Slaughter and May's ‘knowledgeable’ and 'commercially focused' group is notable for its advice on complex commercial contracts in the retail sector, including recently advising on cross-border arrangements for a major UK retailer. Other key clients include large mobile phone networks. Leading the team are Duncan Blaikie, who advises leading clients in the financial services industry, and Oly Moir, whose practice revolves around complex, long-term commercial contracts in the infrastructure, energy and natural resource sectors. Richard McDonnell has a broad practice which covers contracts from joint ventures to supply agreements. David Ives is prominent in the group’s work in the technology and retail sectors.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The advice is always commercially focused and to the point. The team are all very knowledgeable and collaborate with me, as the in-house lawyer, to support the business needs and will give practical advice. We had open and frank discussions about billing as needed and I was always kept up to date with how we were tracking to budget. It truly felt like an extension of my team. The team bring a variety of in-depth knowledge and experience.'
- 'They are honest with me, and provide quick and efficient responses. They don't provide me with long memos and detailed advice, unless that is what I ask for and need. I know the advice they provide will be legally accurate and have a commercial view. I feel like I'm getting real value for money. They also work out quickly what it is that we might need. They make it seem easy.'
- 'What makes Slaughter and May special is the consistency in the quality of their partners, associates and even trainees. With them you can be sure of getting an amazing team across the board. We always go back to Slaughter and May, particularly because of the chemistry we can achieve with the team. Their level of collaboration, both internal and external, is unparalleled. The team really understands the client's needs and they are very proactive.'
- 'The people are amazing - very capable, talented, unique and diverse, and that makes them very special. They do allow their more junior associates exposure to difficult tasks which prepares them amazingly for the next step, so with them you always feel that as a client you will be in capable hands today but also tomorrow.'
- 'Hardworking, capable, talented, very friendly people. Most importantly for a client of our size, they are really trustworthy and proactive. You are getting more than a service from them; you are getting a day-to-day partnership to deliver on some of the most complicated deals worldwide.'
- 'The team are excellent to work with and have a real collaborative spirit with us as clients, but also with our other advisors, which makes it feel like we are genuinely all one bigger team, no matter who works for which entity. The team have great knowledge of the industry and our business and have really understood what we are trying to achieve commercially first before getting into the drafting.'
- 'We have worked with a wide range of team members and they all bring the same professionalism and knowledge, as well as being genuinely nice people to deal with. This applies at all levels of the organisation, from the trainees to the partners. They give great advice on our positions and where we are being too reasonable or unreasonable, which has really helped focus on how to get things done.'
- 'Duncan Blaikie and Richard McDonnell were able to assess the commercial and legal risks, they were result-oriented and they could clearly document the arrangements in a way which ensured my company's interests, concerns and the overall deal, including the counterparty's profile.'
Key clients
- Vodafone Group plc
- Halfords Group plc
- Coca Cola Europacific Partners
- BT Pension Scheme Trustees
- Johnson Matthey plc
- Marks and Spencer plc
- Newday Cards Ltd
- The Restaurant Group Limited
- Daily Mail & General Trust plc
Work highlights
- Advised Vodafone Group Plc on the drafting and negotiation of over 15 strategic supply, services and collaboration arrangements.
- Advised Halfords Group plc on a critical servicing arrangement between Avayler and Bridgestone and a transformative logistics and distribution agreement between Halfords and Bond.
- Advised Coca-Cola Europacific Partners on the creation of its joint venture with Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc and the critical services agreements.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Duncan Blaikie, Oly Moir