Fielding a ‘group with real sector expertise’, RPC runs the gamut of contentious, advisory, and cross-border retail matters. The team is regularly instructed by clients from a broad range of industries, with an emphasis on the fashion and beauty, as well as the food and beverage sectors. Karen Hendy and Jeremy Drew jointly head up the practice; the former advises listed companies and their subsidiaries, with notable expertise in distressed purchases and acquisitions, while the latter is the key contact for multi-jurisdictional arbitrations, as well as for contentious and non-contentious intellectual property mandates. ‘Standout’ Ciara Cullen oversees the firm’s food and drink sub-group, and is an experienced intellectual property and technology specialist with a particular focus on sustainability, and consumer regulations and compliance. Simon Edwards is recommended for his commercial contract negotiation expertise. 2023 saw IP specialist Sarah Mountain and banking and finance specialist Edward Colville promoted to the partnership.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is responsive and knowledgeable in their field. Thorough.’
‘Simon Edwards is always responsive and the work product is always on point.’
‘This is a group with real sector expertise; they get it. As well as high-end legal advice, I am consistently impressed by the insights I get from their experience elsewhere.’
‘Ciara Cullen is a standout lawyer - smart, thoughtful and an absolute pleasure to work with.'
‘A very personable, interested and interesting firm that has a keen awareness of the commercial and business context in which legal questions, problems and opportunities play out. They broker the necessary skills within the team while focusing via the industry leads on your broader business questions.’
‘Very responsive, easy to work with, and experts in their field.’
‘Ciara Cullen - very experienced and proactive in finding business solutions.’
Key clients
- Sports Direct / Frasers Group / Flannels / Studio Retail
- Stella McCartney
- Beyond Bamboo
- Daks Simpson
- Charlotte Tilbury
- Shepherd Neame
- Tartine et Chocolat (part of Kidiliz Group)
- Corbin & King
- Fever-Tree PLC
- The Halo Group
- AB InBev
- Irish Distillers / Pernod Ricard UK / Absolut Vodka / Chivas Brothers
- Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
- McArthurGlen
- Saracens
- PizzaExpress
Work highlights
- Advised Frasers Group on multiple transactions, including its £48m acquisition from JD Sports Fashion of 15 companies comprising various premium fashion brands.
- Instructed to represent Budweiser Brewing Group in Commercial Court litigation which has commenced between Budweiser and Wetherspoons, relating to bar share obligations under the agreement and the requirements of Wetherspoons to ensure that a specific ratio of Budweiser brands are present across the estate of over 800 outlets.
- Advising Beyond Bamboo on its B2B and B2C commercial contracts, especially with various hotel chains, as well as assisting with its corporate restructuring, including several rounds of new capital raises.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
RPC
Partner and Head of Corporate. Karen Hendy is an insightful and pragmatic Partner and leads RPC's Corporate practice.
Regularly acting for both public (listed) and privately held companies, Karen supports clients undertaking a broad range of corporate transactions, including public and private M&A, and equity capital markets work.
She also provides advice on corporate law and governance issues. Karen has particular expertise in the retail sector.
Karen was also featured in The Lawyer Hot 100 list for 2018.
Karen has been recognised as Leading Individual for Retail and Consumer by The Legal 500 UK (2021).
RPC
Partner. An IP and technology litigation specialist, Ciara is dual qualified in England & Wales and the Republic of Ireland and has acted in several international disputes.
Having acted in several disputes before the English and Irish Courts, the UK IPO, the ICC and CIETAC, Ciara's practice also has a significant international element and sees her advising clients on multi-jurisdictional disputes across the full range of IP rights including trade marks / passing off, copyright, patents, design rights, breach of confidential information and IP licence disputes.
On the non-contentious side, Ciara supports clients on brand protection and counterfeit issues, IP projects and licensing, sponsorship/endorsement arrangements, franchising and commercial contracts. She also provides specialist advice on IP and technology acquisitions and disposals.
Clients range from luxury goods, retail and food to FMCG, technology, media, life sciences, insurance and financial services.
Ciara has been published in several leading journals including Managing IP, e-Commerce Law and Policy, SCL, LexisNexis and ILO and regularly speaks at client and industry conferences. Ciara is a member of the editorial team that produces the annual TerraLex Cross-Border Copyright Guide.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Jeremy Drew, Karen Hendy