Dentons

Sarah Rutnah

Sarah is a senior associate in the Commercial Dispute Resolution practice and is based in the Milton Keynes office. Sarah is an experienced litigator whose practice area covers all aspects of commercial and corporate litigation. She is technically accomplished and commercially focused. Sarah has particular expertise in contractual disputes, commercial fraud, professional negligence claims and claims with an international element. She has dealt with matters in the High Court, First-Tier Property Tribunal and Court of Appeal and also has wide-ranging experience in both domestic and international arbitrations. Sarah's clients range from high net worth individuals to large global companies. She acts regularly for a number of large financial institutions on professional indemnity claims against surveyors and solicitors, and complex possession and forfeiture matters. Sarah is also often instructed to issue or defend commercial injunctions (i.e. freezing orders and search and seizure orders) and is therefore well practiced at working effectively under pressure.

Antonis Patrikios

Antonis is a partner in Dentons’ Global Privacy and Cybersecurity group, based in London. A UK and EU data privacy and cybersecurity law specialist, Antonis has been practicing in this area of the law since 2007, full-time since 2009. He works with a wide range of UK, EU, US and Asian clients across various sectors, including technology, adtech, healthtech, fintech, media, telecoms, and fast-moving consumer goods. Antonis advises on all aspects of EU data privacy and cybersecurity law. Most of his work has an international element, and he regularly leads on multi-jurisdictional projects. He has spent time working in Silicon Valley, which helped him develop a deep understanding of transatlantic data privacy and cybersecurity issues. His specialisms include complex cross-jurisdictional matters; global compliance programs; new legal regime (including GDPR and e-privacy regulation) readiness; new projects compliance; privacy impact assessments; risk assessments; data protection audits; commercial deal support; corporate deal support; international data transfers; data sharing and monetization activities; big data; digital marketing and online advertising; cybersecurity compliance, incident response preparedness, incident management and breach notification; data subject requests, complaints and claims; regulatory liaison; and cooperation with law enforcement authorities. Antonis particularly enjoys providing strategic advice and helping clients engineer business solutions to legal problems, optimize risk and unlock the value of their data. He has an extensive track record of helping clients steer through crises, such as data and cybersecurity breaches and regulatory investigations.

Bryan Johnston

Bryan is a partner and deals with all aspects of property litigation. He liaises extensively with colleagues across the firm in the Real Estate, Planning, Environment, Construction, Restructuring and Insolvency, Energy, Corporate and Banking and Finance. Bryan is experienced in dealing with all of the unique aspects of real estate litigation in a contentious and advisory context. Bryan has built a specialist rights of light practice and is an expert in that field. Bryan is also highly experienced in dealing with the RE aspects of major insolvencies, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, tenant default, party walls, easement and covenant disputes, business rates, neighbourly disputes, service charge disputes, dilapidations disputes, professional negligence in the property context (including legal and surveying professional negligence), document construction, title disputes, negligence and nuisance.

Christopher Colclough

Chris heads the Corporate and Banking team in Milton Keynes. He leads our team offering a wide range of expertise and experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and financing, with particular strengths in owner-managed businesses, venture technology and emerging growth companies, private equity, automotive retail, insurance, manufacturing, acquisition finance and real estate finance. The team has considerable experience in both domestic and cross-border corporate and finance transactions. The team also includes our Company Secretarial unit which services more than 400 companies, many for household name groups. Chris is a corporate and finance specialist. His own practice includes international mergers and acquisitions, fundraising for venture technology and emerging growth companies, advising on complex corporate governance matters including shareholder rights and finance work for both lender and borrower, with a particular focus on UK real estate finance. Chris has previously worked in Dentons' Budapest office as well as being seconded to The Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

David Payton

David is a property litigator, acting for landowners, landlords, investors, corporate tenants and retailers. His work ranges from litigation over option agreements and issues such as applications for consent and easements, to property insolvency and all kinds of landlord and tenant dispute.

Faye Garvey

Faye is a partner at Dentons' Milton Keynes office. She is a member of the Corporate practice. Faye has experience of advising all types of businesses on a wide range of corporate transactions, including acquisitions and disposals, restructurings and reorganizations, corporate governance and joint ventures. She also regularly works on cross-border transactions and has particular experience in the W&I insurance sector. Faye is also very experienced advising both lenders and borrowers on a variety of finance matters, including leveraged, acquisition and real estate financing transactions. She also works closely with the Dentons Automotive team in relation to credit facilities made available to leading UK motor dealers.

Francesca Bettermann

Francesca is a corporate lawyer and Counsel in the Milton Keynes Corporate team. She has the benefit of two years' working in industry as well as her time in private practice in London, Dubai and Milton Keynes. Her practice area covers establishing and reorganizing businesses, acquisitions and disposals, mergers and joint ventures. She has considerable experience in both domestic and cross-border corporate transactions. Francesca specializes in the retail automotive sector and has more than 20 years' experience of advising automotive retailers on the sale and purchase of dealership businesses and other corporate matters. Francesca also manages our Company Secretarial team which services more than 500 companies, many for household name groups.

Greg Rigby

Greg is a legal project manager in the Real Estate department. His practice area covers freehold and leasehold property acquisitions and disposals, advising on land law issues, property management work and acting for landlords and tenants of both established and newly built shopping centres.

James Fairbairn

James is a partner in the Milton Keynes office Commercial Dispute team. He represents clients in all forms of commercial dispute resolution. He has experience in contract disputes, product liability, company law and shareholder claims, trusts, banking, professional negligence and construction disputes. He acts for many blue-chip companies, banks, financial institutions and individuals. As well as one-off unique cases, James assists clients with portfolios of cases and has developed bespoke case management systems and solutions. He has a particular interest in cost issues and uses cost management systems to keep costs proportionate to case value, which is particularly important with lower-value claims. James has higher advocacy rights of audience and has made many appearances in the High Court as well as in other tribunals and when representing clients in arbitration cases. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association, the Technology and Construction Solicitors’ Association and the Society of Construction Law.

Lorna Rogers

Lorna is a senior associate in the Real Estate team based in Milton Keynes and has worked with a variety of clients including developers such as Taylor Wimpey, investor clients and funds ranging from M&G Real Estate to pension funds, key retailers including Sainsbury's and a number of banks such as Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC. Lorna previously undertook a secondment to Lloyds Banking Group (in the team awarded "In House Real Estate Team of the Year" by Legal 500) assisting the mid market and global market corporate real estate team. She has worked on development projects acting for large investors on sale and leaseback transactions with a Housing Association involving commercial and office tenants, facilitated conditional agreements for lease in conjunction with planning teams to achieve acquisitions of supermarket sites for Sainsbury's and the erection of Costa drive-thru pods, and drafted and negotiated option agreements for Taylor Wimpey.

Michelle Lamb

Michelle is a partner in Dentons' tier one ranked People, Reward and Mobility practice in Milton Keynes, and is an experienced employment law specialist. She provides strategic and risk management advice to a wide variety of public and private sector clients, including a number of large household names. Michelle does a lot of work in the retail, manufacturing, energy and transport sectors, advising venture capital clients on the employment aspects of growth and development projects. She regularly supports Dentons' international client base with a variety of cross-jurisdictional projects. Michelle advises on contentious and non-contentious matters. She has a straightforward and commercial approach, and is highly experienced in the employment aspects of all forms of transactional work, change programs and litigation. Michelle is an expert in large domestic and international TUPE outsourcing exercises and retendering processes. She also focuses on whistleblowing, and complex and high-value litigation, including discrimination and TUPE complaints. Michelle guides employers through a variety of sensitive day-to-day issues with a focus on reputational aspects. She also supports businesses in overseeing significant investigations.

Neill Pemberton

Neill is a senior associate in the Real Estate team.  He specialises in property finance having acted for major lenders including Standard Chartered, UBS and Citibank. Neill has experience of acting for both borrowers and lenders on a wide variety of matters from complex developments to managing a team delivering commoditised products.  He has helped banks to establish new financial products at inception through to successful implementation and continuous improvement. Neill is also an expert in Islamic financing of properties.  He has acted for a number of Middle Eastern banks on murabaha, ijara and diminishing musharaka facilities.

Rob Francis

Rob is a senior associate in the Milton Keynes Dispute Resolution department. His practice covers a broad range of commercial dispute resolution work, with a particular focus on contractual claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, and claims in relation to fraud. Rob focuses on resolving disputes quickly on favorable terms for his clients, whilst ensuring legal costs are minimized. He frequently acts on matters settled using mediation or using other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Rob has obtained successful results for clients in complex, commercial litigation claims. Examples include Davies v. Ford, Monks and Greenbox Recycling Kent Ltd [2020] EWHC 686 (Ch) and Ian Archer v. Nubuke Investments LLP and others [2014] EWHC 3425. Rob also acts on arbitrations and applications for injunctive relief, including freezing injunctions. His experience covers disputes in a range of sectors, including the insurance and construction industries. He has completed two secondments to the National House-Building Council (the standard-setting body and leading insurance provider for new houses in the UK). His practice also covers public inquiry work and he has acted for a party in relation to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Rob is also a solicitor advocate who can act on a dispute all the way up to, and including, trial. He has conducted the advocacy on numerous matters, including on multi-track litigation claims.

Robert Wyatt

Robert is the Milton Keynes Office Managing Partner and a member of our Real Estate department. Robert handles a wide range of commercial property transactions specializing in the acquisition and development of land and buildings. In addition to housebuilders and other investors, developers and public authorities, Robert also acts for lenders in both securing and recovering their funding of acquisitions and development.

Rose McDowall

Associate

Rukia Khatun

Senior associate

Ryan Chia

Ryan is a senior associate in our Milton Keynes Corporate practice. He advises on a wide range of corporate and insolvency-related transactions and matters, including mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, business disposals and group restructures, distressed sales and purchases including pre-packs, various aspects of corporate governance, company formation, joint ventures and shareholder agreements. He advises public sector clients such as the National Crime Agency and has worked on public sector matters including the recent nationalization of Northern Rail from Arriva to the OLR. Ryan also assists on various finance, banking and insurance-related matters.

Sarah Rutnah

Sarah Beeby

Sarah is a partner and head of the Firm's tier one ranked People, Reward and Mobility practice in Milton Keynes. A very experienced employment lawyer, she undertakes a full range of employment work for a wide variety of clients in the private and public sectors, including many leading companies and household names. Sarah's work includes advising on large-scale redundancy and restructuring exercises, TUPE transfers and complex outsourcing arrangements, as well as advising on the employment aspects of large corporate transactions, having worked on numerous multi-million pound transactions for an impressive portfolio of clients. She has particular experience of large-scale employee consultation processes, having advised extensively on collective consultation with unions and employee representatives on changes to terms and conditions, including pensions changes, and the application of collective agreements to terms and conditions. Sarah also advises on trade union recognition, negotiations and industrial relations issues. She acts as a “sounding board” on employment issues and strategy for HR teams, in-house counsel and boards, advising on executive terminations and employee competition issues.  An accomplished advocate, Sarah has conducted numerous employment tribunal claims and employment appeals on the full range of employment issues. She regularly advises multi-national companies and manages global and European HR projects. Legal 500 stated: "The ‘outstanding’ Sarah Beeby leads Dentons’ practice, which is noted for its ‘excellent level of service’ and for its ability to advise a global client base on multi-jurisdictional matters." Sarah Beeby "'understands the pressures placed upon employers’ and ‘has an excellent grasp of the law and its application’." Chambers UK stated: "Sarah Beeby receives praise from clients, one of whom comments: 'I thoroughly enjoy working with Sarah, she is truly an extension of my team. She is patient and considered and always gives practical advice that works well in the context of our business.' She is recognised for her 'in-depth knowledge' and 'can-do attitude'."

Shaun Tame

Shaun is a counsel in the construction and engineering law group and is based in our Milton Keynes Office. He specialises in non-contentious construction law. In this context he advises clients in connection with procurements, drafting and negotiating building contracts (such as JCT and NEC), professional appointments, sub-contracts, and ancillary documentation such as collateral warranties, bonds and guarantees. He advises on the construction aspects of related contract documentation such as development agreements/agreements for leases, licences for works and funding agreements. He acts for developers, funders and contractors as well as owners and end users. He is familiar with the range of procurement methods including design and build, traditional and construction management. He advises in connection with one-off contracts as well as framework and call-off contracts and partnering arrangements. He also advises clients with regard to the management of contentious or potentially contentious issues which arise during or after projects.

Steven Mills

Steven joined Dentons in 2016 and co-heads the Banking Litigation practice outside of London. Steven’s work covers disputes involving investment products, mis-selling, derivatives, fraud and asset recoveries, breach of mandate, breach of trust, misrepresentation, breach of contract, mortgages, guarantees and other security issues, insolvency, secured and unsecured recoveries, trade finance, consumer credit, leasing finance, FOS investigations, professional indemnity, compliance and regulatory reviews.

Tim Constable

Tim is a geographic lead of the Commercial Dispute Resolution practice and is based in the Milton Keynes office. As a commercial litigator, Tim resolves complex commercial disputes by negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation. He focuses on disputes involving commercial contracts, franchising, professional indemnity, commercial fraud, sales of goods, product liability, corporate disputes and commercial agency related matters. He also has extensive experience in freezing injunctions and search and seizure orders. Most of his cases involve an international element. Tim is a CEDR accredited mediator and well-known mediation advocate, having advised in more than 100 mediations. He has written in the business press, including The Financial Times and InterContinental Finance & Law magazine, and regularly lectures in the UK and the Republic of Ireland on mediation, bribery and lender professional indemnity claims. Tim is qualified to practice in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Verity Buckingham

Verity is a senior member of the People, Reward and Mobility team and is experienced in all aspects of employment law and corporate immigration matters. She deals mostly with corporate clients advising on contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Verity's contentious practice includes defending claims in the Employment Tribunal and experience of Employment Appeal Tribunal litigation. She defends claims in relation to unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, discrimination, equal pay and whistleblowing. She also advises individuals at a senior level on negotiating exits. Verity's non-contentious work includes reviewing and drafting all forms of employment documentation, including employment contracts, executive service agreements and employee handbooks consisting of extensive policies and procedures. She also advises on employment matters, on share and business acquisitions, and disposals. Verity's immigration work extends to all aspects of global employee mobility for corporate clients. She advises on applications to join the Register of Sponsors, Leave to Remain and Leave to Enter and Entry Clearance applications, various settlement applications, British citizenship applications, and appeals to the First Tier Tribunal. Verity contributes employment and immigration insights to the People, Reward and Mobility blog found at ukemploymenthub.com.