Ansons > Cannock, England > Firm Profile

Ansons
COMMERCE HOUSE
RIDINGS PARK, EASTERN WAY
CANNOCK
WS11 7FJ
England

Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the West Midlands Tier 2

Operating out of Sutton Coldfield, Cannock, and Dudley, the ‘highly professional’ Ansons practice stands out for its expert handling of the sales of shares in management buyouts, alongside advising on all aspects of M&A and complex corporate reorganisations. Labelled as both ‘dependable’ and ‘efficient’, Jamie Gill co-heads from Cannock, specialising in assisting with disposals and commercial agreements, whilst Sutton Coldfield-based Neil Jones also co-leads, consistently managing joint ventures and partnership matters. In Dudley, senior consultant Paul Bennett focuses on private equity transactions, and Emma Rowley is knowledgeable on Companies Act compliance issues. Cristine Schneider is also a key figure.

Practice head(s):

Neil Jones; Jamie Gill

Testimonials

‘Jamie Gill, all round good egg. Dependable, knowledgeable and efficient.’

‘They acted for us in the sale of a pharmacy company and their professional help and insight were greatly appreciated during somewhat difficult circumstances.’

‘Director Jamie Gill oversaw and stepped in where necessary. Associate director Emma Rowley gave sound advice and ensured the transaction was completed properly. Both were readily available and dealt with matters promptly.’

‘Two individuals for me – Neil Jones and Emma Rowley. Both have been extremely professional and a pleasure to deal with. I can always reach out to them if any issues crop up on transactions and they will get on to it immediately.’

‘I think what you want from a law firm are people who are knowledgeable, experienced, easy to work with and committed on your behalf. I’ve had all of this from Ansons.’

‘I worked with Emma Rowley on a number of projects, and she has always been excellent, knowledgeable, pleasant, considered, but on my side. Would definitely recommend.’

‘The Ansons corporate team always come across as highly professional and willing to go that bit further to understand the client’s issues.’

‘Neil Jones is a lovely person to work with and understands that the whole team of professionals advising a mutual client need to be kept up to date and that they too have a valuable part to play in any transaction. A true team player.’

Key clients

FFS Ventures Ltd

Rethink Management Group Limited

Metpro Limited

Attraction World Group Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Metpro Limited and its management team on a £21m investment from BGF and NatWest.
  • Advised the shareholders of Addfield Group on the sale of Addfield Group for £6m.
  • Advised the seller on the sale of Lifecycle Management Group Limited to Kent Council-backed buyer Commercial Services Group Limited.

Private client > Agriculture and estates Tier 2

Headed by Neil Faunch, Ansons is experienced in advising landowners on development work. It is also adept at handling agricultural land acquisitions and disposals, as well as other issues such as renewable energy, rural subsidies and tenancies. In addition, it receives a steady flow of instructions on issues relating to tax planning and trusts.

Practice head(s):

Neil Faunch

Testimonials

‘We use Neil Faunch to support our land acquisition. Neil has always been excellent in all respects. He is accessible, both on the phone and by email, and happy to talk through in layman’s terms.’

‘Neil’s ability to identify and understand the key issues is vital as well as offering solutions. Neil has guided us through many transactions which have all had their challenges with a positive attitude.’

Real estate > Commercial property: elsewhere in the West Midlands Tier 2

Ansons covers a wide variety of mandates, including transactions, development, asset management and secured lending. The firm is well-versed in matters concerning the manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and technology sectors. In Lichfield, Richard Saum, a transaction specialist, and Neil Faunch, who is experienced in infrastructural and agricultural matters, lead the practice. Dudley-based Alex Jayne-Lowe, who joined from George Green LLP in May 2023, is experienced in acquisitions and disposals of property as well as tenancy issues. Jon Rowley is another key name, advising developers and landowners on their transactions out of Cannock.

Practice head(s):

Richard Saum; Neil Faunch

Other key lawyers:

Alex Jayne-Lowe; Jon Rawley

Testimonials

‘Ansons commercial property department have strength in depth and a wealth of experience. The team are happy handling all ranges and types of work and engage effortlessly with the broad spectrum of clients.’

‘It is ably led by Richard Saum who provides leadership to his colleagues.’

‘Neil Faunch offers clear and sensible advice.’

‘Jon Rowley excels in his handling of all issues ranging from the complex to the mundane. His client skills are particularly good and he quickly puts clients at their ease and earns their trust with his approach and diligence.’

‘Jon Rowley is clear in the advice he provides as well as pragmatic and confident when solving unexpected issues, which as a client, is very reassuring.’

‘Ansons are accommodating and flexible in the service that they provide. They have a way of explaining matters to the ‘not legally’ trained in a way that is easy to understand to allow informed decisions to be made.’

‘Jonathan Rowley stands out in particular. Jonathan is one of the best that I have worked with.’

‘Many of the team stand out right from the top and lead by example!’

Key clients

Sandyford Properties Limited

Portal Construction NW Limited

Andrews Property

Brendan Lees Developments

Work highlights

  • Advising on a four-phased development comprising 250+ residential plots with a gross development value of circa £60 million.
  • Advising for the management team and Metpro Limited on the real estate aspects of a £21 million investment from BGF and NatWest.
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Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the West Midlands Tier 3

Ansons advises clients from a wide range of sectors, notably including logistics, transport and healthcare provider companies. The firm is well-versed in all aspects of property disputes and contentious probate. Jason Alcock spearheads the practice alongside Martin de Ridder, who advises clients in the food, logistics, property and retail industries on commercial, shareholder and insolvency disputes.

Practice head(s):

Martin de Ridder; Jason Alcock

Other key lawyers:

Louise Palmer

Testimonials

‘They are able to offer collaboration with other legal counsel more versed in the legal procedures required to find a way forward.’

‘Approachable partners who are experts in their field.’

‘Martin de Ridder is knowledgeable and a safe pair of hands.’

‘Martin de Ridder gains the trust of his clients and is able to boil down complex disputes to the key points.’

‘Jason Alcock is a pleasure to work with and always does his best for his clients.’  

‘Louise Palmer punches well above her weight and provides an excellent personalised service for her clients. ’

‘I could not speak highly enough of the Ansons commercial litigation team. They are extremely talented and technical lawyers, but they are also a delight to work with personally.’

Key clients

Moore Insolvency

Seconique Limited

St Philips Care Limited

Walter Tippers

Walton Homes Limited

Wirquin Limited

Wright’s Pies

Work highlights

  • Assisting Seconique Ltd in copyright claims against various parties seeking to infringe their intellectual property rights.
  • Assisting Gainlive Ltd in matters arising following local sports facility entering Receivership.

Employment Tier 5

At Ansons the employment team, which is co-led by Jason Alcock and Martin De Ridder, frequently works with the firm’s corporate and commercial property departments on a whole host of transactional matters. In addition, it works alongside its dispute resolution team on a range of high-value shareholder disputes. The team is well-placed to advise on the full spectrum of employment matters, from alleged performance-related issues to claims before the employment tribunal.

Practice head(s):

Jason Alcock; Martin de Ridder

Testimonials

‘The team are able to deal with legal issues for a range of clients, not just the largest and wealthiest. The advice is fit for purpose and based on experience, rather than theory.’

‘They have practical and real-world experience. They are able to provide legal advice in a manner that is easy to understand. They make themselves available and are quick with their responses.’

Key clients

Seconique Limited

Walton Homes Limited