The team at Shakespeare Martineau LLP handles breach of contract claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, warranty claims, data protection and database misuse claims, and financial disputes. Barry Jervis, who heads up the team, has significant experience handling corporate disputes, such as warranty claims and shareholder disputes. James Woolstenhulme handles corporate and shareholder disputes as well as injunctions and procurement issues, while Andrew Adams supports both institutional and corporate clients. Ben Humphreys concentrates his practice on complex breach of contract claims and business protection claims.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Shakespeares are a tour de force in the Birmingham area using their array of quality partners to hoover up the vast majority of the high-quality commercial litigation work within the city.’

  • ‘James Woolstenhulme - he is considered and unflappable with a firm grasp on the intricacies of court procedure and litigation strategy.’

  • ‘James Woolstenhulme provides charismatic and effective leadership to a team brimming with high-quality associates.’

  • ‘The team is extremely pragmatic and doesn't bog us down in legalese.’

  • ‘Barry Jervis clearly has a wealth of knowledge and experience in his field but always makes it look effortless. I like his down to earth approach even when we are working on a complex matter.'

  • ‘Brilliantly savvy team, full of pragmatic and commercial trusted advisers with their clients' best interests at heart. Very bright and determined, and also extremely practical.’

  • ‘Barry Jervis - a real doyen of the local market, very experienced and with impeccable judgement of cases and people. Clients love his ability to speak their language. '

  • 'Ben Humphreys - smooth, urbane, super-calm, and fiercely bright. Always right on the law, and very able to have tough conversations with clients.’

Key clients

  • Hitachi Energy Ltd
  • Henkel Limited
  • Henderson & Jones Limited
  • Whitworth Bros. Limited
  • National Grid Plc
  • Alliance Surgical PLC
  • Fan Tuan Holdings Limited
  • Bath College
  • Anglia Ruskin University
  • University of the Arts London
  • Staffordshire University
  • Sanman Property Management Limited
  • One Heritage Group of Companies
  • Sustainable Energy First Limited

Work highlights

  • Acting for Henderson & Jones and the minority shareholders of Cool Cube Limited in an unfair prejudice petition.
  • Acting for the One Heritage Group of Companies in a claim following a £2m sophisticated banking impersonation fraud.
  • Acting on behalf of Sanman Property Management Limited in relation to complex multi-party litigation relating to the acquisition and development of a complex 400 apartment and hotel development in Birmingham valued at over £20m.

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.

Barry Jervis

Other key lawyers

James Woolstenhulme, Andrew Adams, Ben Humphreys