Legal 500 2017: The top Manchester performers in Dispute resolution - Commercial litigation

Tier one
Addleshaw Goddard
DLA Piper UK LLP
DWF
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
Hill Dickinson LLP

Tier two
Brabners LLP
DAC Beachcroft LLP
Pinsent Masons LLP

Tier three
JMW Solicitors LLP
Kuit Steinart Levy LLP
Pannone Corporate LLP
Squire Patton Boggs
Weightmans LLP

Tier four
Gateley Plc
Mills & Reeve LLP
Shoosmiths LLP
TLT
Turner Parkinson LLP

WHEN it comes to commercial litigation, law firms across Manchester are regularly being instructed in complex, high-value cases.

What's more, these instructions are coming from a wide variety of blue-chip clients-based both in this region and beyond.

The main change in the Legal 500 2016 report is that DWF has moved up from the second tier to the first.

TIER ONE - Commended for its ‘strength-in-depth’ Addleshaw Goddard is ‘first-rate in handling complex and sensitive litigation and obtains optimal results’.

The team’s recent track record includes handling a number of competition law claims, as well as complex, high-profile commercial mandates spanning procurement, public and administrative law, judicial review, pensions, fraud, tax and IP.

Highlights include defending Stansted Airport in an abuse of dominance competition law claim relating to the termination of the licence held by Terravision Transport - and others members of the Terravision group of companies - to operate coach services between the airport and central London after Terravision was unsuccessful in a competitive tender

Standout figures include Mark Molyneux, who is a ‘very skilled litigator’ and Susan Garrett, who ‘brings excellent judgement to bear on any case’.

Clients of DLA Piper UK LLP’s litigation team are quick to praise its ‘excellent service’.

It regularly handles litigation arising from private equity and corporate transactions - often with an international dimension - and has particular strengths in the outsourcing and technology sectors.

The team is also acting for Tata Steel in a long-running dispute with its water supplier concerning the price of supply of non-potable water for use at three sites in Wales

Key figures include Stewart Plant, who heads the department and David Gray, who leads on manufacturing disputes.

DWF’s ‘very responsive’ team provides an ‘excellent service’ and covers a range of disputes including breach of warranty cases, indemnity claims, and shareholder and partnership.

Jon Hainey is representing Lancashire County Council in a judicial review of DEFRA’s decision to withdraw a grant worth £90m, following the council’s termination of a £2bn PFI contract to provide waste recycling and disposal across Lancashire.

Claire Graham acted for The Insolvency Service in a court application to disqualify directors of Rice Flame Bar & Grill, which operated from various locations in Manchester.

National head of commercial litigation, Joel Heap is ‘extremely professional and totally understanding of the client’s needs and goals’; he is recommended alongside Steve Morris, who is head of commercial litigation in Manchester.

Noted for providing ‘technical expertise that is second to none’, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP’s ‘approach is clearly well reasoned and based on great expertise and experience’.

The team - which is ‘able to rival litigation departments of Magic Circle firms’ - acts for large North West corporates, as well as corporates with national and global coverage.

Michael Clavell-Bate and Matt Taylor, who is noted for his ‘calm approach’, head the team. Principal associates Tom Whitfield and Phil Duignan, who joined from DWF in July 2016, are also recommended alongside associate Luisa Zukowski.

Hill Dickinson LLP fields a ‘strong and capable team’ that handles a range of complex litigation and arbitration.

Recent highlights include several large, multi-party group litigation cases.

‘Real fighter’ Geraldine Ryan heads the team and is noted for his ‘robust advice’. Ryan is currently representing Manchester Ship Canal Company in a dispute with General Motors UK regarding rights relating to drainage.

Peter Southeran - who ‘always sees the route through a case’ - is representing a high-net-worth individual in a £150m case against an accountancy firm and led the team representing the estate of PC David Rathband in a liability case against the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police.

TIER TWO – Noted for its ‘no-nonsense, robust representation’, Brabners LLP’s team is particularly experienced in disputes related to the sports and recruitment sectors and is regularly called on to handle law firm partnership disputes and shareholder disputes.

Key work included issuing judicial review proceedings on behalf of Rullion Engineering in relation to a dispute regarding the manner in which a public body designed and conducted a tender process and acting for Keppel Healthcare in recovering outstanding rent arrears from a public body tenant. International.

Clients single out ‘exceptional’ department head Jeff Lewis.

Clients of DAC Beachcroft LLP rate its ‘fantastic level of service’ and ‘speedy response times’.

The practice acts for global organisations in high-profile and high-value disputes, often with a cross-border element.

Department head Jan Levinson is described as ‘very wise’ while Harald Loeffler represented the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in a £15m dispute with its former Non-Emergency Patient Transport provider, SRCL. Also recommended are the ‘very experienced’ Sydney Fulda and senior associate Vicki Bates, who is ‘very responsive, commercial and practical’ and has specialist expertise in disputes involving insolvency practitioners.

According to clients, Pinsent Masons LLP’s ‘technically excellent’ team is ‘the full package; it has great litigators who are commercially minded, efficient and personable’.

It handles a broad spectrum of commercial litigation cases, often with a cross-border element and Manchester City Football Club & City Football Group, Everton Football Club and Balfour Beatty are also clients.

Department head Julian Diaz-Rainey is a ‘superb lawyer, strategist, and commands a very strong team’ who is ably assisted by senior associates Andrew Mitchell and Jo Seed.

TIER THREE – According to the authors of the Legal 500 report, JMW Solicitors LLP is ‘becoming the new force in the North West for commercial litigation’.

Client are single out its combination of ‘a keen understanding of the law with an understanding of their aims and objectives’.

It is acting for over 5,000 employees of WM Morrisons in a group litigation claim against the supermarket arising from a leak of payroll information in 2014.

Law Firm Innovation JMW Solicitors Marc Yaffe said: ‘It’s great to win this award for our Barn Door project. We realised a few months ago that we should connect our two client base - athletes and sports stars with entrepreneurs. Athletes have a huge media profile and entrepreneurs need brand awareness to get their products out there, so by connecting the two we are able to help them out. This award means a huge amount because we are a law firm with a clear vision in mind to help businesses to grow. I’m just glad JMW has supported us and made it a reality and this is just the start for us, we already have 60 companies and 150 sports stars across 26 different sports that are talking to each other.’

Marc Yaffe heads the team, which includes consultant Michael Kennedy, who joined from Slater and Gordon in 2016 and has ‘a huge amount of experience and tactical nous’.

Kuit Steinart Levy LLP fields a team of ‘really strong litigators’ that is ‘highly effective at getting results’ and is ‘increasingly active in arbitration cases’.

Its wide-ranging commercial client base includes several international companies, as well as high-profile entrepreneurs, sports stars, lenders and SMEs.

Damian Bailey, who is experienced in shareholder disputes, is ‘highly intellectual and leaves no stone unturned’ while David Jones, who was promoted to partner in 2016, is ‘excellent at getting results.

Pannone Corporate LLP attracts praise for its ‘good commercial advice’ and ‘very responsive’ service.

Boohoo.com, Conviviality, Cotton Traders, DB Cargo, DHL Express and Iceland Frozen Foods are all clients.

Team head Paul Jonson is ‘very experienced and knowledgeable’ and David Brown is singled out for his ‘commercial acumen and no-nonsense advice’.

Clients of Squire Patton Boggs appreciate its ‘global support structure’ and its ‘ability to communicate in simple terms’.

It has a particular focus on the chemical, manufacturing, IT and financial services sectors and is also developing its offering in the data breach and cyber security sphere.

Department head Victoria Leigh is ‘practical, reliable, proactive and calm’ and has ‘considerable technical expertise in pensions and financial services, as well as broad commercial and litigation experience’.

Weightmans LLP houses ‘a wealth of talent’, enabling it to handle a range of complex contentious commercial matters, including IP, civil fraud and franchise disputes.

It is also noted for its public and financial sector expertise.

National team head Robert Jones is ‘a real fighter and provides a quality legal serviced informed by a real commercial awareness’.

He is assisted by the ‘pragmatic’ Richard Corran, who ‘takes a tough line against opponents’, and professional negligence specialist Carole Spiller, who ‘has great rapport with clients, is incredibly hardworking and dedicated, and achieves great results’.

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