Sadiq Tajbhai
Legal Director
Lewis Silkin
lewissilkin.comlewissilkin.comLawyers
Abigail Wise
Legal Director
Adam Glass
Partner: Part of the firm's Disputes Resolution team and has previously been a barrister and in-house media lawyer. Adam advises clients across a broad spectrum of legal services, especially where civil and criminal law overlap. He has particular expertise in relation to intellectual property, media, crime, and health & safety issues.
Adam's work may involve regulatory or quasi-regulatory bodies such as the Competition and Markets Authority, the Health and Safety Executive, the Advertising Standards Authority, National Trading Standards, and Collecting Societies.
His typical work ranges across copyright, design right, and trade mark; privacy, libel, harassment, data protection, and breach of confidence; consumer litigation; contract disputes; fraud; h & s prosecutions.
Alan Hunt
Partner: Alan is a partner in the Commercial team specialising in the drafting and negotiation of commercial and technology contracts and the development, protection and exploitation of intellectual property assets.He is Deputy Co-Head of the firm's Media & Entertainment group and Co-founder of our network for decision makers of luxury, lifestyle and premium brand businesses – The Collective by Lewis Silkin. He advises clients across a broad range of sectors, but in particular those in media, technology, retail, entertainment, fashion, luxury and advertising. Alan advises on a wide range of commercial and technology matters. Contract drafting and negotiation, and IP protection and exploitation, are at the core of his practice.Alan regularly assists clients with: the negotiation of commercial arrangements including agency and distribution deals, collaborations and partnerships, outsourcing, complex services arrangements, terms of sale and supply, franchise and concession agreements, and e-commerce and goods to market solutions complex technology contracts from software, platform and technology development and licensing to systems integration, managed services and cloud based solutions IP and rights heavy deals such as sponsorship, brand partnerships, acquisitions, merchandising and licensing, endorsement and talent arrangements, and content creation strategic commercial business decisions consumer and data protection law compliance
Alex Meloy
Managing Associate
Alex Kelham
Alex is a Partner, and the Head of Lewis Silkin's Sports Business sector group . She is a commercial and IP lawyer, specialising in the exploitation of commercial rights in sport. Her clients include federations, teams, events, athletes and venues, as well as brands and agencies. She advises on a wide range of sports marketing and commercial matters, including sponsorship, talent agreements, image rights, arrangements relating to the hosting of sports events, media rights, advertising regulation and brand protection. Alex benefits from a detailed understanding of copyright, trade marks and passing off but takes a very commercial approach to helping clients protect, exploit and enforce their IP assets. Alex is also leading global expert on ambush marketing and the special legislation that sports rights holders implement in relation to major events.
Alexander Milner-Smith
Partner
Andrew Osborne
Partner. A key member of the Sports Group and Head of Immigration. Specialises in business and personal immigration including applications under the Points Based System and the strategic issues arising from the restrictions on skilled migration. The sports practice focuses on player transfer work and sporting disputes. Contributor to Butterworths Sports & Law Practice.
Andrew Wanambwa
Partner: Andrew is a partner in the Dispute Resolution team. His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border litigation and dispute resolution.
He is admitted in England and Wales as both a barrister and a solicitor. He is also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and as a legal practitioner in the British Virgin Islands.
Andrew has extensive experience advising major corporate clients, financial institutions and high net worth individuals and has acted for clients in a number of industries, including telecoms, accountancy, finance, insurance, mining, pharmaceuticals and transport.
He has particular expertise in fraud and economic tort claims, professional liability, shareholder and joint venture disputes, trust disputes, jurisdictional issues and asset-tracing/enforcement matters.
Andrew has advised on several large-scale disputes before the English High Court, including:
- Advising a multinational telecoms company in a £100m+ claim involving breach of fiduciary duty;
- Advising an international bank on a £100m+ professional liability claim against its former legal advisers;
- Advising a large corporate entity on a high value application for the rectification of its pension trust deed.
In addition to his London-based work Andrew has acted in Litigation and arbitral matters involving emerging markets such as Zimbabwe and Pakistan. He has also worked in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. While in Hong Kong he defended a $1.5 billion professional indemnity claim against one of the Big 4 accountancy firms. In the British Virgin Islands he advised on, among other matters, a $600 million economic tort claim involving Russian parties, shareholder disputes and he obtained freezing injunctions in support of foreign and arbitral proceedings.
Andrew also helps his clients avoid formal disputes and has successfully settled a number of matters through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
Andy Cloughley
Partner
Anna Sella
I am a Managing Associate in Lewis Silkin’s Employment, Immigration and Reward division.
Having joined the firm in 2008 and completed my training contract here, I qualified into the employment team in 2010. I advise across a wide range of employment issues, including contracts and their drafting, disciplinary and grievance matters, discrimination risks and strategic advice in respect of restructuring exercises. In addition to advisory work, I have a lot of experience running tribunal claims through to a settlement or a hearing. I have experience of international project work, and liaising with our global employment law partners. As part of my role, I get involved in responding to Government consultations regarding new employment legislation/regulation, provide training to clients and write comment pieces for our journal as well as for external publications such as EELC (European Employment Law Cases). I am Co-Head of our Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sector group. I am also part of the team’s Future of Work initiative, which generates commentary and collaborates with other bodies such as the CIPD to develop coherent proposals for government consideration.
Employment
I advise (and negotiate on behalf of) my clients on the full range of employment issues. I work with large multinationals as well as small companies and individuals. Although I have a wide practice, I have a particular interest in and knowledge of disability discrimination and reasonable adjustments, TUPE transfers, pensions automatic enrolment and holiday pay matters. I frequently advise on issues of contract – or policy – drafting (including settlement agreements), consultation with employees, grievances, performance and absence management and strategies for achieving smooth restructurings, always with a view to providing practical solutions focused on achieving my client’s goals and preferred outcome.
Investigations
As a member of the Investigations and Regulatory group, I have experience of conducting investigations and drafting clear reports with my findings. My most recent investigation was one for a high profile client in respect of serious allegations of wrongdoing, which involved interviewing numerous witnesses. I have investigated a range of allegations from sexual harassment to financial wrongdoing.
Retail, Hospitality & Leisure
I am Co-Head of the firm’s retail, hospitality & leisure sector group, and frequently (but by no means exclusively) work with clients in this sector. In this sector, I find that certain issues arise frequently: flexible working, zero-hours and other atypical working arrangements, queries about aspects of pay such as tipping and deductions from wages, restructurings as well as grievances (including complaints of discrimination) by employees.
Anna Bond
Managing Associate
Anthony van Hoffen
Consultant (Real Estate)
Barnaby Stokes
Legal Director
Benjamin Smith
Senior Associate: Ben is a Senior Associate in Lewis Silkin's Dispute Resolution team and specialises in a broad range of Media & Entertainment, Tech, Sports and complex commercial disputes.
Ben advises on all aspects of Dispute Resolution with particular experience of commercial disputes, shareholder and director disputes, civil fraud, cross-border disputes and group litigation.
Benjamin Favaro
Partner
Brian Kilcoyne
Partner specialising in all areas of real estate litigation: landlord and tenant (commercial and residential), property valuation, contract and conveyance, development disputes (overage easements, restrictive covenants, rights of light, telecoms) propertyrelated finance and insolvency, nuisance/trespass, professional negligence, party wall and related disputes. Reported cases: Re Vedmay Ltd (disclaimer); Virgin Group Ltd v de Morgan plc (professional negligence); Baron Dynevor v Richardson (profits a prendre); R v Environment Agency ex p Dockgrange Ltd (waste management); R v ITC ex p Flextech plc (judicial review); Morells v Oxford United Football Club (restrictive covenants); Montalto Monella v Pizza Express (rent review); Dunster Properties Ltd v First Secretary of State 2 P&CR 26 (planning), McGuckian and others Lands Tribunal (collective enfranchisement), Blom-Cooper and others v Social Security Commissioners (housing benefit).
Brinsley Dresden
Partner, specialising in advertising and marketing law and regulation, representing both brand owners and marketing services agencies across a broad spectrum of legal and regulatory issues.
Bryony Long
Partner: Bryony us Co-Head of Lewis Silkin’s Data and Privacy Group. She works in three main areas: data & privacy; commercial & consumer; and technology.She has a commercial & consumer and technology background so regularly advises clients across all three practice areas.Bryony has advised a number of high profile clients on a range of complex data protection issues particularly around data collection and commercial exploitation. She has also been involved in a number of high profile data regulatory investigations for large multi-national clients. Bryony holds the IAPP CIPP/E data protection/privacy accreditation and has spoken at a number of events on data & privacy issues.From a commercial, technology and consumer perspective, Bryony has a wealth of experience advising clients on both demand and supply side on a range of commercial agreements including supply of goods/services, software licensing & distribution, cloud services, agency and distribution, franchising, warehousing and logistics, sponsorship and ticketing, client/agency, media buying and confidentiality. Bryony has also advised on e-commerce compliance and general consumer law issues and has been involved in a number of consumer regulatory investigations acting on behalf of well-known retailers.Bryony's particular area of specialism are retail and adtech and she is part of the Lewis Silkin’s Retail Law Group and Lewis Silkin’s Advertising and Marketing Law Group.
Carla Watling
Managing Associate
Carly Mather
Managing Associate
Carolyn Soakell
Partner specialising in employment and discrimination law. Particular interests include age discrimination, equal pay and family rights. Has extensive experience conducting complex discrimination claims and advising law firms on employee and partner disputes.
Charlotte Morgan
Managing Associate
Chris Hallinan
Partner: Chris has specialised in advising professional services firms and other businesses structured as partnerships or LLPs (including hedge funds and private equity houses) for over 10 years.
His core practice is focused on working closely with senior management at UK and international professional services firms, financial services firms and other owner-led / people businesses on a broad range of non-contentious issues, including strategic transactions and projects, governance and constitutional arrangements, UK and international structuring and regulatory issues, commercial agreements, funding arrangements and partner matters (including profit sharing, performance management, restrictive covenants and other business protection issues). He is also experienced in advising on negotiated and contentious partner exits and related issues.
Cliff Fluet
Partner. Specialises in digital media, branded entertainment, audio and audio/visual content exploitation via multimedia. Cliff specialises in the development, ownership, protection and exploitation of content, particularly branded content, product placement, sponsorship and music based entertainment; distribution by audio and audio visual platforms including mobile, online radio, online streaming and traditional analogue media, including radio; talent rights, live events, music copyright, regulatory issues arising from broadcast, mobile and online exploitation; broadcast infrastructure contracts and all issues relating to exploitation of content via multi-platform media.Cliff is a Lewis Silkin Strategy Board member and leads Lewis Silkin’s Strategic Advisory firm, Eleven.
Clive Greenwood
Partner: Clive is a Partner in the Professional Services and Dispute Resolution Groups. He specialises in commercial dispute resolution and is experienced in High Court Litigation, International and Domestic Arbitration and Mediation. Particular expertise in advising Management Committees and Managing Partners of LLP's and partnerships operating in the Professional Services sector on all aspects of LLP and partnership law, including partnership agreements, LLP members' agreements, partners / members internal disputes, team moves, behaviour and conduct of individuals, breaches of duty, compulsory and voluntary retirement, expulsion, remuneration structures, restrictive covenants and issues related to lateral hires and new partners / members.
Colin Leckey
Partner in employment. Particular focus on the technology, financial services and professional services sectors. Also has extensive experience of advising on TUPE, outsourcings, high-value discrimination, equal pay and whistleblowing claims and collective and individual redundancies, as well as cross-border employment matters. Key matters in the last 12 months include representing a high profile technology company on an employment status dispute before the CAC, defending a large scale equal pay claim in the High Court, and advising an energy trading company on a restructuring and discrimination claim.
David Hopper
Partner: David specialises in advising on industrial relations and collective employment law. He has developed proactive industrial relations strategies for businesses wishing to implement complex business reorganisations, business transfers and labour cost reductions. His experience includes advising on: collective redundancy consultations, including “fire and rehire” exercises to effect changes to employees’ terms and conditions TUPE transfers, including reliance on the “special circumstances” defence of having undertaken such steps as were reasonably practicable to inform and consult with employees in the context of an administration consultations on listed pensions changes, under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 and with European Works Councils David has defended complaints in the Employment Tribunal, Central Arbitration Committee and Employment Appeal Tribunal in respect of alleged insufficient information and consultation.David has a particular focus on advising on European Works Councils under UK and Irish law. He regularly advises on establishment requests, special negotiating body processes and the holding of annual and exceptional circumstances meetings. He also has extensive experience defending EWC litigation.
David Samuels
Partner: David is a Partner in Lewis Silkin’s market-leading employment litigation practice. He helps businesses and senior executives navigate the complex issues of employment and partnership law.David has a particular interest in advising on disputes which involve team moves, breaches of employment and partnership agreements, the appropriation of confidential information and the applicability of restrictive covenants. He frequently acts for clients on such matters – often for the purposes of bringing or defending injunction proceedings - in the High Court and through Arbitration. David has significant experience in advising clients in the financial services, technology and built-environment sectors. He also works with multi-national companies to meet their day-to-day employment law needs and has considerable experience in managing and delivering strategic and commercial advice to organisations dealing with multi-jurisdictional issues.David speaks regularly at seminars, MBA programmes and training events for clients, students and other lawyers. He also frequently comments on employment law issues in the media.
David Willbe
Partner and Heads of the Technology sector group.David gives regular presentations and writes articles, for audiences of entrepreneurs and investors. His background is primarily with US law firms in London.Corporate: David advises on the full range of corporate finance transactions, from seed and angel investment rounds to IPOs, sales and acquisitions. His clients are companies, founders, investors and financial institutions at every stage of that journey, and his advice on each transaction benefits from his experience of the types of transactions that the business has been through, and is hoping to get to in the future.Technology: The majority of his work is with technology companies and the investors who back them. His current client base covers a wide variety of technologies, from SAAS to hardware and from B2B fintech to B2C consumer tech.
David Deakin
Consultant. David is a commercial digital media and technology lawyer. He specialises in digital content and disruptive technology businesses operating online, on mobile and in social media. He has particular expertise in relation to video, magazine publishing and social media, and deals with content and technology creation, development and distribution along with consumer facing, marketing and regulatory issues. His expertise really lies in where all these elements converge. As such, he helps innovative businesses, whether they be in the media, retail, marketing or tech sectors, execute novel uses of content and technology to facilitate interactive, immersive and connected experiences. David is a partner in our Commercial; Brands & IP; and Data Privacy practice groups. David is a core member of our Media & Entertainment; and our Retail, Fashion & Hospitality sector focus groups; and also a member of our Advertising & Marketing; and our Technology sector focus groups.
Duran Ross
Partner
Ed Gregory
Senior Associate
Emma Bevan
Patent Attorney
Erika Coccia
Senior Chartered Trade Mark Attorney
Fergus Payne
Consultant. Specialises in advising on limited liability partnership and partnership matters, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, with particular experience of professional services and communications sectors.
Frances Simm
Managing Associate: Frances advises national and international businesses on a broad range of commercial disputes with a particular focus on the professional services sector. She works closely with clients to develop appropriate and effective strategies to progress and resolve disputes in a timely and cost effective manner taking into account each client’s priorities and objectives.
Frances is a member of the Association of Partnership Practitioners, the London Solicitors Litigation Association and the Young International Arbitration Group of the LCIA. She has higher rights of audience (civil) and has represented clients in applications made before the Interim Applications Court (High Court) and in the county courts.
Dispute Resolution
Frances advises businesses, directors and shareholders on a range of complex contract disputes including claims arising out of corporate transactions and in relation to conduct issues such as breach of fiduciary duties. She also frequently advises clients in relation to claims concerning allegations of professional negligence and misrepresentation.
In addition to assisting clients with disputes proceeding in the High Court and Court of Appeal, Frances also advises clients in relation to the institution and progression of arbitration including those conducted under the LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Her disputes work includes:
Advising a cloud technology and hosting provider on a team move and breach of restrictive covenant dispute commencing with an urgent interim injunction and proceeding as an expedited matter in the High Court. Assisting the client in successfully resisting an appeal of the injunction granted by the High Court in the Court of Appeal.
Acting for an international construction contractor in an ICC arbitration successfully defending against claims valued at over €300 million arising out of the construction of a gas pipeline.
Acting for a multinational telecommunications company in an ICC arbitration concerning claims arising out of the construction and maintenance of telecommunication towers in an EU member state.
Acting for a large European mining company in an LCIA arbitration concerning breach of warranty claims and the reconciliation of post-completion accounts. Also advising on related High Court proceedings seeking enforcement of provisions of the underlying Share Purchase Agreement and the successful challenge of an order obtained against the client in the Court of Appeal.
Partnerships & LLPs
Frances advises a variety of businesses and individuals in different sectors on contentious matters arising in relation to limited liability partnerships (LLPs) and limited partnerships (LPs). She acts for individual partners, advising on their duties and obligations arising out of partnership agreements, and also has experience acting for both individual partners and Management Committees / Managing Partners advising on matters such as retirement and expulsions, restrictive covenants and partner conduct.
Professional Services
Frances advises businesses and individuals in the professional services sector with a particular focus on, and experience in, the legal and accountancy professions.
Francesca Ainsworth
Legal Director
Fraser Mitchell
Fraser Mitchell is a partner in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice. He has experience acting in a range of complex cross-border and multijurisdictional disputes for a variety of clients including individuals, trusts, companies and funds as both claimant and defendant.
Fraser is often instructed in cases where fraud, bribery, conspiracy or breach of fiduciary duty are alleged. He regularly acts in insolvency litigation and shareholders’ disputes and has extensive experience in obtaining and resisting interim applications, often at short notice. He also has prior experience handling investigations on behalf of companies, individuals and state entities. He has advocacy experience and has appeared many times as both as sole counsel and as junior up to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.
Fraser is a named individual in the Legal 500 – Caribbean, where he is described as “definitely a rising star” and a “real pleasure to work with” who is “always ready to help” and “full of good humour.”
Fraser McKeating
Managing Associate: Fraser has extensive experience in advising in high value and complex commercial litigation, often with an international dimension, and has acted on a number of arbitrations.
Fraser acts for clients across a range of sectors including in professional services, technology, retail and finance.
Gavin McNaughton
Partner: Gavin specialises in both domestic and international mergers and acquisitions. He acts for companies, shareholders and directors on a full range of corporate advice, with particular experience of acting for clients in the technology, sports and professional services sectors. Gavin advises clients throughout all stages of a company’s life cycle, from incorporation and shareholders’ agreements, to early-stage seed investment rounds, raising growth capital, making acquisitions and finally through to a full or partial exit by way of a trade sale, management buy-out or private equity acquisition.
Geraint Lloyd-Taylor
Partner. Deputy head of Lewis Silkin's advertising & marketing team.
Hannah Price
Legal Director advising on all aspects of employment law. Has particular expertise in advising clients on multi-jurisdictional issues, working closely with colleagues in Ius Laboris. Another key area of focus is working with broadcast media companies and advises a number of leading names in this industry.
James Walters
Managing Associate
James Gill
Partner. James provides specialist advice on commercial contracts, technology projects, outsourcing, e-commerce, privacy, consumer law and exploitation of IP rights. Key clients include leading high street retailers, global technology companies and leading professional service providers. James’ key industry sectors include the retail, technology, leisure, financial services, logistics and motor sectors.
James Davies
Founding partner of our employment team specialising in all aspects of employment law with a special interest in international employment law; discrimination law (particularly age discrimination); and TUPE.
James Storke
Partner
James Keogh
Partner
Jeremy Summers
Jeremy is a consultant within Lewis Silkin’s Media & Entertainment team. He has wide-ranging IP expertise on both contentious and non-contentious matters across a number of sectors, with a particular focus on sports, music, sponsorship, theatre, major events and computer games. His experience includes working in-house on the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, acting for a sponsor of a leading Formula 1 team, and advising on all legal matters relating to a globally-renowned hit Australian musical. Over the course of his more than twenty-year career, he has advised on more than US$1bn in sponsorship deals for some of the world’s most renowned brands and organisations. Jeremy sits on the steering committee of the Henley Business School MBA for Music and the Creative Industries. Jeremy is dual qualified in New South Wales, Australia and England and Wales.
JJ Shaw
Managing Associate: JJ is a Managing Associate in the Digital, Commerce and Creative team, with a particular focus on the sports business, media & entertainment and technology sectors.
Sports business
JJ advises clients in the sports industry on a broad spectrum of legal and commercial issues, from both an advisory and contractual perspective. Key areas of specialism include sponsorship (having advised on a number of deals for Premier League and EFL shirt sponsorship), broadcast and media deals, player image rights, fan tokens and the collection and commercialisation of player data.
Media & Entertainment
JJ advises major publishers, podcast creators, agencies, talent, advertisers, game developers and digital platforms on a variety of commercial issues that impact the media and entertainment sector. This includes talent deals; brand partnerships; content licensing and media rights deals; advertising & marketing; video game development; broadcast and platform content regulation; and gambling regulation.
Commercial & Technology
JJ specialises in advising on emerging technologies, particularly Generative AI (such as ChatGPT) and those relating to Web 3.0 (such as NFTs, the Metaverse and blockchain).
He also regularly negotiates and drafts a range of commercial contracts, including contracts in respect of IP licensing; SaaS and other software services; media buying; outsourcing; franchising & distribution; sponsorship; advertising and marketing; and creative services agreements.
Jo Farmer
Partner: Jo jointly leads the firm's Commercial group and advises clients on their advertising and marketing campaigns and exploitation of intellectual property rights and content. Her clients include brand owners, content creators, communications agencies and media platforms. Jo is recognised as a leading lawyer in the field of advertising and brand reputation in legal directories.
Jo Evans
Partner, Corporate. Work includes mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance with a particular focus on the creative industries, financial services and healthcare (especially the dental sector).
Joanna De Fonseka
Legal Director
Joe Lythgoe
Senior Associate
John Shea
Managing Associate
John is an experienced dispute resolution lawyer with a particular focus on the Sport Sector.
As a dispute resolution lawyer, John has considerable experience of dealing with high value and complex commercial litigation in court proceedings as well as all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.
John is deputy co-head of Lewis Silkin’s sports group and advises clients in the sports sector on a broad range of sports issues.
His key clients include clubs, leading agencies and international athletes. The matters which he works on are often with an international element and being a Spanish speaker is particularly valuable to many clients.
John Hornby
Consultant Partner
Jonathan Carr
Jonathan is a partner and specialist employment lawyer with over 20 years of experience advising on employment law issues. Jonathan's practice has a particular emphasis on restructuring, employee relations issues, TUPE/outsourcing, transactional support and senior executive exits. His clients are similarly diverse from law firms and hedge funds to football clubs and retail brands.Although part of Jonathan's role as a partner involves managing client relationships, he is still very much a hands-on lawyer. His clients range across all industry sectors although in recent years has developed more of a focus on the financial services, legal and pharmaceutical sectors. He has been recognised for his employment law expertise in both Chambers and Legal 500 for a number of years. Jonathan is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association, chair of Lewis Silkin’s TUPE group and Editor of the Sweet & Maxwell Transfer of Undertakings Bulletin. Jonathan's aim is to assist clients in managing employment issues of all kinds in a swift, commercial and pragmatic fashion, consistent with their corporate culture; to add value by properly understanding their business and through proactive engagement; and to form long term relationships built on trust, personal chemistry, and positive outcomes.
Jonathan Reuben
Partner specialising in all areas of commercial property law, particularly property investment and finance. Also has extensive experience of advising large clients in the restaurant/retail sector.
Jonathan Hewett
Partner
Julia Poulter
Partner (Real Estate)
Karen Baxter
Partner and Head of the firm's Investigations and Regulatory group and sits on the Firm's Strategy Board. Karen specialises in employment and partnership law and regularly conducts complex and highly sensitive workplace investigations, alongside her advisory work.Karen has a wealth of experience advising major companies and LLPs, in relation to the employment law issues they face, and routinely conducts complex and highly sensitive investigations, both within the UK and internationally. Karen has a diverse client base, with a particular emphasis towards advising major domestic and international law firms and other professional services organisations on all aspects of their relationships with their employees and members/partners. This includes resolving issues such as contentious team moves, the enforcement of restrictive covenants and the use of alternative dispute resolution. Karen also acts for senior executives and individual partners/members.Karen prides herself in taking a pragmatic, commercial, and business-focused approach to all of her work. She particularly enjoys resolving high-value disputes, both before and after the commencement of litigation, including sensitive discrimination cases, whistleblowing claims, and those involving regulatory matters. Karen also advises on workplace restructures, negotiates employment documentation, such as contracts and settlement agreements, and provides training on all of these issues.EmploymentA typical day might include advising her clients on issues such as how to deal with allegations of discrimination or harassment, redundancies and complex grievances or disciplinary matters. Karen also manages and advises on all aspects of outsourcing arrangements, including the application of TUPE, and any Employment Tribunal claims faced by her clients. Examples of some of her recent work include: advising a major international law firm on a significant restructuring and outsourcing project successfully resolving a discrimination dispute between directors of a plc successfully defending a multi-Respondent disability discrimination claim advising a major supermarket in relation to board level issues advising a bank faced with multiple whistleblowing claims Investigations and Regulatory Karen's investigations work typically involves allegations of serious wrongdoing and/or allegations against very senior employees or partners. This work requires careful and sensitive handling to ensure that all the facts are uncovered in a fair, proportionate and even-handed way. This work includes interviewing witnesses, identifying and locating other forms of evidence, and providing a report setting out the evidence obtained which enables the organisation to respond appropriately to the findings made. Many of the investigations that she has conducted relate to regulated industries, so she is able to ensure that the corporate response meets the requirements and expectations of the relevant regulator. Some recent examples of her work include: investigating allegations of discrimination made against very senior executives in a household name business investigating allegations of sexual assault against a law firm partner investigations allegations of bullying made by one board member against another investigating multiple allegations against a partner of a law firm investigating allegations relating to bullying and discrimination on the set of a film production investigating allegations of expenses fraud by a senior executive investigating allegations of sexual, emotional and physical abuse against a religious leader Partnerships & LLPs Karen's clients include a number of the leading international law firms and LLPs. She regularly advises these organisations in relation to matters such as team moves, the rights and obligations of partners, and partnership disputes. Karen also acts for partners in dispute with their current or former partnership or LLP. Some recent examples of her advisory work include: advising a major law firm on the fall-out following a hotly contested management election advising in relation to partnership retirement issues and allegations of age discrimination advising a major law firm in relation to an arbitration arising out of a team move advising in relation to a partner exit which involved allegations of disability discrimination advising a team of partners on their rights and obligations towards their LLP ahead of a planned team move advising a law firm on near shoring its back office function
Karish Andrews
Partner, covering the full range of corporate advice, working with companies, shareholders, investors, and management teams from incorporation through the lifecycle of a company to exit.Karish's workload varies from acting on M&A deals for corporate buyers and owner-managers to football investments and player transfers. Over the last decade, Karish has spent a considerable amount of my time working with businesses in the media and sports industries and holds a postgraduate qualification in sports law. His regular clients include advertising agencies, PR agencies, talent agents, production companies, sports investors, football clubs, and sports marketing agencies. Corporate Advisory Karish provides companies, shareholders, and directors with a full range of corporate advice. This advice includes each stage of a company’s life from incorporation, initial fundraising, incentivising staff, secondary fundraising, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, group reorganisation, and finally through to a sale in whole or part. His experience tells him that most clients are not interested in the intricacies of the Companies Act (that is what we are here for) but are looking for clear, commercial advice and, above all, pragmatic solutions. Mergers & Acquisitions Karish regularly acts for owner-managers on the sale of their businesses and for international groups on their UK acquisitions. Acting for both buyers and sellers allows him to see the deal from both sides of the table and foresee potential issues. His role is generally as the point of contact on the negotiation and drafting of the sale and purchase agreement, managing the internal transaction team at Lewis Silkin, and coordinating with the client’s other external advisers on the project. Having worked on deals in numerous sectors Karish appreciates that what is important to one client may not be to another and, therefore, knowledge of the client’s business and priorities is the key to a successful transaction. Sports Business Karish is a core member of the firm’s Sports Business Group and has worked in the sports industry for over a decade. Karish has a postgraduate qualification in sports law and acts for top-level football clubs, rugby clubs, sports marketing agencies, agents, players, and investors, particularly in football. His expertise includes buying and selling clubs, international player transfers, sponsorship, representation contracts, financing deals, sports regulation, and investment in football clubs and players. He has negotiated with many leading European football clubs, and been involved in numerous international transfers (with an aggregate value in excess of £200 million) and regularly provides commentary on football finance and the transfer market. Advertising & Marketing Karish is a member of the firm’s Advertising & Marketing Group and has worked with clients in this sector for over a decade. He has acted for large multinational agencies in their UK acquisitions and conversely for smaller owner-managed agencies on their sale or management buy-out. Whilst no two deals are ever the same, having experience on both sides of the table enables him to identify and predict potential traps and find creative solutions for clients who work in these sectors. Karish has considerable experience of acting for clients in advertising and PR. These businesses rely heavily on the strength of their people and the relationship with their clients, and consequently, negotiation of deals in these sectors tends to focus on these areas.
Laetitia Cooke
Managing Associate: Laetitia advises senior individuals across all sectors, with particular experience acting for those in financial services.
Laetitia also assists employer clients on a wide range of issues, from day-to-day advice, to providing guidance on grievance and disciplinary investigations, to managing all the delicate issues arising out of senior exits.
Laetitia has experience of fighting complex, high value and sensitive cases. Clients value the results she obtains for them – whether that is an early, confidential, settlement, on the best possible terms, or some other form of desirable outcome. Examples of his recent work include acting for:
an asset manager in relation to a case of whistleblowing;
a senior individual in a case involving claims of equal pay, race discrimination, sex discrimination, victimisation and unfair dismissal; and
a global technology company in relation to claims of equal pay, sex and race discrimination.
Laetitia's work also has an international element – over and above the multi-jurisdictional nature of advice to globally mobile senior executives. She speaks French and has a significant number of French clients. She acts for companies with an established presence in the UK as well as those who are setting up an office in the UK for the first time. She also acts for and advises French-speaking senior executives.
Laura Harper
Partner: Laura is a Partner in Lewis Silkin's Digital, Commerce and Creative team and is based in Manchester.
Laura advises the creative industries and innovation businesses on commercial agreements and IP strategy. She has a wealth of experience in complex copyright, trade mark, design & patent issues notably across the games, communications, fashion, and TV sectors.
Laura Farnsworth
Partner dealing with all aspects of employment law with a special interest in parental rights and sex discrimination. Co-ordinator of the employment department’s retail, hospitality and leisure sector group. Manages the firm’s low cost fixed fee HR support service; rockhopper.
Laura Bougourd
Managing Associate
Lee Nair
Partner
Lee specialises in global acquisitions, TUPE and the contingent workforce. Her work is both advisory and contentious, covering contracts and policies, employee relations matters, restructures and redundancies, family-friendly rights and Employment Tribunal proceedings. Lee has particular experience of advising on employment law aspects of complex global acquisitions and outsourcings. Lee also regularly co-ordinates employment law advice across multiple jurisdictions for international projects.
Lee works with clients across a variety of sectors, such as media & entertainment, technology, pharmaceutical and retail.
Leonard Goodrich
Consultant: Mixed use development with experience in commercial acquisitions and disposals, commercial projects and land use planning. Advised Annington Group on a number of complex development opportunities including the former Inglis Barracks site Mill Hill; long-standing real estate advisor to Rio Tinto plc - advised on relocation to Paddington shared resource centre, the redevelopment of its former headquarters building at 6 St James's Square and the ultimate sale and lease-back; adviser to the Sager House (Almeida) on the acquisition and redevelopment of Islington Square, a major mixed use redevelopment of the former North London post sorting office behind Upper Street, Islington.
Lucinda Murphy
Senior Associate
Mario Betts
Managing Associate
Mark Hersey
Managing Associate
Mark Lim
Mark is a Partner at Lewis Silkin LLP and is head of the Dispute Resolution group. He specialises in the resolution of complex commercial disputes, particularly those with an international element. Examples of past cases include post transaction claims for breach of warranty and indemnity, IT disputes regarding code performance and software development, partnership disputes, unpaid commission and fee claims, professional negligence claims, investor claims, trust claims, civil fraud, bailment and conversion claims, claims against dictators for breach of duty and shareholder disputes.
Mark frequently acts for and against Insolvency Practioners in contentious matters and has acted in unlawful dividend, antedecent transaction, misfeasance, wrongful trading and ROT claims.
He regularly advises on contractual issues and has extensive experience of warranty/indemnity claims, trust disputes, director/shareholder disputes and cases where insolvency is a feature. Recent reported cases include: Am Trust Europe Ltd v Trust Risk Group SpA [2014] EWHC 3192 (Comm), [2014] 4169 (Comm) and [2015] EWCA Civ 437 (Comm) (issues of jurisdiction and conflicts of law; issues of construction of brokerage agreement between English insurer and Italian Broker) ([2015] EWHC 1927 (Comm) whether the English court should grant an injunction to restrain an Italian Arbitration), [2015] EWHC 3918 (Comm) (variation of a mandatory injunction); Quan v Bray and Others [2014] EWHC 3340 (Fam) and [2015] EWCA Civ 1253 (allegations of a post-nuptial settlement requiring examination of an overseas trust and an international group of companies); Global Draw Ltd v IGT-UK Group Ltd and anr [2014] EWHC 2973 (Comm) (construction of terms of an SPA, breach of warranty/indemnity with related proceedings in Italy); Dhanani v Crasnianski [2011] EWHC 926 (Comm) (whether Heads of Terms constituted a binding contract for to invest a substantial sum in a private equity fund).
Matt Ward
Patent Attorney
Matthew Rowbotham
Partner specialising in corporate and business taxes, with an emphasis on M&A and commercial transaction structuring. Acts for clients in a wide variety of sectors, including marketing and communications.
Matthew Turner
Partner
Michael Anderson
Partner: Michael advises companies, LLPs, and senior executives on all aspects of employment and partnership law. The bulk of Michael's work is focused on the financial and professional services sectors. He supports his clients on all issues arising in the workplace. This can range from negotiating complex contracts to defending high-value claims in the Employment Tribunal. Michael is particularly interested in High Court litigation and arbitrations. He frequently advises on restrictive covenants, confidential information, bonus claims, and team moves, often with elements spanning several jurisdictions. Michael has worked on a number of the team’s biggest cases over the years. This has included successfully defending a Hedge Fund against a claim worth in excess of $200 million and securing a multi-million-pound settlement for a whistleblower at the doors of the Tribunal. Financial Services Michael acts for a number of financial services clients including Hedge Funds, banks, brokers, insurance intermediaries, and HFT firms. His work covers the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment and partnership advice. Experience includes: Acting for an international Hedge Fund on all its UK litigation including high-value arbitrations. I also support this client with day-to-day employment, partnership and related regulatory advice Advising a leading brokerage firm, including strategic support on all senior hires and terminations Representing senior executives in complex negotiations, together with Tribunal and High Court litigation Obtaining various injunctions to protect my clients’ interests
Michael Burd
Chair of the Partnership and Partner. Advises on all aspects of employment and partnership law. Particular areas of interest include board issues, contested dismissals and redundancy, partnership issues, business transfers, employment tribunal claims and advice aimed at preventing employment disputes and ensuring compliance with statutory regulations. His practice is highly international, dealing with both UK clients' employment law needs globally and with UK issues for clients in numerous other jurisdictions.
Naomi Hanrahan-Soar
Partner
Neil Parkes
Partner: Neil is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Department specialising in a broad range of Media & Entertainment, Intellectual Property and complex commercial disputes.
Dispute Resolution
Neil has an extensive experience of handling a wide variety of complex commercial disputes, including representing clients in ground-breaking and high-profile litigation in the High Court and Court of Appeal, cross-border issues, international arbitrations and expert determinations as well as alternative forms of dispute resolution, including mediation. He proactively works with business stakeholders at an early stage to avoid disputes arising or escalating. Where they do, he focuses on helping to prevent disputes becoming drawn-out and time-consuming and, where appropriate, to retain or repair valuable commercial relationships through strategic and creative thinking.
Intellectual Property
Neil has particular experience of intellectual property disputes and online rights protection for media rights owners, such as film, TV, music, sports, computer games and major brands, ranging from large scale notice and takedown, third party disclosure orders, injunctions, website blocking orders and complex or precedent setting strategic litigation, having acted in several leading cases concerning the enforcement of IP rights online.
Neil is recognised for advising on criminal aspects of intellectual property law, anti-piracy and rights protection, having conducted multiple high-profile private criminal prosecutions on behalf of media rights holders.
Neil Dite
Managing Associate: Neil provides pragmatic and commercial advice on both contentious and non-contentious issues, including: - senior level recruitment and exits, implementing changes to terms and conditions, business restructures and collective redundancies. He also has significant experience of defending Employment Tribunal litigation, including claims for unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing.
He advises clients on employment law issues impacting their business. He works across a range of sectors including technology, logistics and transport. His work often has an international scope and has regularly co-ordinated cross-border projects.
Nicholas Hadaway
Partner, Employment. Advises on all areas of employment law with particular focus on contractual, discrimination and whistleblowing claims for senior executives (employees and partners) in the financial sector. Also, advises employers notably on acquisitions and restructurings and TUPE/outsourcing.
Nicholas Buckland
Legal Director
Nick Bowie
Legal Director: Nick is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, specialising in the protection and enforcement of trade mark and design portfolios worldwide and is regularly involved in global searching filing and assignment projects.In addition to his core expertise he has particular experience in digital enforcement, handling the global monitoring and enforcement of his clients’ trade marks and copyright online. Nick regularly represents clients in domain name disputes before the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Nominet, the ADR Forum, and the National Internet Exchange of India. The protection and enforcement of brands sit at the very heart of Nick's practice, from the clearance of trade marks through to selection, filing, prosecution, maintenance, monitoring and enforcement.During his career Nick has acted for clients across industries ranging from automotive, cosmetics, defence, energy, fashion, financial institutions, food and drink, travel, media and technology.
Nick Allan
Partner: Nick is a Partner at Lewis Silkin LLP and leads the Interactive Entertainment practice group. He represents businesses of all sizes in the games business, from multinational publishers to indie developers, as well as acting for other providers in the games industry.
Nick advises clients on commercial transactions in the games industry, including developing, publishing and licensing deals, but he also has a background in intellectual property and advise on issues specific to the industry, such as in relation to the use of real-world assets in games. Nick also advise games companies on the various regulatory issues that affect the games sector, such as those relating to the Online Safety Bill, the Children’s Code, consumer standards and EULAs, PEGI age ratings, advertising guidance on virtual currencies and items, gambling regulations on loot boxes and e commerce.
Nigel Enticknap
Managing Associate: Nigel works on all types and all aspects of commercial disputes, including claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and professional negligence claims, as well as advising on conflict of laws and jurisdiction issues.
Much of is work has an international element and he is familiar with liaising with lawyers in different jurisdictions.
Nigel helps clients resolve a wide range of commercial disputes whether through negotiated settlement, court or arbitration proceedings. He also advises on how to avoid disputes arising in the first place by giving advice on potential liabilities and risks.
He has have experience of dealing with claims before various forums, including not only the courts, but also arbitral tribunals, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Competition and Markets Authority.
Nikita Meek
European Patent Attorney
Patrick Brown
Senior Associate
Paul Rajput
Partner specialising in wide range of corporate and commercial issues, principally in the marketing services and communications sector and digital technology sector, including mergers and acquisitions; private equity transactions; start-ups and joint ventures; demergers and reorganisations and debt investments.
Paul Hayes
Head of Housing and Residential Litigation, specialising in residential property litigation, including acting on behalf of many of the UKs Registered Providers of Social Housing dealing with all housing management issues, both contentious and non-contentious, including anti-social behaviour, nuisance, disrepair, non occupation and sub-let (tenancy fraud), rent arrears and debt recovery, breach of tenancy and trespass. Protestor and trespass actions dealing with a number of high profile matters that received substantial press coverage including the eviction of around 100 trespassers from two residential properties in Park Lane London, acting for Harrods and Harvey Nichols in their claims against protestors, and the eviction of a large number of travellers from development sites. These practice areas include on a regular basis advising and assisting on Human Rights, Equality Act and Data Protection issues. Residential property litigation includes acting for a number private landlords on all housing management related issues, including in the Property Tribunal on service charge disputes, lease extension, enfranchisement claims and right to manage claims.
Paul Williams
Partner
Phil Hughes
Partner
Phil Rymer
Consultant: All forms of audio visual finance, production and distribution for conventional media across film and television and new media digital platforms including projects supported by leading brands, ad funded initiatives and other new funding models. Previous positions with UK Film Council and as general manager of Icon Entertainment, a major international film sales company. Recent projects include production legal support on the film 'Paddington', representation of financiers in the recent major adaptation of 'Swallows and Amazons' and Sky Television’s 'Launching People' in association with Samsung. Major literary estates and talent representation including United Agents and cast of 'The Inbetweeners' films.
Rachel Francis-Lang
Partner: Rachel has a focus upon providing real estate services to corporate occupiers and developers and has a particular insight into clients’ needs and expectations on service delivery having worked in-house on secondment as legal counsel to a listed projects/construction company. She has experience in handling large global real estate portfolios dealing with multiple moves from multiple locations, working in partnership with clients’ real estate consultants.
Richard Miskella
Joint managing partner in employment, reward and immigration department. Particular focus on media and financial services sectors. Specialisms in high-value litigation, including senior executive terminations, High Court claims (such as restrictive covenant disputes, bonus claims, claims for breach of confidentiality and fiduciary duties, and team moves), whistle blowing, and restructuring. CEDR-accredited mediator.
Russell Brimelow
Partner specialising in all aspects of employment law, including co-ordinating mergers and TUPE transfers, drafting employment documentation, dealing with all the issues arising during employment (eg disciplinary and performance matters), director and senior terminations, working time, information and consultation issues and all aspects of tribunal work.
Sally Hulston
Partner
Sam Koppel
Managing Associate
Sam Pennington
Corporate lawyer specialising in a full range of corporate law advice from company investments and funding, share and business sales and acquisitions and joint ventures to board room and shareholder disputes, founder exits and secondary sales. Has particular experience advising clients in the technology and other forward-thinking and creative sectors.
Sean Dempsey
Sean is an Employment Partner with clients predominantly from the technology sector and also advises a wide range of clients in the financial and professional services, retail, manufacturing, transport, and media sectors.Sean has been recognised for a number of years as a leader in the field of employment law by the leading legal directories and is a commentator on employment law issues for BBC TV and radio. He regularly speaks at HR and legal conferences, writes for a number of professional publications and has been an accredited mediator for many years.Sean's practice is often international in its scope and I regularly advise on the employment law aspects of global acquisitions and multi-jurisdictional restructures, particularly across the EMEA region. He is also responsible for a number of international retainers which enable clients to access expert employment law advice in all of the countries in which they operate
Sean Illing
Managing Associate
Shalina Crossley
Partner: Advises many areas of employment and partnership law. Has a particular focus on dealing with high level disputes in the employment tribunal, high court and through arbitration often, in the professional services sector and involving issues of discrimination.
Simon Entwistle
Partner: Having spent the early years of his career as a corporate finance lawyer, Simon has in the subsequent years expanded his practice to advise on all manner of non-contentious commercial and IP issues, while continuing to advise on M&A, fundraising, joint ventures (both in the UK and overseas) and other corporate matters.Although Simon works with clients in various industries, the majority of the clients he works with are in media, marketing services, leisure, or retail.
Simon Chapman
Partner. Specialises in contentious and non-contentious IP and IT disputes encompassing patents, copyright, trade marks, designs, passing off and the protection of confidential information; experience of acting on behalf of brand owners against those involved in counterfeit and pirate goods; including infringement on the internet; appointed as an expert by Nominet for the determination of disputes arising from the registration of domain names in the UK. Notable cases: Cala v Mcalpine; Stoddard v William Lomas; Philips v Remington; Gerber v Gerber; Reckitt Benckiser v Home Pairfum; Coward v Phaestos; Lush v Amazon; Enterprise v Europcar; Jack Wills v House of Fraser. He has extensive experience of advising on technology disputes, including pre-termination strategies.
Stephen O'Flaherty
Partner
Supinder Singh Sian
Partner: Supinder deals with all areas of UK business, sport, high-net worth immigration and global mobility co-ordination. He advises across industry sectors with a particular focus on Technology, Financial Services, Engineering, Charities and Pharma.Prior to joining Lewis Silkin, Supinder was a partner in the Immigration team at an international law firm for the last 8 years and has over 17 years specialist Corporate/Business Immigration and Global Mobility experience.He is a member of the Immigration Lawyers Practitioners Association (ILPA) and the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple.
Tarun Tawakley
Partner: Tarun advises a broad range of clients, with a particular insight into businesses in the technology sector, on complex, strategically important and high impact employment law issues.As a partner in Lewis Silkin’s employment litigation team, he has a particular interest in High Court litigation and advises on disputes involving restrictive covenants (individual and team moves), misuse of confidential information and other contractual claims (such as bonus claims).Tarun is a regular speaker at industry events on employment law. He has been recognised for his work in The Lawyer’s Hot 100, which showcases "the most daring, innovative and creative lawyers from in-house, private practice and the Bar", and acknowledged as an Employment Law Leader in the Reward Strategy, Reward 300.Tarun advises innovative technology businesses, from start-ups to significant multinationals and listed companies, on their employment law needs. Outside of providing pure legal advice, he is able to leverage my prior experience as the Head of Employment Law and Commercial Litigation at Deliveroo to better understand and deliver on what matters most for my clients - having spent four years in their shoes.He has particular expertise in issues relating to the platform and/or gig economy and has successfully defended gig economy business models in multiple jurisdictions (and across various forums including before Courts, labour inspectors and other regulators); and worked with governments and regulators on legislative reform.
Timothy Leeson
Partner
Tom Ford
Managing Associate: Tom is a member of Lewis Silkin's Employment, Immigration and Reward division and specialises in data protection and data privacy.
Tom Gaunt
Partner
Toni Lorenzo
Partner and Head of the Employment Litigation Team. Specialising in employment law, Toni is a highly skilled and experienced litigator with an international practice and advises companies and LLPs on the protection of business interests, including confidential information, restrictive covenants and fiduciary duties, contested dismissals and high value Employment Tribunal claims including discrimination and whistle blowing claims. Toni is a CEDR accredited mediator and has acted as a mediator in a number of disputes. He has worked with many international clients and is heavily involved in Ius Laboris, the Global Alliance of Human Resources Lawyers.
Victoria Goode
Consultant Partner specialising in employment tax issues including bonus planning; salary sacrifice; employment status; employment termination; and (in conjunction with Ius Laboris) internationally mobile employees. Victoria also designs and implements cash and equity incentive plans. In addition, she advises on the regulatory requirements for remuneration packages in the financial services sector.
Wendy Saunders
Legal Director: Wendy specialises in financial services and markets law and regulation, both advisory and contentious. She has gained a breadth of experience from different perspectives across the industry – at a regulator, in-house at a UK retail bank and a global investment bank, and in private practice – which enables her to provide informed and strategic advice and guidance to clients.Wendy advises a wide range of clients. These are mostly financial services firms, but she also advise providers to the financial services sector. The nature of the advice ranges from one-off ad hoc financial services regulatory queries, to reviews of policies and implementation projects, to work on larger contentious matters. Examples from across the broad spectrum of financial services regulatory work Wendy has covered includes: Commercial and technology contracts Corporate transactional advice Investigations and regulatory issues