England - East Midlands • Corporate and commercial

Howes Percival LLP

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Howes Percival LLP‘s recently restructured collective corporate, commercial and banking practice is led by Jahid Ali and Paula Dumbill in Leicester, head of corporate and commercial, respectively, supported by Northampton-based corporate partner Matthew Thompson, who leads on mid-market M&A transactions. Gerald Couldrake is another prominent practitioner in the same office. Ali continues to be active in corporate M&A, venture capital and private equity transactions, while Dumbill is recognised for her expertise in commercial contracts and IT projects. Promoted to partner in May 2022, Katherine Cereghino advises on M&A, corporate governance and commercial contract issues. Senior associate Miles Barnes is highlighted for his ’standout knowledge, output and communication‘.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Howes Percival are an excellent law firm we have used many times over the years. There is a high-caliber team, who fully understand our requirements and support us in the best way.'
  • 'The team is excellent. They come with my strongest recommendation. Always available, always excellent advice.'
  • 'Matt Thompson and Gerald Couldrake provided a warm, personal service but also demonstrated a high level of technical expertise which was reassuring throughout our business sale process.'
  • 'Miles Barns is an excellent Senior Associate. His knowledge, output and communication are stand out qualities.'
  • 'Tremendously commercial and strategic. Calm heads and supreme attention to detail. I can be confident nothing is slipping through the net. They are a first class team.'
  • 'They're just a fantastic group of individuals. One of the things I like the most is that the quality is always excellent no matter who I deal with.'

Key clients

  • Foresight Capital
  • Mercia Capital
  • Connells Limited
  • Bell Plantation
  • E-Bate Limited
  • Milestone Communications
  • Retourmatras UK Ltd
  • Shareholders of O’Donovan Waste Disposal Limited
  • Shareholders of Cave and Sons Investments
  • Cinch Cars
  • De Montfort University

Work highlights

  • Advised specialist Dutch recycling business RetourMatras on its investment into The Furniture Recycling Group (the UK's largest mattress recycling business).
  • Acted for Cinch Cars in negotiating and agreeing its sponsorship agreements with Premier League team Crystal Palace Football Club.
  • Acted for the shareholders of Cave and Sons on their partial sale to MHA Macintyre Hudson, which purchased a majority shareholding in the business.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Gerald Couldrake

Gerald Couldrake

Hall of fameHowes Percival LLP

Gerald has primarily been a corporate and commercial lawyer and advisor to privately owned businesses in and around Northamptonshire. His practice has included advising on: corporate finance transactions of buying and selling and reorganising businesses, joint ventures, commercial contracts, strategy and shareholder/boardroom disputes. He has become the trusted advisor to many substantial family and owner managed businesses. He also has extensive experience of advising members’ clubs, being the company secretary to The British Racing Drivers’ Club and to Guards Polo Club. Gerald qualified in the City in 1985 and has been a corporate and commercial solicitor at Howes Percival in Northampton since 1986. He joined the partnership in 1989, and in his career has been head of the Northampton office, head of the corporate and commercial team across the firm, a member of the firm’s management board and was latterly the senior partner until he retired from the partnership in April 2022. He now practices part time as a Consultant within the firm’s corporate, commercial and banking team, still based in Northampton.

Rising stars

Miles Barnes

Miles Barnes

Howes Percival LLP

Miles is a Director in the Corporate, Commercial and Banking team at Howes Percival. He advises businesses on a range of commercial contracts (including terms & conditions, supply, distribution, manufacturing and franchising agreements) as well as advising on corporate transactions (including acquisitions, disposals, reorganisations and joint ventures). Miles has a particular interest in the food and drink sector, advising businesses on manufacturing, purchasing, marketing and distribution agreements for a range of household names and he also has expertise in e-commerce; including advising a specialist cyber-security firm on the roll out of its Software as a Service platform; and advising on the legal terms for e-commerce marketplaces. Prior to joining the Corporate, Commercial and Banking team Miles completed two in-house secondments with major multinationals and also spent time working for a local authority Legal team, giving him considerable first-hand experience in Commercial, Intellectual Property and Public law issues.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jahid Ali, Matthew Thompson, Paula Dumbill

Other key lawyers

Gerald Couldrake, Katherine Cereghino, Miles Barnes