Firms To Watch: Commercial litigation: Manchester

Barings Law's practice, which is headed by Craig Cooper, Iryna Lysenko, Adnan Malik and Tathir Hussain, advises on a wide range of disputes including PPI recovery issues, financial mis-selling claims, and disputes concerning mortgage contracts, particularly class-actions related to mortgage securitisation.
Bermans routinely represents SMEs within the technology and creative sectors in a wide range of commercial matters. The team also acts for private clients in high-value contentious matters. The team is headed up by Andrew Koffman, who has extensive experience in shareholder and partnership disputes, professional negligence claims, contract disputes and claims for secured lenders.
Myerson Solicitors has extensive knowledge of complex shareholder disputes involving unfair prejudice petitions, equitable winding up applications, commercial agency disputes, and professional negligence claims. The team is led by Adam Maher, Suzanne Carr and Sven Clarke.

Commercial litigation: Manchester in North West

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard acts for local, national and international clients on the full spectrum of commercial disputes, with particular expertise in tech, business protection, IP, insurance, pensions, and competition disputes. The team is co-headed by Susan Garrett, whose broad practice covers technology, commercial contracts, insurance and shareholder issues; and Nicholas Ashcroft, who has extensive experience in business protection litigation. Samantha Haigh represents clients in a diverse range of commercial disputes, with a particular focus on the energy, retail, and transport sectors. Alongside a strong shareholder and boardroom litigation practice, Victoria Pool also has notable expertise in the insurance sector, where she acts for policyholders. Catherine Radcliffe has considerable experience acting for clients in commercial disputes in the Chancery Division, Business and Property Courts as well as the Court of Appeal, while Paul Rowley is a key contact for public law and procurement litigation. Clare Dwyer has since left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Susan Garrett; Nicholas Ashcroft


Other key lawyers:

Samantha Haigh; Victoria Pool; Catherine Radcliffe; Paul Rowley


Testimonials

‘Superb team. They have considerable strength in depth and are very flexible/easy to work with across the board. No egos. Very innovative in their collaboration and solutions for clients. Technically excellent. In my view they are the strongest litigation team in Manchester by some margin.’

‘Samantha Haigh – Superb. Samantha has an incredible legal brain. Recently described to me as a ‘genius’. Her ability to cut through extremely complex issues and prepare an easily digestible route map is fantastic.’

‘Practical and pragmatic in their approach; collaboration within the team and across AG more widely to get the best solutions.’

‘The team is highly experienced and attention to detail is immaculate.’

Key clients

Soteria Insurance Limited


Co-op Group Limited


Credico Marketing Limited


Diageo plc


Road Haulage Association Limited


Skanska Construction UK Limited


Stroma Building Control Limited


Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank (TDB)


Tata Chemicals Europe Limited


Toyota Material Handling UK Limited


Trustees of the BT Rolatruc Limited Staff Life Assurance and Pension Scheme


Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP


Stella McCartney


Currys


Anglian Water


NKT A/S and NKT Verwaltungs GmbH


Tsemex Global Enterprise Plc and Tsemex Hotels and Business Plc


Associated British Foods including British Sugar


Origin Packaging


British International Investment PLC


Work highlights


  • Defending a claim brought by liquidators of a company valued in excess of £450m for alleged antecedent transactions.
  • Acting for the Road Haulage Association in an opt-in class action seeking to represent more than 16,000 class members and £1bn+ in damages. The case has massive implications for the development of collective proceedings in the UK.
  • Acting for Anglian Water Services Limited as one of a number of water companies facing a restitution claim from 95 claimants in the context of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

Brabners LLP

Brabners LLP’s commercial litigation team handles a wide range of disputes including privacy and reputation management issues, business interruption claims, breaches of restrictive covenants, and property litigation. More recently, the firm has undertaken novel work concerning new causes of action for cladding manufactures with regards to fire safety issues. Practice head Jeff Lewis has broad experience litigating a wide range of disputes, with specific expertise in the recruitment and sports sectors. Nick McAleenan has significant knowledge of media and communications claims, with experience handling cases concerning phone-hacking, data protection, smear campaigns, and submissions to the Leveson Inquiry. Property litigation specialist Helena Davies routinely advises on title and boundary disputes, trespasser injunctions and adverse possession claims, as well as commercial landlord and tenant work. Lucy Craven has a particular focus on media and defamation work, while Oliver Andrews specialises in unfair prejudice petitions and partnership disputes. Imogen Duck acts in a wide range of commercial matters including contract disputes and insurance claims.

Practice head(s):

Jeff Lewis


Other key lawyers:

Nick McAleenan; Helena Davies; Lucy Craven; Oliver Andrews; Imogen Duck


Testimonials

‘Brabners are a key player in the Manchester and North West England Commercial Dispute Resolution market with a sizable team of highly regarded litigation experts.’

‘Every member of the team we dealt with were well informed and helpful.’

‘Jeff Lewis and Oliver Andrews were individually fantastic in their roles and also made a great team. They are extremely approachable, gave any of our concerns consideration and guided us through a very difficult process. They answered any questions and never dismissed our thoughts, giving consideration to anything we mentioned. They didn’t give us false hope but managed our expectations well. And at the end of the day delivered the best outcome we could have hoped for.’

Key clients

Leach Rhodes Walker Limited


British Swimming


Simpsons (Preston) Ltd


Airest AS


Coleen Rooney


Property Renaissance Ltd


James Hall and Company – SPAR


The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation


The Shaw Trust


Work highlights


  • Acted for Airest AS in successfully arguing a novel point of law that a request for arbitration had not been validly served, thus blocking off a claim for approximately $400,000.
  • Acting for Leach Rhodes Walker in a £70m case which is one of the first cases to consider the new cause of action against cladding manufacturers.
  • Acting for Coleen Rooney in her phone-hacking claim against NGN, publisher of The Sun newspaper.

DLA Piper

DLA Piper supports clients in a wide range of commercial disputes across various sectors including the private equity, energy, hospitality, and sports industries. The team is well placed to handle cross-border disputes, specifically corporate disputes and financial services litigation. Andrew Smith, who leads the team, concentrates his practice on corporate and commercial disputes, including group actions, with expertise in M&A and transactional claims, joint venture issues and shareholder disputes. Jonathan Eatough represents clients in the manufacturing, retail, infrastructure, PFI, and technology sectors in domestic and international commercial disputes. Philip Williams routinely supports clients in fintech and financial services disputes, infrastructure and energy-related claims, and corporate and shareholder disputes. Leontia McArdle specialises in class-actions and other mass claims, regularly acting for blue-chip clients. International arbitration expert Charlotte Leith also has a strong commercial litigation practice, and Benjamin Fellows routinely handles claims concerning breach of contract and negligence elements, and consumer credit and asset finance issues.

Practice head(s):

Andrew Smith


Other key lawyers:

Jonathan Eatough; Philip Williams; Leontia McArdle; Charlotte Leith; Benjamin Fellows


Key clients

Jemella Limited (ghd)


Fullbrook Thorpe Investments


Maven Capital Partners


Harrison Street Real Estate Capital LLC


Scottish Power Group


GE Capital


Close Brothers


Wise Payments (Transferwise)


New Day


Bionical EMAS


JD Williams & Company (N Brown Group)


SEFE Energy


Payoneer Inc


Intelerad UK Limited


Start Rite International Limited


THG plc (The Hut Group)


SportPesa Global Holdings


Orkla ASA


Shaftesbury Plc


Holmes Care Group


Clariant International AG


Work highlights


  • Acting in a joint venture dispute involving various allegations and counter-allegations of breach of contract, breach of duty and other heads of claim.
  • Involved in a high-profile defamation proceedings brought against a client by Dr Craig Wright, who claims to be the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, inventor of Bitcoin.
  • Acting for SP Smart Meter Assets Limited in a claim against EDF Energy Customers Limited. The claim arises as a result of the refusal of EDF to pay rental charges in connection with electricity and gas smart meters supplied by the client to customers of EDF.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP represents large domestic and global businesses in a wide range of matters including fraud mandates, arbitration claims, commercial agency claims, and reputation management disputes; the team has particular expertise handling claims in the industrial, consumer and transport sectors. The practice is led by Matthew Taylor, who has significant experience in commercial disputes in the chemical and industrial sectors. Philip Duignan routinely handles shareholder disputes, warranty claims and disputes relating to departing employees or team moves involving breach of restrictive covenants and theft of confidential information. Thomas Whitfield is an IT dispute and reputation management specialist, while Luisa Zukowski has extensive experience handling international arbitration matters. Sarah Lewandowski litigates a broad range of commercial disputes, with a particular focus on the life sciences and healthcare sectors. Michael Clavell-Bate retired in May 2023.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Taylor


Other key lawyers:

Philip Duignan; Thomas Whitfield; Luisa Zukowski; Sarah Lewandowski


Testimonials

‘Really approachable and commercial.’

‘Phil Duignan is a very impressive and commercial operator. He is able to deliver advice on complex issues in a straightforward and business friendly manner.’

‘The personal skills and client communication is above and beyond our experiences with any other firm.’

‘Phil Duignan is a brilliant adviser and extremely client centric and responsive.’

‘The team is capable of handling a very diverse caseload – from big ticket international litigation/arbitration work through to small claims matters. In every case they provide timely, commercially-minded and highly strategic advice.’

‘Luisa Zukowski has deep knowledge of international arbitration and has represented us in key disputes where arbitration clauses are engaged.’

‘Expert knowledge, pragmatic and always focused on the client objectives. The team are very user friendly and always assessing the position in the interests of the client as the case progresses.’

‘Phil Duignan – very experienced and expert within his field. He is the person you want on your side in negotiations and mediations.’

Key clients

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited


Director of the Serious Fraud Office


Shop Direct Finance Company Limited


Air Liquide UK Limited


Dyson Manufacturing SDN BHD


Castore (trading brand name of J Carter Sporting Goods Limited)


E-Shop World


Mascolo Limited trading as Toni & Guy


Kubrick Group Limited


Johnson Controls, Inc


Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP fields a broad commercial litigation practice, regularly acting in cases concerning breach of contract, shareholder disputes, breach of warranty claims, breach of confidence and privacy issues, insurance claims, pensions work, and insolvency proceedings. The team is headed up by Julian Diaz-Rainey, who has experience in company disputes, fraud and trust litigation and commercial disputes; he also handles injunctions and search orders. Tax litigation specialist Steven Porter has also acted in group litigation at all court levels and handled judicial review proceedings. Andrew Mitchell routinely advises corporate entities and high-net-worth individuals on commercial disputes such as warranty claims, shareholder disputes and directors’ duties cases. Katie Hancock specialises in product liability claims, while Gabrielle Armstrong and Alexander Richardson have particular expertise in sports-related matters. Sam Wardleworth has a broad practice across a wide range of tax matters with a focus on handling disputes with HMRC.

Practice head(s):

Julian Diaz-Rainey


Other key lawyers:

Steven Porter; Andrew Mitchell; Gabrielle Armstrong; Alexander Richardson; Sam Wardleworth; Katie Hancock


Testimonials

‘Strength in depth. Exceptionally strong national/international brand backed up by a great team in the North West.’

‘Julian Diaz-Rainey – superb lawyer, excellent client-care.’

‘Very knowledgeable lawyers in areas where they offer commercial dispute resolution services. Hard working, imaginative and commercially minded.’

Key clients

Manchester City/City Football Group


United Healthcare


Lenovo Technology UK Limited


4NS/Hiscox Insurance


The Cabinet Office


Department of Health and Social Security


Work highlights


  • Instructed to advise the Cabinet Office on its response to each of the various modules of the Covid-19 Inquiry.

DAC Beachcroft LLP

The commercial litigation group at DAC Beachcroft LLP advises on a wide variety of commercial disputes spanning complex shareholder, contractual, and professional negligence disputes, as well as fraud, insolvency, and procurement matters; the practice also has particular strength in the TMT, healthcare, and insurance sectors. Team head Jan Levinson’s practice is concentrated on IT and outsourcing disputes, property and environmental claims, urgent pre-action injunctions, and product liability matters, while Harald Loeffler has particular expertise in contractual and tortious claims. Sandra Morrison represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of disputes, including breach of contract and trading disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, breach of warranty claims, and restrictive covenant disputes. Jo Dumphy has particular knowledge of the healthcare sector, acting in major commercial disputes for leading NHS Foundation Trusts, leading private healthcare providers and healthcare suppliers. Amie Bleasdale, who joined the team from Clyde & Co in March 2023, supports clients in the insurance, IT, healthcare, marine and international trade sectors. Jessica Bennett joined from TLT in February 2023.

Practice head(s):

Jan Levinson


Other key lawyers:

Harald Loeffler; Sandra Morrison; Jo Dumphy; Amie Bleasdale; Jessica Bennett.


Testimonials

‘An exceptionally strong commercial litigation team in Manchester.’

‘Jan Levinson – a keen and thoughtful litigator who brilliantly manages his cases.’

‘DAC Beachcroft frequently advises us on complex matters in the area of insurance, litigation and general commercial. Key strengths and key capabilities are in particular depth of team, international network and problem solving approach.’

Key clients

Jewson Ltd


Charles Clarke (former Home Secretary) and family


Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust


NHS England


DHL Management Services Limited


Internorm Windows UK Ltd / Internorm International GmbH


North Bristol NHS Trust


University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust


Bentley Motors Limited


HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. t/a Tokio Marine HCC


W Maher Group


MS Amlin


Envair Limited


Amethyst Homes Limited


Tyrol Air Ambulance GmbH


Auto Doc retailer for car parts


Schweizer Electronic


IIC International AG


Manchester University NHS Foundations Trust


Unilever PLC


Yodel


Work highlights


  • Instructed by Jewson Ltd to pursue a claim against a H&S inspection company for negligent advice regarding asbestos at three of the client’s sites.
  • Acting for the family of Charles Clarke in a claim against the Mirror Group Newspapers for the unlawful gathering and misuse of private information.
  • Instructed in relation to a procurement challenge brought by Practice Plus Group Health and Rehabilitation Services Limited against NHS England which procured primary care services for prisons in the South West.

DWF

The dispute resolution practice group at DWF routinely advises high-profile clients in the retail, food and drink, telecoms, energy, and public procurement sectors. The team has notable strength in defending and managing group litigation, specifically relating to business-critical data breaches. The team is led by Daniel Williams, who handles a diverse range of disputes spanning shareholder and director disputes, breach of contract and warranty issues, breaches of restrictive covenants, professional negligence disputes, and applications for injunctive relief. Joel Heap specialises in issues arising out of companies and company law including shareholdings and directorship litigation and partnership claims. Andrew Harris routinely acts for high-profile individuals in professional partnership arbitration proceedings. Michelle Maher has extensive expertise in data protection law, acting for high-profile clients in group litigation claims concerning data breaches. Elinor Webster has significant experience in disputes relating to potential beaches of post-termination restrictive covenants, while Victoria Harkness has worked on complex injunctions and warranty disputes.

Practice head(s):

Daniel Williams


Other key lawyers:

Joel Heap; Andrew Harris; Michelle Maher; Elinor Webster; Victoria Harkness; Ben Johnson


Testimonials

‘Very practical and subject matter experts.’

‘Dan Williams is a very skilled operator with a pragmatic approach.’

‘The DWF team pick up matters and manage effectively from end to end, engaging with the business as needed but not excessively. It makes for a much less stressful and more efficient process in managing disputes.’

Key clients

Graham Hunter Martin


JCB Power Systems Limited (part of the JCB Group)


Oak National Academy Limited


Durham County Council


CMAC Group UK Limited


Wincanton Holdings


British Telecommunications Plc


Morrisons Supermarket Limited


Serco PLC


Work highlights


  • Advising Serco PLC on a number of business critical, often sensitive and complex high-value disputes concerning procurement and contract interpretation matters.
  • Representing JD Sports PLC in respect of all regulatory investigations and the defence of all civil claims arising from a data incident.

Fieldfisher

Fieldfisher‘s dispute resolution team, which is headed up by James Lappin, has expertise in professional negligence claims, insolvency litigation, contractual disputes, and corporate litigation. Lappin is regularly instructed by corporates and individuals in disputes involving alleged fraud, dishonesty and corruption, and cases with an international aspect. Ian Austin has specific expertise in contractual disputes, shareholder disputes and civil fraud claims. Costs recovery specialist Emma-Kate Hargreave is also recommended, as is Chris Gee, who has notable expertise in professional negligence matters as well as injunctive relief claims. David Robinson‘s practice is concentrated on all forms of debt recovery matters, while Daniel Sheehan advises on corporate litigation, including warranty and indemnity claims, shareholder and director disputes and derivative actions. Mark Fairclough works for both claimants and defendants in urgent defended litigation proceedings. Steven Garry is experienced in high-value matters where urgent injunctive relief is required, and Craig Arrowsmith acts for lenders and insolvency practitioners in commercial litigation. Rebecca Smith specialises in contentious probate matters, and Grace Brown has handled a wide range of disputes including professional negligence claims, contentious trusts and probate matters, and property disputes. Contentious insolvency specialist Chris Keane joined the firm in January 2024 from Clarke Willmott LLP.

Practice head(s):

James Lappin


Other key lawyers:

Ian Austin; Emma-Kate Hargreave; Chris Gee; David Robinson; Chris Keane; Daniel Sheehan; Mark Fairclough; Steven Garry; Rebecca Smith; Grace Brown; Craig Arrowsmith


Testimonials

‘Highly responsive, dedicated, professional, focus on client service. Technically excellent.’

‘James Lappin and his team are one of the fiercest litigation teams in the North West. They get great results in complex cases.’

‘James Lappin is a highly experienced, commercial and pragmatic lawyer and tactician. Dan Sheehan is the most committed associate a client could hope for on their side.’

‘The Fieldfisher commercial disputes team are excellent to work with and are very user friendly – we enjoy working with the team there and find them very collaborative to work with.’

‘James Lappin – fantastic leader who really looks after all of his staff, who are absolutely full of genuine praise for him. James has fantastic energy and is always very supportive and encouraging of more junior members of the team. Chris Gee – very straight talking and a real problem solver. Dan Sheehan – thinks outside the box and is a very smart litigator. Rebecca Smith – is an associate to look out for in the future and is going to be a real star at FF.’

‘FieldFisher’s commercial litigation team in Manchester is excellent. In addition to offering expert and focused legal advice, it ensures that the commercial priorities of the client informs everything it does. The result is that clients receive a superb service.’

‘Ian Austin leads the team and is superb. An excellent lawyer with superb judgment who clients trust. His ability to identify the nub of a dispute immediately is impressive and allows him to offer useful advice right from the start.’

‘I had the privilege of working with Fieldfishers, and I must say, the experience exceeded all expectations. With their stellar reputation preceding them, I was eager to see firsthand what sets Fieldfishers apart in the legal arena. The team provided me with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Their professionalism and attention to detail instilled confidence, reassuring me that my legal matters were in capable hands. In conclusion, my experience with Fieldfishers was nothing short of exceptional. Their blend of expertise, professionalism, and client-centric approach sets them apart as leaders in the legal industry.’

Key clients

M4nchester Holdings Limited


3,000 Claimants who are employees or ex-employees of Morrisons supermarket


Getir UK Limited


Financial Reporting Council


JLA


Fleximise


West One Loan Limited


Aston Risk Management


Aalto Capital LLP


MTX Contracts Limited


Anikin Limited (Katkin)


Transaction Network Services Limited


Advam (UK) Limited


Broker Direct Plc


Work highlights


  • Acted for the Claimant, Aston Risk Management Limited (assignee of claims advanced from Audiological Support Services Ltd (in liquidation) (ASS) and its joint liquidators) in a claim against six defendants, whereby Aston Risk Management alleged the defendants conspired to force former directors out of ASS before setting up a phoenix company and taking the profits for themselves.
  • Acting for M4nchester Holdings Limited in an unfair prejudice claim issued by Banton Investments Limited.
  • Acted for West One Loan Limited in litigation relating to a multi-million pound secured residential asset situated in central London which the client took possession of in March 2019.

Hill Dickinson LLP

Hill Dickinson LLP‘s commercial litigation team, co-headed by Fiona Parry, Sharon Williamson and Rajesh Pabla, represents clients in a broad spectrum of commercial disputes encompassing shareholder disputes, tax disputes, fraud claims, contractual disputes, negligence claims and judicial reviews. Andrew Little concentrates his practice on shareholder and partnership disputes, unfair prejudice petitions and defamation and reputation management work, while Iain Campbell specialises in breach of contract and professional negligence disputes, with a particular focus on higher education sector claims and competition claims. Duncan Hope, who joined the practice from Irwin Mitchell in March 2023, has a broad practice spanning director and shareholder disputes, debt and asset recovery work, and complex commercial contract claims. Moya Clifford routinely advises on breach of contract and negligence disputes, while Alex Smith has recently been active in employee injunction cases. Laura Scott’s practice focuses on shareholder, IP, and pensions disputes, and Callum Powell has experience in contractual disputes, professional negligence claims, and IP matters.

Practice head(s):

Fiona Parry; Sharon Willamson; Rajesh Pabla


Other key lawyers:

Andrew Little; Iain Campbell; Duncan Hope; Moya Clifford; Alex Smith; Laura Scott; Callum Powell


Testimonials

‘Diligent and tenacious approach to all aspects. Nothing was too much trouble.’

‘Duncan Hope was exceptional. Always kept me informed of the ever changing developments. Empathetic towards me and my position.’

‘Clear expertise in the various areas of law; professional, prompt and accurate advice; the litigation team in particular is efficient and considers all options to best act in the interest of the client; great communicators.’

‘Alex Smith – professional, courteous, very capable and knowledgeable in his field; gives prompt service; instills a sense of confidence in the client that you are working with someone who has your best interests at heart. Very personable – always good that there is the “human” element.’

‘I’ve found the team at HD Manchester to be on the ball, proactive and super-efficient. Partner Andrew Little and team members Alex Smith and Callum Powell are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Incredibly fast turnaround time, oodles of common sense and proactivity.’

‘Hill Dickinson have a fantastic commercial litigation team in Manchester. They have very savvy and commercially minded individuals who also speak their clients’ language.’

‘I have worked mainly with Iain Campbell on the competition litigation matters. Iain has a fantastic knowledge of competition law and is a very commercially minded lawyer.’

Key clients

Arc Minerals Ltd, Ortac Resources (UK) Ltd, Zamsort Ltd


Transport for Greater Manchester


NHS England


DL Invest Group PM S.A.


Ambulance Transfers Limited


Genus Breeding Limited


Notemachine UK Limited


Management Information Centre Ltd


Work highlights


  • Represented a high-net-worth individual having taken over the conduct of proceedings issued in the High Court in London. The conjoined proceedings concerned the alleged fraudulent transfer of a high-value West London residential property and a section 994 petition concerning a company founded to hold and administer a second high-value west London mixed-use property.
  • Acted for an individual in successfully defending a claim by her former employer, seeking a final injunction in relation to alleged breaches of restrictive covenants in her employment contract.

JMW Solicitors LLP

JMW Solicitors LLP‘s core practice covers commercial and corporate litigation and contentious property matters. The team also has notable strength in media and reputation management work, cryptocurrency litigation, and contentious trusts and probate matters. Steve Morris has a broad practice, routinely working on contractual and shareholders disputes, warranty claims, fraud issues, professional negligence work and injunctions. Mark Jones concentrates his practice on high-value commercial litigation, contentious construction issues, and professional negligence claims. Graham Small’s practice covers contractual and shareholder disputes as well as digital asset-related work. Michael Kennedy is highly specialised in business and corporate disputes, sports disputes, and professional negligence claims. Peter Barnard handles contractual disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, professional negligence claims and urgent applications for injunctive relief for both domestic and foreign clients.

Practice head(s):

Steve Morris; Mark Jones


Other key lawyers:

Graham Small; Michael Kennedy; Peter Barnard; Layla Kelly; Jemma Fleetwood


Testimonials

‘Client-friendly team with a good range of expertise and experience.’

‘Graham Small – loads of experience and brings a veteran’s nous to any case.’

‘Very good at working with you and make a great team as all of the team align with each other. Fantastic to work with.’

‘Layla Kelly is very helpful in the way that she explains information regarding the case and is very professional in the way she conducts herself.’

‘Peter Barnard takes on board the issue that is being dealt and offers some fantastic advice to allow you to reflect on the main parts of the issue that he sees. Absolutely brilliant approach and very professional throughout.’

‘The team at JMW is always pragmatic and forward thinking.’

‘We work with Graham Small and Jemma Fleetwood regularly – they both are very open and honest, Graham has always looked outside of the box for solutions for his clients and works collaboratively with counsel.’

‘One of the busiest commercial litigation teams in the North West due to the fact that they have assembled a team of some of the best and most experienced litigators around.’

Key clients

United Utilities Water Limited


Innovate Pharmaceuticals Limited


Riverstone Developments (Lincoln) Limited


Bromcom Computers PLC


Gi Group Recruitment Limited


Westshield Limited


Work highlights


  • Acted for Innovate Pharmaceuticals in securing a judgment for £1m for breach of contract in respect of the development of a drug for the treatment of cancer.
  • Acted for United Utilities Water, defending a £5m claim issued against it by a commercial property owner.
  • Acting for Riverside Developments in securing an order for specific performance of a £4.25m contract for the sale of a parcel of commercial land.

Pannone Corporate LLP

Pannone Corporate LLP represents multi-nationals and household-name brands, major north west businesses, SMEs and private individuals in a wide range of commercial disputes including shareholder disputes, professional negligence claims, real estate litigation, and defamation issues. David Brown specialises in complex contractual disputes, property litigation and disputes relating to share and business sale agreements. Paul Jonson routinely handles disputes arising from businesses operations as well as shareholder disputes, breach of directors’ fiduciary duty claims and civil fraud claims. Martin Pennington’s practice covers contractual matters, post-acquisition warranty claims, commercial fraud, and professional negligence claims, while Sarah Bazaraa routinely advises clients active in the telecoms, technology, fashion, retail, franchise and recruitment sectors. Alexandria Winstanley has notable expertise in contractual disputes, IP litigation, shareholder disputes, and breaches of director’s and fiduciary duties. Callum Halley acts in contractual and commercial disputes for clients in the telecoms, recruitment, manufacturing, and haulage industries.

Practice head(s):

David Brown


Other key lawyers:

Paul Jonson; Martin Pennington; Sarah Bazaraa; Alexandria Winstanley; Callum Halley


Testimonials

‘Strength in depth and partner led approach. Very responsive, pragmatic business advice which addresses commercial requirements of the client with more focus than most. Good cross collaboration with other departments within the firm to provide legal services.’

‘Our business works with Martin Pennington who always impresses. Martin is clever, detailed, focused and always brings a fresh perspective to any litigation. Martin has a track record of success in resolving everything I’ve instructed him on.’

‘I have worked with Pannone Corporate on many occasions. They are very commercial and pragmatic and develop very strong client relationships. Always work very well as a team across the different specialisms and highly regarded and trusted by their clients.’

‘Martin Pennington has been amazing through my whole process, keeping things very calm while also being amazing – he has made a very stressful period of my life much better with his calm and calculated manner.’

‘Pannone is a premier Manchester firm with a practice which extends to the High Court in London as well as international arbitration. It’s partners conduct a City of London practice whilst able to control costs through its Manchester base’

‘Martin Pennington is a stand out partner. He conducts high-value litigation and arbitration on behalf of blue-chip corporates and high-net-worth individuals. His attention to detail is first class – he is hands on and applies his expertise directly to the cases he works on. Sarah Bazaraa is a stand out – Always on top of the nitty gritty in the case, she has a memory for the important documents and details of a case.’

‘Paul Jonson – brilliant litigator – can plot a route through the most complicated of litigation.’

Key clients

TalkTalk Communications


DHL Express


Iceland Foods


SGS Group


Ryder plc


Tradebe Group


The Performing Rights Society


Sibelco UK Limited


SMG Europe


Ardagh Group


L’Oreal


Boohoo.com


NG Bailey


Represent Clothing


Work highlights


  • Acting for TalkTalk Communications Limited in Commercial Court proceedings against British Telecommunications PLC concerning the provision of ethernet circuits.
  • Acting for a company defending a £10m breach of contract claim arising from a failed acquisition of Sheffield United Football Club.
  • Acting for the owner of a multi-national technology company defending a claim from an individual who alleges he was promised a share in the business.

Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs‘ litigation team deals with a broad range of national and international disputes including professional negligence claims, finance litigation, restrictive covenants work, data protection and cyber security claims, and pension disputes. Practice head Lee Norman, who joined from DWF in March 2023, specialises in disputes arising from M&A and professional negligence claims, while Victoria Leigh‘s practice covers corporate and commercial trading disputes, IT and data breaches, and regulatory investigations. Ben Johnson advises banks, financial institutions and technology providers within the financial services industry on a wide range of commercial issues, leveraging deep experience in cyber and fraud-related matters. Rob Elvin has notable expertise in the energy, waste, retail, chemicals, and manufacturing sectors, and Mike Caird advises national and international corporate clients on a wide variety of contractual, commercial and product liability disputes. Peter Lees handles a wide range of commercial disputes including defamation and professional negligence work, and Alex Villers concentrates his practice on professional negligence claims and contractual disputes.

Practice head(s):

Lee Norman


Other key lawyers:

Victoria Leigh; Ben Johnson; Rob Elvin; Mike Caird; Peter Lees; Alex Villers


Testimonials

‘The service is excellent. The approach to litigation is pragmatic and sensible. Sound commercial advice on costs vs rewards of any litigation.’

‘Excellent personal service from the partners engaged. Responded immediately when they knew matters were of high importance and made themselves available to answer questions and talk through risks and options.’

‘Lee Norman – tactically astute and a great lawyer who creates and develops positive relationships with all involved in a case. He has experience of all types and levels of dispute meaning that there is very little he has not come across. Also a very good team leader who clients and barristers enjoy working with.’

Key clients

Representative Beneficiary of the National Trans Communications Limited Pension Scheme


James Cropper Plc


Cole Music Productions (UK) Limited


Representative Beneficiary of the Newell Rubbermaid UK Pension Scheme


Tameside Metropolitan Council


Cullum Detuners Limited


Entrust Pension Limited


X-Lab Limited


Avery Dennison Corporation


Elior UK


Co-operative Group


Work highlights


  • Acted for the successful representative member in Virgin Media v NTL Pension Trustees II Limited & Ors regarding the validity of amendments to contracted out pension schemes.
  • Acted for James Cropper Plc and Entrust Pension Limited in a professional negligence claim against Aviva regarding failings in its advice regarding the equalisation of normal retirement ages.
  • Acted for Cole Music Productions in proceedings regarding the right to use the name Brit Floyd in respect of Pink Floyd “tribute” concert shows.

TLT

TLT has significant experience advising a wide range of clients, including blue-chip companies, on various commercial litigation matters. The team is led by Emma Flower, who handles disputes concerning breach of directors’ duties, partnership disputes, and warranty issues; and Julien Luke, whose expertise spans the energy and utilities, leisure, recruitment and telecoms industries. Jon Hainey represents SMEs and multinational corporations in the full breadth of commercial disputes, and routinely works with central government departments, including the Home Office, on high-profile claims. Claire Graham has experience advising on breaches of fiduciary duties, contractual claims, data protection matters, and civil recovery actions. At associate level, Louise Humphrey, Ruby Alam and Ciara Crosbie are notable team members.

Practice head(s):

Emma Flower; Julien Luke


Other key lawyers:

Jon Hainey; Claire Graham; Louise Humphrey; Ruby Alam; Ciara Crosbie


Testimonials

‘The commercial litigation team in Manchester, headed by Emma Flower, is highly experienced, commercially savvy and effective. They enjoy a stellar reputation both locally and nationally. The team are excellent both at legal strategy but also client management.’

‘Emma Flower – Highly experienced and effective litigation. Is a real heavyweight of the Manchester legal scene and is revered amongst her peers.’

‘Louise Humphrey – Associate who is definitely one to watch. Very experienced and excellent litigator. Is a favourite of clients for her hands on approach. Superb.’

‘They have the ability to explain and guide clients through very complex issues, and do so in a very efficient and friendly manner. They have access to resources which are second to none.’

‘We have a collaboration with TLT who completely understand our business and processes. They provide clear updates and achievable figures. We are happy with the service provided.’

‘It was a pleasure working with Emma Flower. All of our directors agreed that she was a great choice. She cut through the wood to find the strong, argument-winning trees and presented them in the best light, setting out our case in a technically strong and eminently reasonable way, standing her ground and advising her client when we needed to be commercial rather than emotional in order to reach a conclusion which met our key objectives.’

‘A very commercial and client focused team. Takes time to understand our business and what makes it tick, which results in focused, commercial advice which is readily actionable.’

Key clients

boohoo group plc


Pennon group plc


Co-operative Group Limited


Love Energy Savings.Com Limited


Bionic Services Limited


Dyce Energy


Tradewind Recruitment Limited


Superstadium Management Limited


Secretary of State for Home Department (the Home Office)


The Insolvency Service


Work highlights


  • Acted for the founder of Manchester-based fashion brand, In The Style, in the successful defence of a claim involving allegations that the founder had stolen the business name and concept.
  • Acted for Dyce Energy Limited, defending a claim brought by the Liquidators of Insolvent Gas Shipper, CNG, which exited the wholesale gas shipping market at the end of 2021 leaving a raft of suppliers (the client included) with no gas to supply to customers.
  • Acted for the Home Office in relation to a challenge to a procurement for global visa and citizenship application services.

CMS

CMS handles the full spectrum of disputes, from contractual and competition claims, shareholder disputes and arbitration proceedings to judicial reviews. Department lead Geraldine Ryan specialises in commercial dispute resolution, contractual and negligence disputes, defamation claims and contractual termination advice. Daniel Keating advises a number of high-profile clients in relation to group actions involving multi-jurisdictional elements. Kelly Heath handles contractual and tort claims, shareholder and director disputes, claims for misrepresentation, and breach of warranty matters.

Practice head(s):

Geraldine Ryan


Other key lawyers:

Daniel Keating; Kelly Heath; Stephanie Cheung; Jessica Maddox; Paul Twigg; Chris Gorman


Testimonials

‘The team has a wealth of experience which gives them the well earned confidence they exude. They also possess a vast knowledge of their sector of law which in turn creates a team that is well versed, unruffled and precise. The benefits to the client are immeasurable as having such a well oiled unit means less time faffing. The most valuable quality is that all this packaged together means that I, as the client, felt in safe hands and calm at all times.’

‘Geraldine Ryan is very approachable and responsive, always looking to support our requirements even if they don’t fall within her discipline. She is very proactive and we have a very good relationship with her.’

‘Geraldine Ryan and Daniel Keating have worked on my case. They have a strong attention to detail and decades of experience to draw on. Their well earned confidence has been instrumental in guiding me through this process which was a first for me. Most of all they are completely trustworthy and will always have my wellbeing as a priority. They have the uncanny knack of devoting their sole attention to clients, not hurried or distracted and with a genuine warmth and empathy, yet making them no less fierce an opponent.’

‘As a client of Stephanie Cheung at CMS, I can personally attest to her being an exceptional lawyer. What truly sets her apart is not just her profound legal expertise but her genuine approachability and unwavering honesty in providing advice. I’ve always appreciated how she makes complex legal issues understandable, ensuring I feel supported and informed throughout my legal journey. Stephanie’s commitment to integrity and transparency has solidified my trust in her, making her not only a trusted adviser but a valued advocate in my corner.’

‘Geraldine Ryan runs an exceptionally effective commercial litigation department. The department is staffed with excellent lawyers who conduct litigation very efficiently and with excellent organisation.’

‘Geraldine Ryan and Kelly Heath are a formidable and winning team with a proven track record of success. Geraldine is an immensely experienced commercial litigator and has an excellent manner with clients. Kelly is a dedicated and unflappable associate and promotion is only a matter of time.’

‘Pragmatic legal and commercial advice and high awareness of the position of in-house counsel in a business.’

‘Easy to approach, highly responsive, effective advice.’

Key clients

International Tin Association


Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Limited


Sainsbury’s Bank Plc


Argos Limited


Inovyn (part of the Ineos Group)


Auto Trader Group PLC


Peel Holdings Group


Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited


Serco UK & Europe


Edmundson Electrical Limited


Work highlights


  • Acting for the defendant in relation to an abuse of dominance claim in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, defending a claim for $45m.
  • Representing a large multi-academy trust in a high-value dispute relating to pensions contributions with potential impact for the education sector across England.
  • Defending a claim against Argos for breach of covenant in a lease.

Gateley Legal

Gateley Legal’s commercial dispute resolution practice supports clients across a wide range of matters, including corporate and shareholder disputes, healthcare-related claims, contentious trusts and probate matters, and reputation management issues. The team has a particular focus on the recruitment sector, often acting for clients in business protection claims that require urgent injunctive relief or breach of restrictive covenant issues. Team head Sarah Sabin has a broad commercial and corporate practice, routinely representing SMEs and large corporates in shareholder and boardroom disputes and domestic and international multi-party disputes. Alongside his traditional disputes practice, Nick Murrills also has strong sports expertise, often representing football clubs, cricket clubs, managers, agents, players and national governing bodies.

Practice head(s):

Sarah Sabin


Other key lawyers:

Nick Murrills


Testimonials

‘Having worked with Gateley Legal, I have always found them to be approachable, honest, helpful and very trustworthy.’

‘The team, led by Nick Murrills, was absolutely professional but more importantly took the time to get acquainted with us as the client, leaving us with the impression the issue concerned was well in their capabilities. Equally important, they communicated well with us throughout.’

‘The team has real strength in depth and is able to handle the most complicated matters with skill and experience.’

Key clients

North West Counties Squash League


United Kingdom Cheerleading Association


Salts Healthcare Limited


Premier Technical Services Group Limited


Birchfield Harriers


England Squash


Citadel Health


Everton Football Club


Crep Protect Limited


Northampton Saints Rugby Club


Inspired Energy Plc


RVA Surveyors Limited


Mamas and Papas Limited


Glaisyers ETL

The commercial litigation practice at Glaisyers Solicitors LLP, which is headed up by Daniel Fitzgerald, acts for an impressive roster of clients active in the banking and finance industry, where the team routinely acts in a wide range of domestic and cross-border commercial litigation matters; the group is also notably active in the cryptocurrency litigation space. Fitzgerald has significant experience advising lenders, regularly dealing with recoveries under guarantee and commercial loan agreements as well as acting in negligence claims against professional advisers. David Jones’ practice is concentrated on handling disputes for high-net-worth individuals, as well as acting in international regulatory disputes, including claims involving crypto-asset mis-selling, cosmetics, biocidal products and medical devices. Kathryn Parrish is also highly active in the team.

Practice head(s):

Daniel Fitzgerald


Other key lawyers:

David Jones; Kathryn Parrish; Hannah Vachre


Testimonials

‘The commercial litigation team is growing in reputation. It has particular expertise in disputes relating to banking and finance, acting for large and smaller lenders.’

‘Daniel Fitzgerald – excellent client care, with a results focused and pragmatic approach. Kathryn Parrish – tenacious litigator.’

‘I find the team there to be robust, commercial and collaborative. Very direct in terms of advice and approach.’

Key clients

United Trust Bank


Reward Finance


Hope Capital


Folk2Folk


Aldermore Bank Plc


Cynergy Bank


Assetz Capital


Cynergy Bank Limited


Manchester Building Society


Kroll Advisory


Quantuma


ETL Global


Work highlights


  • Representing a family in a high-profile case seeking a declaration that the defendant unlawfully killed his wife, thereby forfeiting any interest in her estate arising from her death.
  • Acting for the peer-to-peer lender Assetz Capital in respect of a £2.1m claim against a guarantor.
  • Advising a minority shareholder in relation to the issuance of an unfair prejudice petition.

Kennedys

Kennedys has expertise in complex breach of contract disputes, injunction proceedings, partnership disputes, contentious probate matters, and insurance litigation. Leanne Millhouse has notable expertise in cyber litigation, injunctions and unfair prejudice petitions, and has recently developed her contentious probate practice. Reuben Berg retired. Since publication, Carlyn Weale and Frances Moseley have left the firm.

Other key lawyers:

Leanne Millhouse


Testimonials

‘This team has a strong presence in the market and achieves good results for clients. It balances black-letter lawyers with strategic thinkers to produce a winning blend.’

‘Can’t rate the team highly enough! They’ve gone above and beyond to really understand our company and how we operate. Friendly, and very detailed. They’ve helped us several times with various issues.’

‘Smart, flexible, and always commercial.’

Mills & Reeve LLP

Mills & Reeve LLP’s regulatory, public and commercial disputes practice advises both claimants and defendants active across a broad range of industries, including the manufacturing, education, and media sectors, in various commercial disputes, including warranty claims, completion account disputes, fraud issues, and boardroom disputes. The team also has notable strength acting in defamation proceedings and highly sensitive reputation management disputes. The department is co-headed by Richard Dawson-Gerrard, who principally focuses on disputes within the food, agribusiness, automotive, and insolvency sectors; and Simon Pedley, whose practice covers derivative claims, shareholder disputes, and contentious trust and probate matters.

Practice head(s):

Richard Dawson-Gerrard; Simon Pedley


Other key lawyers:

Jacob Walker; Ben Reeves; Sundas Khan; Aurélie Tegho; Georgie Blears


Testimonials

‘Everyone I’ve worked with at Mills & Reeve have been friendly and helpful. They are always at hand to help us with any queries and work very quickly. They are transparent and know the education sector well.’

‘Richard Dawson-Gerrard – v commercial but takes advice and looks for practical solutions.’

‘Dedication to service, sound advice in often challenging circumstances.’

‘Ben Reeves was thorough in his work and was available when we needed him.’

‘Expertise available for every possible matter, consistency of approach to advice/service.’

‘Ben Reeves – Nothing was too much trouble; his advice produced the desired outcome we had hoped for. Managed our expectations very well and was great at counselling when it was required. Overall, top quality service which we would highly recommend.’

‘Well known in the market place.’

‘Jacob Walker – committed, responsive and very bright.’

Key clients

Zedra Trust Company (UK) Limited


BAKO Group Limited


Vet Partners


Nationwide Produce plc


JDK Construction Limited


Lennox Foods Limited


Remedi Solutions Limited


Lech Poznan Football Club


Wasserman Boxing Limited


Mazars LLP


Shoosmiths LLP

Shoosmiths LLP’s practice covers a wide range of commercial disputes, including shareholder and joint venture issues, insurance disputes, and technology-related claims. Practice co-head Jonathon Crook has considerable experience in the banking, financial services, and finance sectors, while fellow co-head Richard Marshall, who has a focus on insurance policy litigation, has recently been focusing on cladding-related disputes following his involvement in the Grenfell Inquiry. Andrew Whalley, who joined the team in November 2023 from DWF, has notable expertise in data breach claims and technology disputes, and Matthew Brown handles insurance policy coverage disputes and building claims. Sylwena Sempa focuses on cases concerning pensions, phone hacking issues and employment disputes.

Practice head(s):

Jonathon Crook; Richard Marshall


Other key lawyers:

Andrew Whalley; Matthew Brown; Sylwena Sempa; Lyndsay Crowder-Barton; Sarah Rigby


Testimonials

‘A compact and dynamic team that punches well above its weight and outpaces larger competitors. A combination of huge drive and experience, with an intensely commercial focus, ensures the best results for its clients.’

‘Richard Marshall – Very accomplished litigator with a very astute eye for the key issues in a case. Matthew Brown – Very capable and incisive. A close eye for the detail in a case that matters, combined with a very sound commercial instinct. Sarah Rigby – One to watch.’

‘The Shoosmiths commercial litigation department in Manchester is excellent. It has particular experience in handling the highest value, most complex commercial disputes arising out of the insurance, construction and property management industries. Its team members are technically excellent, hard-working, tenacious and focused on delivering success for their clients, who are generally leading multi-national corporations. They are also a delight to work with. Richard Marshall and Sarah Rigby are notably outstanding.’

‘Richard Marshall is an outstanding partner who is hugely experienced, technically able, creative and a delight to work with. He exudes authority and experience. He understandably has a great following of loyal clients.’

‘A heavyweight team acting in major disputes for large corporates.’

‘Andrew Whalley – highly experienced, able and pragmatic litigator.’

‘Sylwena Sempa – clever, thorough and responsive.’

‘Jonathon Crook is very personable and knowledgeable. Always able to provide engagement and support in a very clear concise way.’

Key clients

ProAmpac Group


Domain Transport Limited


Continuum Financial Services LLP


MegaGroup BV


Amway


Virgin Media O2


French Connection


Hoover Limited


Extreme E Limited


Work highlights


  • Representing AmTrust Europe Limited in the defence of a High Court claim for £17m relating to defective cladding and fire stopping on two tower blocks.
  • Representing PSB UK Limited via insurers Chubb at the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry for both phase 1 and 2.
  • Representing Hoover Limited (part of Haier plc) as sole UK legal adviser on product liability claims.

Weightmans LLP

Weightmans LLP’s litigation practice, headed up by Jessica Kraja, acts in broad range of disputes including warranty claims, confidential and restrictive covenant matters, and company and director claims; Kraja specialises in IP and brand protection work, particularly trade mark infringement litigation. Damian Carter concentrates his practice on corporate disputes, in particular, breach of contract claims, shareholder disputes and professional negligence claims. Robert Jones has significant experience representing individuals faced with threats of injunctive action by former employees, and acts for companies with regards to contractual disputes. Josh Conroy advises on restrictive covenants and restraint of trade cases, partnership disputes, and professional negligence actions.

Practice head(s):

Jessica Kraja


Other key lawyers:

Damian Carter; Robert Jones; Josh Conroy; Richard Corran; Karen Elder; Matthew Fox; David McGuire; Victoria Pace


Testimonials

‘I personally found the team at Weightmans led by Damian Carter to be commercially and legally astute which is a fine and delicate balance. At all times, I was always kept adequately informed and involved.’

‘Damian Carter and Jessica Kraija – Both Damian and Jessica have been thoroughly professional, but yet approachable and always prepared to hear our side and even adjust their thinking or approach to suit.’

‘This team has a clear commercial focus, technical understanding, and fights for its clients.’

‘Josh Conroy is tactically astute and makes sure the client’s interests are well served.’

‘Matt Fox is reliable and makes sound decisions. A great team player.’

‘Richard Corran is a clear-sighted and well-regarded litigator. You can trust him with the hard cases. ’

‘An experienced litigation team with broad sector knowledge and great client skills.’

‘Damian Carter in Manchester is very approachable and a skilled litigator and negotiator. Adds value to any project he’s involved in.’

Key clients

Rijk Zwaan UK Limited


Bluelight Commercial Limited


Henderson & Jones Limited


Savanna Distribution Limited


Vacuum Engineering Services Limited


University Campus of Football Business


Kenneth Downing (former guitarist of Judas Priest)


Lancaster University


All About Food Limited


Chiesi Limited


Apadmi Limited


Certas Energy UK Ltd


NHS Blood & Transplant


Bestway National Chemists Ltd T/as Well Pharmacy


The Lowry Hotel


Anixter Wesco Limited


Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts


The Ombudsman Service Limited


Edge Worldwide Logistics Limited


Frozen Brothers Limited


Ansador Limited


Work highlights


  • Acted for Kenneth Downing (former guitarist in Judas Priest) in a multi-party professional negligence claim against solicitors who had advised on a multi-million pound property refinance deal to develop The Astbury – a stately home, hotel, golf and leisure complex in Shropshire.
  • Acting for Henderson & Jones in a negligence action against an insurance broker, for failing to put the correct insurance policy in place concerning a large residential/serviced apartment block in Liverpool.

Browne Jacobson LLP

Browne Jacobson LLP’s commercial dispute resolution practice, headed up by Jonathan Tardif, handles commercial disputes across the automotive, manufacturing, health and social care, and local government sectors. Paul Kirkpatrick acts in disputes concerning breach of contract and warranty, professional negligence claims, and shareholders’ disputes. Derek Bambury specialises in professional and institutional default and management liability claims, insurance coverage issues, and contentious insolvencies.

Practice head(s):

Jonathan Tardif


Other key lawyers:

Paul Kirkpatrick; Derek Bambury; Emma Marshall; Lucy Priestley


Testimonials

‘The commercial litigation practice of Browne Jacobson LLP has a practical and hands-on approach to disputes, making sure that the clients have a comprehensive route map through complicated cases.’

‘Paul Kirkpatrick has a measured and well-organised approach to litigation. He looks at a case in the round and provides good strategic direction.’

‘This team are not only knowledgeable but also practical. They get to know the people involved and to understand the real issues at play. Their astute legal knowledge alongside their engaging personalities make them easy to work with and their advice trustworthy and unemotional. Browne Jacobson are exceptional to work with and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.’

‘Paul Kirkpatrick has not only worked hard but has gone above and beyond to help us. Paul is empathetic as well as professional and is constantly learning the detail of our specific case. Paul is great with his team and has excellent advisers who seem to work extremely well together. When we follow Paul’s advice we tend to get the desired outcome.’

‘Paul Kirkpatrick – excellent pragmatic advice.’

‘Delivers broad and first-rate commercial disputes expertise. A market leader. The team turns its hand easily to a variety of high-profile and high-value disputes. It has strength and depth and all of its lawyers are very competent, approachable and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Paul Kirkpatrick is the stand out partner. He is very experienced and the first port of call for businesses in dispute. Works extremely effectively with his team of lawyers and is a real pleasure to work with.’

‘Ability to keep up to speed with complex matters they aren’t involved with on a day to day basis and step in urgently and practically when necessary.’

Key clients

Endee Limited


Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co offers support on an extensive spectrum of commercial disputes including breach of warranty claims, partnership and minority shareholder disputes, and professional negligence claims. The practice is led by Craig McAdam, whose practice covers shareholder disputes, fraud claims, and post-M&A claims. Nick Gee routinely represents brokers and other professionals active in the finance sector in professional negligence claims and also has a strong commercial property litigation practice.

Practice head(s):

Craig McAdam


Other key lawyers:

Nick Gee; Fred Feistauer; Robert Ferdinando


Testimonials

‘Responsive, skilled, results orientated.’

‘Nick Gee – very experienced litigator, hands-on, results orientated, clear thinker.’

‘The team takes time to understand the ‘ask’, reframing advice where required to suit the particular audience.’

Key clients

Travelodge


Taylor Hotels Limited


Compass Group


HCA International


Work highlights


  • Defending Travelodge in a claim for breach of contract following Covid closure of hotels.
  • Representing Taylor Hotels in a claim for damages arising out of fraudulent misrepresentation.

Kuit Steinart Levy LLP

Kuit Steinart Levy LLP has notable experience handling corporate disputes including unfair prejudice petitions, shareholder and partnership disputes and contractual disputes, as well as professional negligence claims. Practice head Nichola Evans, who joined the team from Ward Hadaway LLP in November 2023, has experience litigating a broad range of disputes, including procurement and termination of contract mandates. Damian Bailey concentrates his practice on professional negligence issues, construction litigation and shareholder disputes.

Practice head(s):

Nichola Evans


Other key lawyers:

Damian Bailey; Peter Kaye; Daniel Adcock-Kirsh


Testimonials

‘Client-focussed with solicitors who form a good working relationships with clients and counsel.’

‘Nichola Evans is unquestionably the most knowledgeable solicitor that I have worked with. Her knowledge has no obvious gaps and very much dissipates through the team.’

‘Peter Kaye – a great leader, who brings the best out of more junior members of the team. Daniel Adcock-Kirsh – hard working and good with clients.’

‘The team is headed up by highly experienced and highly intelligent partners, who have “been there and done that” when it comes to litigation and arbitration. They lead a team of committed and hard-working associates who really get stuck in and help move a case along.’

‘Damian Bailey (Partner): Damian has seen it all. He combines being a highly intelligent lawyer with hard-nosed practicality and commerciality – so he sees all angles of the case but is still no-nonsense. This allows him to push his clients’ cases forward but to also get deals done.’

‘As a firm, Kuits are always willing to look at solving client issues and focus on the client’s requirements rather than taking a very legal approach to issues. In particular they are pragmatic and take a commercial approach.’

‘We have worked with Kuit’s for a number of years, and have always found them to be professional and capable of anything we need assistance for. The litigation team has assisted us on a number of issues over the past couple of years and I’ve been impressed with how they are able to handle any issues we have thrown their way.’

‘Within litigation we have mainly dealt with Daniel Adcock-Kirsh, who has assisted us with a few legal claims or queries. Every time I have contacted Daniel he responds immediately, and always provides the most appropriate advice and also dealt with certain issues on our behalf, acting in our best interests at all times.’

Key clients

UA92


Quooker


Persimmon Homes


Salford Red Devils


McBride Plc


Speed Medical Examination Services Limited


100% Club


Flat Cap Hotels Ltd


Trowers & Hamlins LLP

The team at Trowers & Hamlins LLP, which is led by Dan Butler and Steve Dunseath, is particularly strong in business protection issues, contractual disputes, reputation management and defamation work, public sector and procurement disputes, and group actions relating to property investment schemes. Butler’s broad commercial litigation practice also covers contentious insolvencies, procurement disputes, and group litigation, while Dunseath represents clients in commercial contract disputes, post-termination restrictions and injunctions, and civil fraud claims.

Practice head(s):

Dan Butler; Steve Dunseath


Other key lawyers:

Adam Berman; Ellie O’Sullivan; Simon Banks


Key clients

Pinewood Technologies PLC


Great Places


First Abu Dhabi Bank


University of West London


Work highlights


  • Acting for Pinewood Technologies PLC in its claim for monies due under a software reselling agreement and defence of an alleged $312m breach of contract claim.
  • Acting for one of the largest public authorities in the UK in a £10m procurement challenge arising from a public transportation contract, with associated health and safety investigations.
  • Acting for Serisys Asset Holdings Limited and various other defendants in a £10m+ claim relating to the intra-group transfer of financial services software and IP to Hong Kong.

Ward Hadaway LLP

The commercial litigation department at Ward Hadaway LLP, led by Peter Hornsey, supports client in traditional commercial matters as well as transport and cargo disputes. Alongside general commercial disputes, Melissa Munday also has a particular focus on marine and insurance litigation, where she routinely acts for domestic and foreign cargo and liability insurers, freight forwarders, recovery agents and logistics operators. Nick Wells, who joined the team in January 2024 from Flint Bishop Limited, handles disputes arising from M&A, joint ventures and commercial development projects.

Practice head(s):

Peter Hornsey


Other key lawyers:

Melissa Munday; Daniyal Malik; Nick Wells


Testimonials

‘The team are very good at getting up to speed quickly on urgent matters.’

‘Nick Wells provides an outstanding service, combining technical excellence with commercial common sense making you feel that your dispute is in a safe pair of hands.’

‘Melissa Munday – Extremely diligent and knowledgeable.’

‘The team are excellent and of high quality.’

‘Nick Wells is an exceptional solicitor. He knows his sector and specialism and can relay that to his clients in terms they understand. He sets a clear strategy and takes on board his clients objectives. Nick is easy to work with.’

‘Strong team, with commercial lawyers.’

‘Nick Wells – fantastic commercial litigator. Strong eye for detail with a real commercial bias based on maximising client results.’

‘Nick Wells is my contact at Ward Hadaway. He is exceptional. Very bright, very commercially astute and a cracking lawyer.’

Key clients

Cargo Expert Group Sp z.o.o.


Renolit SE


Howard Gardens Manco Limited


Prime Student Living Limited


Stanhope House Manco Limited


EC3 Marine Limited


Amphitrite Underwriting Limited


Hammonds of Knutsford Limited


Clarke Willmott LLP

Clarke Willmott LLP‘s commercial and private client litigation team is well versed in a wide range of disputes spanning shareholder and partnership disputes, defamation and harassment claims, breach of confidential information issues, and private client litigation. Department head John Flint‘s practice covers shareholder, director and partnership disputes, while Louise Goodwin handles the full breadth of commercial litigation matters, including corporate disputes, professional negligence claims and property-related disputes.

Practice head(s):

John Flint


Other key lawyers:

Alex Megaw; Louise Goodwin; Geraldine Stephens


 


Testimonials

‘Great attention to detail, and committed to achieving the client’s goals.’

‘John Flint has developed an extremely strong team in Manchester. Clarke Wilmott has very good commercial lawyers at all levels.’

‘John Flint is an extremely impressive individual. He has great tactical acumen and is invariably one step ahead of his opposite number.’

‘Geraldine Stephens is extremely diligent and personable.’

‘Louise Godwin is a brilliant lawyer. She gets into the detail of cases, and is able to pull them together in a way that is easy for a judge to understand. Very strong on commercial fraud.’

‘Personal and tailored service, very easy to work with.’

Key clients

Morgan King Group


AD Investments Limited


National Union of Mine Workers


IKPA


Anhui Morden Living Co Ltd


Capital Growth Group Limited


Super Fund LLC


Trailstream Limited


Modularwise


Oathall (UK) Limited


Fash Dispatch Transport Limited


Derbyshire Flooring Contractors Limited


Premierserv Limited


Benoit Properties International Limited


JMGT Asset Management Limited


Valloop Fund Limited


Work highlights


  • Obtained an urgent freezing order on behalf of Pipi Print & Packaging Ltd and Pipi Properties including any crypto assets held in crypto wallets in a claim exceeding £7m in respect of fraudulent misappropriation of monies by an ex-employee, related third party individuals and companies.
  • Represented an individual in a claim, which included allegations of unlawful misuse of confidential information, breach of confidence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of equitable and contractual obligations.
  • Acting for two individuals in relation to a breach of contract claim against Sunderland City Council with an estimated value of around £700,000.

Irwin Mitchell

Irwin Mitchell has a particular focus on representing clients in the financial services, consumer, tech and manufacturing sectors. Ailsa Anderson, who leads the team, acts in a broad range of domestic and cross-border commercial disputes, including shareholder disputes, procurement claims, contractual issues and restrictive covenant cases. Duncan Hope departed the firm in March 2023 to join Hill Dickinson LLP, while Simon Lester joined the team in February 2024 from Davis Woolfe.

Practice head(s):

Ailsa Anderson


Other key lawyers:

Simon Lester


Testimonials

‘A strong team which is well versed in complex commercial litigation.’

‘I was very impressed by Ailsa Anderson. Ailsa had a fantastic grasp of the commercial and personal dynamics underpinning the matter, and always added value to the case in all of our interactions.’

Work highlights


  • Acting for a number of directors in the defence of intimated claims with a value of $157m by insolvency practitioners.
  • Acting on behalf of a bank in a personal guarantee claim with a value of circa ¥362m.
  • Acting for a service provider in a multi-million pound procurement dispute with an NHS Trust regarding a procurement process conducted under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Prosperity Law LLP

The commercial litigation team at Prosperity Law LLP, which is co-led by Andrew Farrell and Edward Smethurst, handles various complex commercial disputes. Farrell’s broad practice covers corporate, shareholder and professional negligence disputes as well as insurance coverage issues and defamation work, while Smethurst acts for a roster of publicly listed and private companies. Paul Magee, who joined from Linder Myers Solicitors in May 2023, has extensive expertise in professional negligence claims relating to the property sector as well as commercial lease disputes, forfeiture and possession dilapidation claims, and restrictive covenant disputes.

Practice head(s):

Andrew Farrell; Edward Smethurst


Other key lawyers:

Paul Magee


Testimonials

‘Prosperity Law offers a very personal service and you feel they really care about how the case affects the client on a day to day basis. Potential clients would find the team are very knowledgeable in their field and that they think outside the box when dealing with difficult issues.’

‘Andrew Farrell has been very supportive and always finds time to explain and discuss complicated legal points. We are kept up to date with any developments in our case.’

Key clients

Hope Capital Limited


Trafalgar Insurance Co Limited


Beechfield Brands Limited


Palladium Insurance Limited


TST (UK) Ltd


Luke Marsh


Mulholland Spence Accountants


Work highlights


  • Acting for Hope Capital, a short-term bridging lender, on the enforcement of a judgment obtained for c£2.8m against a guarantor after the borrower defaulted and is insolvent.
  • Representing TST (UK) Ltd in court proceedings brought against it by Coca Cola for alleged non-payment for goods.
  • Acting for two individuals in the resolution of a highly contentious shareholder dispute between family members.

BBS Law

BBS Law handles disputes relating to the enforcement of restrictive covenants, shareholder agreements and contentious probate matters. The team is co-headed by David Bondt and Andrew Haffner; Bondt has experience in the County Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, while Haffner’s practice covers general commercial disputes and employment litigation relating to employment contracts and post-employment restrictions.

Practice head(s):

David Bondt; Andrew Haffner


Testimonials

‘It is a small, well-run team, with good expertise across core areas of commercial litigation work.’

‘Andrew Haffner – pragmatic, hands-on approach and keeps matters in perspective.’

‘The commercial litigation team are extremely approachable, becoming conversant with issues very quickly and coming up with a plan to resolve matters as swiftly and as economically as possible, in the best interests of the clients.’

Key clients

Watson & Nicholson


C G Recovery


A.F. Kopp


Lord Kitch Limited


SciPharm Sarl


Work highlights


  • Representing a developer client in relation to the interpretation of a s106 Agreement, including dealing with injunction applications by the other side (Bexley Council) and advising on/issuing damages claim against the council.
  • Representing an electronic import company in relation to a claim against HSBC bank for breach of terms and conditions.
  • Representing an experienced senior solicitor regarding proceedings brought against her (including applications for interim injunctive relief) by her current employer to enforce non-competition restrictions contained both in her contract of employment and in a shareholders agreement.

Beyond Corporate Law

Beyond Corporate Law represents SMEs, large corporations, and high-net-worth individuals in commercial disputes spanning the aviation, financial services, construction, technology, and retail sectors. The practice is co-led by Dónall Caherty, who handles shareholder and partnership disputes, injunction proceedings, professional negligence claims and reputation management work, and Alistair Gregory, whose practice also covers restrictive covenant claims, insolvencies, and international arbitration proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Dónall Caherty; Alistair Gregory


Testimonials

‘Beyond Corporate are different from other law firms and have closer connections to their clients than many other firms. Their business is broadly corporate and commercial litigation and they have a high quality of work for a firm of their size. Their fee earners know what they are doing and are confident and capable in the execution of their work. They are commercially astute and client friendly.’

‘Alistair Gregory and Dónall Caherty are the two partners. Both are excellent litigators who do the highest quality of work. They have great client skills and great litigation know how and tactics.’

‘Beyond Corporate’s team is a relative newcomer to the region and is fast becoming a key team, competing with most of the more national, longstanding, leading firms. In addition to the talent and ability the team possesses, it has a very modern ‘sleeves up and ‘no nonsense’ approach to its work which is very much respected.’

‘Dónall Caherty leaves no stone unturned when representing clients. Much like Dónall, Alistair Gregory within the CL team has a very down to earth approach and never makes matters more complicated than they need to be.’

‘Very commercially focused and client centred. Good legal knowledge.’

‘Dónall Caherty- excellent lawyer.’

‘Responsiveness and attention to the specific issue we were facing.’

‘The litigation team at Beyond are very professional. They work as a team, and as such when a member is unable to reply directly, another member will make contact and be knowledgeable in regard to the details of the case.’

Work highlights


  • Defended a high-value complex breach of contract claim involving cybercrime for Intelling Group Limited.
  • Defended a £1m claim against Maltacourt for deadfreight charges involving arbitration under BIFA regulations.
  • Pursuing a High Court claim for £700,000+ arising out of a breach of contract relating to a waste management machine.

Farleys Solicitors LLP

Farleys Solicitors LLP has expertise in intellectual property disputes, breach of contract claims, professional negligence claims, commercial landlord and tenant matters, and shareholder disputes. Daniel Draper, who heads up the team, has ‘unrivalled knowledge and experience’, handling property, contractual, sports, and insolvency disputes as well as injunction proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Daniel Draper


Other key lawyers:

Mark Hague


Testimonials

‘An outcome focussed team, with particular expertise in shareholder and director disputes.’

‘Daniel Draper – Very strong lawyer. The person you want on your side in a shareholder dispute.’

‘Whilst Farleys are a medium-sized firm, I was very impressed with their legal knowledge and commercial approach to the recent matter upon which I instructed them. Daniel Draper adopted a very friendly, personal and pragmatic approach to our case.’

‘Daniel Draper is a friendly and approachable individual with unrivalled knowledge and experience of the commercial sector.’

Key clients

The Rugby Football League and RL Commercial Limited


Bury Football Club


Empowered Homes Limited


Flower Walk Homes Limited


Work highlights


  • Acted for The Rugby Football League and its commercial arm, RL Commercial Limited in a dispute over unpaid invoices against V2M Pharma Limited for advertising and sponsorship on hoardings at Rugby League grounds and on referees clothing.
  • Acted for Bury FC in an appeal to stay a sanction (a fine and a two-match full stadium closure) imposed by the Manchester FA, pending further appeal.
  • Acted for Empowered Homes Limited in enforcing the terms of personal guarantees given by two debtors in respect of a loan taken by their company.

Markel Law LLP

Markel Law LLP‘s ‘swift, attentive and conscientious’ team has a specific focus on insurance-related matters including coverage disputes. Practice head Mark Rankin routinely handles defendant professional indemnity work, insurance liability claims, cyber and data protection issues, professional negligence claims, and general breach of contract work, while Christopher Burns focuses on construction disputes and insurance litigation. Aaron Marshall, who joined from AFG Law in May 2023, acts for varied clients ranging from multinational corporations to individuals.

Practice head(s):

Mark Rankin


Other key lawyers:

Christopher Burns; Aaron Marshall; Shazia Aslam; Jody Thomasson


Testimonials

‘Solid team from varied backgrounds.’

‘Chris Burns is a stand out partner – he has a high caseload but each client is important to him – he cuts through the noise and gets straight to the heart of the matter, understanding strengths and weaknesses instinctively.’

‘Aaron Marshall is particularly well respected. Thorough knowledge of the law and his client care is phenomenal.’

‘Aaron Marshall — sensible, calm, diligent.’

‘Great team of people led by strong, supportive and astute partners.’

‘Extremely pro active and attentive in resolving complex legal issues. Always attempt to think outside of the box and leave no stone unturned when dealing with my particular complex case.’

‘Chris Burns is a very knowledgeable lawyer who works hard to resolve legal issues in a thorough and expedient manner. Chris is easy to deal with, engaging and always keeps me updated on the progress of my case when required. Chris’ expert analysis of legal situations is done in an easy to understand manner which is invaluable.’

‘Swift, attentive and conscientious.’

Key clients

Federation of Small Businesses


Markel (UK) Limited


Markel Legal Expenses Insurance


Markel International Insurance Company Limited


Primas

Primas advises on a broad spectrum of disputes and has particular expertise in the automotive industry. Group head Daniel Thomas has extensive experience in injunction proceedings, including international freezing orders and media injunctions, acting for domestic and international companies as well as high-profile individuals. Carl Sebastian advises on a wide range of commercial disputes, and Lauren Steel-Smith specialises in contractual matters and professional negligence claims, with a specific focus on injunctive relief.

Practice head(s):

Daniel Thomas


Other key lawyers:

Carl Sebastian; Lauren Steel-Smith


Testimonials

‘Primas, in the short time, they have been on the Manchester scene have fast developed a reputation as one of the best around. They are regularly involved in the most high value and high profile litigation. They have an impressive number of top litigators. Commercially savvy, tactically astute and ready to fight.’

‘Daniel Thomas – Partner heading upon commercial litigation at Primas. Highly strategic, exceptionally dedicated and fantastic with clients. A star in the making. Carl Sebastian – Associate with years of experience and an impressive following of clients. Carl is an aggressive litigator who is a pleasure to work with. A client’s favourite.’

‘Personal touch. You will only deal with a select group of individuals that you will get to know well. They have a very commercial approach, and combine realism with aggression.’

Key clients

Alliance Property Group Ltd


Flitcraft Ltd


Longshoot Ltd


Stratton Tea Ltd


Work highlights


  • Instructed to advise offshore investors in relation to an application pursuant Section 423 of the Insolvency Act seeking a declaration that a substantial transaction was to defraud creditors.
  • Instructed to advise in relation to a payroll fraud which resulted in a significant High Court claim being submitted and freezing injunction obtained following which substantial sums were frozen in various bank account equating to several million pounds.
  • Instructed by Peninsula in relation to substantial injunctive proceedings in relation to the removal of confidential information and various breaches of covenants.

Slater Heelis (Part of Lawfront)

Slater Heelis (Part of Lawfront) supports clients with shareholder, director, and warranty disputes, property litigation, and contentious wills and probate work. Team leader Elizabeth Wilkinson has notable experience advising clients on a broad range of commercial contract disputes and claims arising from the sale and purchase of businesses, while Mike Carter routinely acts in property, commercial, and business-related claims, including professional negligence and contract litigation.

Practice head(s):

Elizabeth Wilkinson


Other key lawyers:

Mike Carter