Herrington Carmichael LLP

Herrington Carmichael is a full service law firm offering legal advice to UK and international businesses as well as individuals and families. With offices in London, Hampshire and Berkshire they provide an increasingly specialist legal practice – with dedicated experts operating at the forefront of their individual areas of law. They provide practical, deep understanding and professional teams in each of the legal disciplines they specialise in.

The firm: The origins of the practice can be traced back over 180 years in Wokingham and 150 in Aldershot. It acquired its present name in 1935 when Walter Herrington and Graham Carmichael merged their practices. In recent years it has expanded through organic development as well as astute mergers and takeovers, including merging with Southorns in 2003, Stanbury’s in 2004, and Metcalfe and Mather in 2005. Bonnetts Solicitors was acquired on 1 March 2022, the firm retain their Ascot office and also opened a Reading office on 1 September 2022. In May 2023, the firm moved their Head Office around the corner and over the Surrey border into Farnborough, Hampshire.

Types of work undertaken: The corporate team is highly experienced across the full ambit of transactional work within a wide range of industry sectors. Expertise includes mergers and acquisitions, MBOs and MBIs, private equity investments, banking law, shareholder protection, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations, insolvency and corporate recovery, financial services and consumer law. The team also offers a wide range of due diligence and legal audit solutions.

The firm’s commercial expertise centres on providing efficiency, securing and assisting in revenue generation for clients. It has particular expertise in IT/IP law and covers the usual commercial services, which include terms of supply of goods and services, franchise agreements, e-commerce, distribution agreements research and development technology licensing, intellectual property, IT and software, advertising and sales promotions, sponsorship, bespoke contracts and financial services.

For employees, services range from advising on redundancy, reorganisation, and constructive dismissal to disciplinary and grievance procedures, compromise agreements, maternity/paternity and adoption issues, harassment and bullying, flexible working and tribunal and court claims.

The property law / real estate department is the largest in the local region, with staff based in Farnborough dealing with matters including property development and plot sales for regional and local house builders. Services for landowners include selling land for development. Landlord and tenant services are provided for all parties from negotiating new leases to lease renewals, and advising on rent reviews. All aspects of residential property and conveyancing are handled including Help to Buy, shared ownership and HomeBuy.

Dispute resolution services cover a range of business and personal issues. Services are geared to keeping clients out of court wherever possible, while ensuring the best possible outcome in terms of time and money. Employment services for employers include an HR retainer service, an employment health check, handling unfair dismissal and redundancy claims as well as compromise agreements, discrimination claims, breach of contract, TUPE issues and contracts, procedures and policies. Restrictive covenants, termination of employment, recruitment and data protection issues are handled, as well as disciplinary and grievance procedures along with consultancy and service agreements. A full range of property disputes are handled, from business land disputes to boundary disputes and restrictive covenants.

Family and matrimonial law services include mediation as well as all aspects of family relationships. The department advises on separation and ending a relationship including financial matters and issues relating to children. Specialist services for the healthcare sector include corporate and commercial matters, such as medical practice and care home sales and acquisitions, as well as employment issues.

The private client department provides a comprehensive service including wills, inheritance tax, powers of attorney, services for the elderly, equity release and probate issues.