fowle‘s wide-ranging expertise includes patent, trademark and copyright litigation, as well as development, compliance and protection matters. IP and creative industries head Laura Harper joined the Manchester office from Ward Hadaway.


Aviation


Chris McClure advised Swiss International Air Lines on the sale of 20 aircraft as part of the client‘s phase-out of older models and replacement with the Bombardier C series. Joanne McGuinness acts for NATS Holdings on various property issues.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – OCTOBER 2015


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