McGuireWoods London LLP > London, England > Firm Profile
McGuireWoods London LLP Offices
5 New Street Square
LONDON
EC4A 3BF
England
McGuireWoods London LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m Tier 3
Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 4
McGuireWoods London LLP‘s ‘litigation team is extremely knowledgeable and practical when it comes to cases’. The practice is experienced in cross-border commercial and corporate litigation, particularly in relation to the technology, energy, banking, insurance, and life sciences sectors. International dispute resolution specialist Simon Hems acts in litigation concerning the renewable energy, maritime, insurance recovery, and offshore oil and gas sectors, in addition to general commercial disputes. William Boddy assists with fraud-related, multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes and Chloe Steele is praised by clients as ‘outstanding‘.Practice head(s):
William Boddy; Simon Hems
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is very impressive and provides an excellent service to the firm’s international client base.’
‘The litigation team is extremely knowledgeable and practical when it comes to cases.’
‘Their strength lies in the very personal, bespoke, tailored service they offer across multiple practice areas within the broad umbrella of commercial litigation.’
‘Simon Hems is fantastic. Simon understands the industry and is very pragmatic with his strategy.’
‘Simon Hems understands clients’ goals and challenges and is available at any time.’
‘Simon Hems and the McGuireWoods team are among the very best of litigators in the UK! Clients achieve success under their counsel!’
‘Chloe Steele is outstanding.’
‘Chloe Steele is seriously impressive. Her work is always delivered promptly and goes right to the heart of the issues, often identifying the central point of the case.’
Key clients
Genesis Aviation Services
Tanner Pharma UK
TannerGAP
Hooker Furnishings
Work highlights
- Representing Genesis Aviation Services in multiple aircraft-related claims.
- Defending Tanner Pharma UK, TannerGAP and others against $200m-plus, multi-jurisdictional proceedings being pursued by FS Medical Services, in relation to the sale of Coronavirus testing kits that were sourced from China for the Department of Health and Social Care.
- Acting for a global supplier of high-quality furnishings to the hospitality sector, in relation to a breach of contract and misrepresentation claim against Silver Peninsula.
Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 4
At McGuireWoods London LLP, the group works across the logistics, life sciences, and industrial sectors, and offers guidance on leases, acquisitions, and corporate office portfolios. The ‘proactive and knowledgeable’ Callum Hassall concentrates on the retirement living sector and cross-border acquisitions, while clients praise ‘superb’ Hannah Irish for her strengths in real estate finance and the property elements of corporate sales and acquisitions.Practice head(s):
Callum Hassall
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Positive and pro-active partner led service. Commands the respect of clients because of sensible advice and good service. Good joined up teamwork.’
‘Callum Hassall – the sort of junior partner you want on your deal – young, enthusiastic, and totally on it, but wise beyond his years. Proactive and knowledgeable.’
‘Great knowledge, well informed, professional but a pleasure to deal with.’
‘Hannah Irish was superb in managing the advice process for us, persistent in delivering a complex project on time, dealing with a variety of issues with clear, timely advice. Highly recommended.’
‘Callum Hassall also provided invaluable guidance.’
Key clients
Revera Inc
Signature Senior Lifestyle Care Homes
Energizer Holdings Inc and Energizer Trading Limited
Carpenter Co
Highgate Hotels International Limited
Blackberry UK Limited
Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) plc and Mitsubishi Corporation
AstraZeneca UK Limited and MedImmune Limited
Intechnica Limited
Bamboo International Properties Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Carpenter Co. on the UK real estate aspects of its EUR450m acquisition of the Engineered Foams Business of Recticel.
- Advised AstraZeneca and MedImmune on the financing of the Discovery Centre in Cambridge, valued at approximately £1bn.
- On behalf of Blackberry India Private Limited, negotiated the new letting of office premises in Hyderabad, India.
Employment > Employers Tier 6
Through the practice head Dan Peyton, McGuireWoods London LLP has particular strength in complex, contentious employment matters. The group has been particularly active recently in advising on the protection of business assets, discrimination/ harassment matters, and assisting with the termination of employment of senior staff. Much of its work is for the firm’s US clients. Adam Penman also plays a pivotal role in the practice.Practice head(s):
Dan Peyton
Other key lawyers:
United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)
Serving clients in sectors ranging from industrials and information technology to real estate, McGuireWoods LLP‘s M&A practice operates across the middle-market spectrum. The team has developed a particular market reputation for its in-depth understanding of the energy and healthcare sectors, with the practice a key destination for advising major solar and wind developers on transactional matters and joint ventures. In Richmond, Michael Woodard heads up the M&A and energy transactions group, while the corporate and private equity team is steered by the Pittsburgh-based Thomas Zahn. Also in Richmond, Joanne Katsantonis has a proven track record in energy sector M&A, Patrick De Ridder's practice extends to working with businesses connected to South America, Europe and Asia, and Brian Hager maintains close relationships with the firm's manufacturing and construction clients. Charlotte-based lawyer Chris Scheurer guides national, regional and local clients through acquisitions and divestitures.Practice head(s):
Michael Woodard; Thomas Zahn
Other key lawyers:
Joanne Katsantonis; Patrick De Ridder; Chris Scheurer; Dave Hornyak; Brian Hager; Scott Westwood
Key clients
Dominion Energy Services, Inc.
NiSource, Inc.
3D Systems Corporations
Reynolds Consumer Products LLC
Carpenter Co.
Origo hf
NRG Energy
Work highlights
- Represented 3D Systems Corp. in its acquisition of Wematter, a Swedish 3D printer manufacturer.
- Represented New Market Waste Solutions in its sale to Waste Harmonics.
- Represented National Partners in Healthcare, LLC in its acquisition of MedStream Anesthesia Solutions.
McGuireWoods London LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: McGuireWoods is an international law firm known for quality, innovation, responsiveness and diversity. It has 1,100 lawyers in 21 locations including London, New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Chicago. The firm has a reputation among clients and peers as one of the most client service centric law firms in the world. McGuireWoods London LLP distinguishes itself by offering partner-led service as well as strong cross-border relationships.
Principal areas of work
Banking and finance: The firm acts for financial institutions and borrowers on a broad range of debt finance transactions with particular expertise in syndicated and bilateral credit facilities, real estate finance (both investment and development), leveraged and acquisition finance, asset finance and infrastructure and project finance. The team advises on all aspects of structuring and documenting credit facilities. The team also advises agents, lenders, hedge counterparties, borrowers and debt funds on leveraged finance transactions in Europe and the United States, including unitranche, super senior, term loan B, second lien and mezzanine finance.
Corporate: The firm is known for providing high-quality counsel on complex domestic and cross-border transactions as a result of its cross-functional, client-focused and collaborative approach to providing legal services. Clients praise the team for its ability to staff transactions appropriately, ensuring timely and swift completions that benefit its clients’ budgets and business needs. The firm has a cross-border corporate practice that supports a range of clients in multiple jurisdictions, including emerging startup companies, industry-leading enterprises and financial institutions. The areas in which the corporate team practices are M&A (public and private), private equity, joint ventures, commercial contracts, general corporate, supply chain and corporate reorganisations. It has a thriving private equity practice assisting private equity firms, management teams, sponsors and portfolio companies alike. The sectors in which the corporate team is particularly active include healthcare, regulated senior living facilities, hospitality, retail and technology.
Data privacy and security: The team advises and assists with data protection compliance (in particular GDPR and e-privacy requirements); information governance, determining extraterritorial applicability; data mapping; drafting policies and notices; information management systems; determining the optimal method for cross-border data transfers; drafting and negotiating data processing agreements; data subject access requests; and managing data incidents and reporting.
Employment: The London office advises UK and global corporate clients on contentious and non-contentious complex and strategic employment legal issues. UK advice covers most aspects of employment law – contractual, statutory and regulatory – with particular emphasis on sensitive restrictive covenant and confidential information disputes, whistle blowing and discrimination cases, corporate reorganisations and restructures and boardroom terminations. The practice has a growing reputation internationally advising on complex, cross-border employment issues.
Equity capital markets: The firm’s equity capital markets practice represents sponsors, nominated advisers (NOMADS), brokers and issuers and they represent these clients on a variety of work including IPOs (main market and AIM), secondary placings, reverse takeovers, general advice on Listing Rules and AIM Rules compliance, corporate governance, disclosure and transparency requirements, market abuse regulations, prospectus rules and financial promotions.
Litigation and dispute resolution:The firm has extensive experience handling a broad range of complex, big-ticket, commercial disputes, especially in the High Court and international arbitration forums. The team is particularly adept at handling large-scale high-profile cases, including those involving allegations of fraud and those requiring urgent interim relief. McGuireWoods also has notable experience in contractual, joint-venture disputes, banking, swaps and derivatives, energy, insolvency, intellectual property and trade secrets, and shareholder disputes.
Real estate: Working on both contentious and non-contentious matters, the team provides full legal service to a range of clients encompassing institutional investors, large multinationals, growing corporates, developers and financial institutions. Areas of expertise include corporate real estate, investment, funds, development and regeneration, finance and hotels and leisure. The team advises clients on all aspects of acquisition, development, management, assets and disposal.
EU and UK competition law: The team handles all aspects of EU and UK competition law including merger control, state aid, cartels, licensing, distribution, IP aspects, abuse of dominance and compliance (including providing compliance programmes/training and undertaking audits). The firm also deals with all litigation aspects of competition law before the EU and UK courts and regulators.
Financial crime: The London office represents corporates and executives in the full range of financial criminal investigations, compliance and enforcement matters, both nationally and internationally. The firm represents clients in complex, high-value, multijurisdictional white-collar crime litigation. The firm assists clients in enforcement action led by the Serious Fraud Office, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Financial Conduct Authority, City of London Police and the National Crime Agency and in US DOJ and SEC investigations. The firm guides clients through the entire investigative process and, where necessary, represents them at trial. McGuireWoods is known for its meticulous internal investigations work covering bribery, corruption, money laundering, insider dealing and the full spectrum of financial criminal conduct. The London team has undertaken work for leading financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate & M&A | Mehboob Dossa | ||
| Corporate & M&A | Karl Hemingway | ||
| Capital Markets: Equity | Mehboob Dossa | ||
| Banking and Finance | Alan Holliday | ||
| Corporate Investigations | Matthew Hall | ||
| Corporate Investigations | William Boddy | ||
| Corporate Investigations | Francesca Titus | ||
| Data Privacy | Mehboob Dossa | ||
| Employment | Dan Peyton | ||
| EU and UK Competition Law and Procurement | Matthew Hall | ||
| Litigation and Dispute resolution | William Boddy | ||
| Litigation and Dispute resolution | Simon Hems | ||
| Litigation and Dispute resolution | Chloe Steele | ||
| International Arbitration | William Boddy | ||
| International Arbitration | Simon Hems | ||
| Real Estate | Callum Hassall | ||
| Financial Crime: Corporates & Individuals | Francesca Titus |
Lawyer Profiles
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Mr William Boddy | Partner | View Profile |
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Patrick De Ridder | Patrick De Ridder serves as a trusted business advisor to public and… | View Profile |
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Mr Mehboob Dossa | Partner | View Profile |
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Callum Hassall | Callum advises on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions involving… | View Profile |
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Simon Hems | Simon Hems is an international dispute resolution and insurance recovery lawyer, predominantly… | View Profile |
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Alan Holliday | Alan is a partner in McGuireWoods’ London office advising financial institutions and… | View Profile |
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Hannah Irish | Hannah focuses her practice on commercial real estate within the UK. She… | View Profile |
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Adam Penman | Adam is an associate in the firm’s Labor and Employment Department. He… | View Profile |
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Dan Peyton | Daniel is the managing partner of the firm’s London office. He practices… | View Profile |
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Chloe Steele | Chloe represents international and domestic, corporate and individual clients in a variety… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 11 Number of attorneys worldwide : 1,100Diversity
Our Inclusive Community
McGuireWoods has a history of hiring, developing, promoting and retaining lawyers of color, women and LGBTQ lawyers, and veterans. Continually establishing new initiatives and enhancing existing efforts, we focus on meaningful support for our diverse lawyers in their careers. The firm’s lawyer networks are an example of how we support our attorneys in building communities within the firm.
Leading the Way
Two very active groups are charged with focusing on diversity and inclusion: the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the Diversity Action Council.
Established in 2006, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee — chaired by Baltimore partner and accomplished trial lawyer Ava Lias-Booker — focuses on identifying, attracting, and retaining diverse talent. The D&I Committee also helps incorporate inclusiveness in our professional development, supports retention through lawyer networks, strengthens our marketing and business development opportunities, mentors diverse lawyers, and ensures the firm is well represented at elite events and conferences.
Our Diversity Action Council, led by Managing Partner J. Tracy Walker IV, is the second leadership committee dedicated to advancing the firm’s strategic D&I goals. Formed in 2013, the DAC holds firm leadership accountable for promotion and development of our diverse attorneys by ensuring all firm resources are effectively deployed to further their careers. Every month, DAC members get together for a rigorous assessment of each department’s progress in advancing the firm’s diversity goals.
Such engagement and accountability, buttressed by tailored programs and training, has resulted in steady progress.
D&I Advances
A key focus of the firm’s strategic plan, diversity and inclusion are essential to how we do business, informing how we recruit, retain, and promote lawyers to serve our clients. Our efforts are also supported by partnerships with clients and community members committed to advancing diversity in the legal profession. Working together, we can build a synergistic whole greater than the sum of its parts. That’s diversity in action.