The UK Legal 500 Recommends 2008 Edition

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The UK Legal 500 recommends

Forbes

2008 edition

©Legalease 2008 Forbes

This PDF is an extract of the full recommendations for the firm in the 2008 edition of The Legal 500.

The attached pages contain all the recommendations for the firm. The summary list below indicates ALL of the practice areas for which the firm has been recommended. This document relates to your firm only, to see how your firm has performed against your peers and our full editorial analysis please go to www.legal500.com or refer to the printed book.

North West

Corporate and commercial Corporate and commercial Elsewhere in the North West Crime, fraud and licensing Crime Dispute resolution Commercial litigation Elsewhere in the North West Human resources Employment Insurance Personal injury defendant Private client Family | Personal tax, trusts and probate Real estate Commercial property Elsewhere in the North West | Property litigation | Social housing

©Legalease 2008 North West

Forbes

©Legalease 2008 CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL Corporate and commercial Elsewhere in the North West

Corporate and commercial Elsewhere in the North West Aaron & Partners LLP Chester DWF LLP Preston Forbes Blackburn Gorvins Stockport Kippax Beaumont Lewis Bolton Stephensons Solicitors LLP Wigan Brabners Chaffe Street LLP Preston Corporate Blue Bolton Hill Dickinson LLP Chester Neil Myerson Solicitors Altrincham Napthens LLP Blackburn Slater Heelis Collier Littler Sale Taylors Blackburn Firms are listed AZ within tiers

DWF LLP’s Preston office continues to be a key player for corporate work. Keith Melling led a team advising on the MBO of Tay Group and acted for the sellers on the disposal of the Vantage motor dealership franchise across the North West. Forbes houses a vibrant transactional practice, as demonstrated by its acting on a £13m asset sale and advising owners on the sale of nursing homes for an aggregate value of £7m. Daniel Milnes is a leading corporate lawyer in this office. Gorvins’ corporate department acted on over 70 transactions in 2007 totalling approximately £124m and acts in deals on average up to £15m. The department concentrates on corporate sales, purchases, reconstructions and fundings. Andrew Curwen joined the practice in 2007 and ‘provides good commercial advice with plenty of common sense’.

©Legalease 2008 CRIME, FRAUD AND LICENSING Crime

Crime BURTON COPELAND LLP Manchester COOPER & KENYON Manchester DLA PIPER UK LLP Liverpool, Manchester PANNONE LLP Manchester STEPHENSONS SOLICITORS LLP Manchester, Wigan TUCKERS SOLICITORS Manchester Brian Koffman & Co Manchester DWF LLP Manchester, Preston Forbes Preston Keoghs LLP Bolton Ralli Solicitors Manchester Russell Jones & Walker Manchester Hibberts LLP Nantwich Hill Dickinson LLP Liverpool Irwin Mitchell Manchester JMW Solicitors Manchester Levys Solicitors Manchester Olliers Manchester Tranters Freeclaim Solicitors Manchester Firms are listed AZ within tiers

DWF LLP remains on the panel for the Motor Insurers Bureau. This has generated an increased workload for the practice, led by James Pinder. Other significant clients include Ensign and Sabre. Forbes has developed a particular strength in acting for company directors on criminal issues and successfully defended a company executive who admitted a minor breach of a Health and Safety Regulation and was acquitted of a charge of manslaughter. Keoghs LLP is experienced in dealing with all aspects of motor crime and regulatory prosecutions and acts for individuals, businesses and insurers. In 2007 Suzanne Drinkwater joined from Halliwells LLP and focuses on regulatory defence work.

©Legalease 2008 DISPUTE RESOLUTION Commercial litigation Elsewhere in the North West

Commercial litigation Elsewhere in the North West Aaron & Partners LLP Chester Brabners Chaffe Street LLP Preston Forbes Blackburn Hill Dickinson LLP Chester Kippax Beaumont Lewis Bolton Mason Hayes Sandbach Maxwell Gillott Lancaster Taylors Blackburn Walker Smith Way Chester Keoghs LLP Bolton Napthens LLP Preston Woodcock & Sons Bury Firms are listed AZ within tiers

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP had a good year, winning a place on the Panel of Solicitors providing general litigation services to a consortium of four local authorities. Kevin James is the litigation partner in the Preston office. Forbes acted for a defendant subject to a freezing injunction where there were allegations of fraud and theft and advised a highprofile client on a breachof contract case. Robin Stephens is a key partner. ‘Methodical and precise’ Iain Campbell of Hill Dickinson LLP defended a breach ofwarranty claim in the Mercantile Court. Several motorists had convictions for speeding in North Wales overturned when the Chester office proved that the limit had unlawfully been reduced to 30 mph by a county council.

©Legalease 2008 HUMAN RESOURCES Employment

Employment ADDLESHAW GODDARD Manchester BEACHCROFT LLP Manchester DLA PIPER UK LLP Manchester, Liverpool DWF LLP Liverpool, Manchester EVERSHEDS LLP Manchester HALLIWELLS LLP Manchester HAMMONDS LLP Manchester BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET LLP Liverpool, Manchester COBBETTS LLP Manchester HILL DICKINSON LLP Manchester MACE & JONES Liverpool, Manchester PANNONE LLP Manchester PINSENT MASONS LLP Manchester WEIGHTMANS LLP Liverpool Aaron & Partners LLP Chester George Davies Solicitors LLP Manchester Hempsons Manchester Kuits LLP Manchester Martin & Co Manchester Berg Legal Manchester Hibberts LLP Nantwich Berrymans Lace Mawer Liverpool, Manchester Keoghs LLP Bolton Davies Arnold Cooper LLP Manchester Laytons Manchester Forbes Blackburn, Preston Lees Lloyd Whitley Liverpool Gorvins Stockport nexus Solicitors Manchester Neil Myerson Solicitors Manchester Stephensons Solicitors LLP Wigan sas daniels Stockport Taylors Blackburn Firms are listed AZ within tiers

Stephen Robinson joined Davies Arnold Cooper LLP in 2007 from DWF LLP; he is an experienced Employment Tribunal advocate. Peter Byrne head employment at Forbes where successes include recovering substantial compensation for a client from a national retailer. Gorvins acts mostly for employers. Clients appreciate Nigel Crebbin’s ‘high standard of work’.

©Legalease 2008 INSURANCE Personal injury defendant

Personal injury defendant BEACHCROFT LLP Manchester BERRYMANS LACE MAWER Liverpool, Manchester DWF LLP Liverpool, Manchester HILL DICKINSON LLP Liverpool, Manchester KEOGHS LLP Bolton WEIGHTMANS LLP Liverpool DLA Piper UK LLP Liverpool, Manchester Davies Arnold Cooper LLP Manchester colemansctts Manchester Forbes Blackburn Halliwells LLP Manchester Horwich Farrelly Manchester Rowe Cohen Manchester Firms are listed AZ within tiers

colemansctts focuses on highvalue, complex PI defendant work. Roger Coleman is a prominent name. Clients have ‘total faith’ in Martin Crabtree and Paul Geldard at Forbes. The team ‘offers customer service which is second to none’ and is particularly strong on local authority work. Its serious and complex claims unit continues to grow. Halliwells LLP had significant changes at partner level with the departure of nine partners and the arrival of Damian Ward from Keoghs LLP, whose key strength is fraud work. The practice acted for the insurers in the pleural plaques test litigation culminating in the House of Lords hearing in June 2007. Kevin Finnigan specialises in severe spinal injury and brain damage cases.

©Legalease 2008 PRIVATE CLIENT Family

Family MACE & JONES Knutsford, Liverpool PANNONE LLP Manchester BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET LLP Liverpool HALLIWELLS LLP Liverpool, Manchester LAYTONS Manchester LINDER MYERS Manchester STEPHENSONS SOLICITORS LLP Manchester DWF LLP Manchester, Liverpool Forbes Blackburn Gorvins Stockport Hill Dickinson LLP Liverpool Lees Lloyd Whitley Chester, Liverpool Mills & Reeve LLP Manchester Morecrofts Solicitors Liverpool Birch Cullimore Chester Hibberts LLP Nantwich Cheesman & Co Liverpool Kippax Beaumont Lewis Bolton Hague Lambert Manchester Lees Solicitors LLP Chester Aaron & Partners LLP Chester Nightingales Stockport George Davies Solicitors LLP Manchester sas daniels Stockport Irwin Mitchell Manchester Taylors Blackburn Mason & Moore Dutton Chester Walker Smith Way Chester Firms are listed AZ within tiers

The family law teams moved from Cobbetts LLP and Fletchers Solicitors in Southport to DWF LLP in 2007. The team acts for business people, their spouses, professionals and sports people. Within the last tweleve months the team acted on at least six family cases with assets in excess of £100m. James Maguire is an ‘experienced family lawyer’; David Pickering is ‘well organised’; and Lesley Smythe‘goes the extra mile for clients’. Forbes advised on a unique case, involving an application by the police for the disclosure of a careproceeding file within a criminal case. David Parkinson heads the twopartner team. At Gorvins, department head Amanda McAlister, ‘demonstrates indepth knowledge of family law matters’; her key specialism is ancillary relief cases.

Personal tax, trusts and probate ADDLESHAW GODDARD Manchester PANNONE LLP Manchester Brabners Chaffe Street LLP Liverpool, Preston Cobbetts LLP Manchester DWF LLP Liverpool, Manchester George Davies Solicitors LLP Manchester Halliwells LLP Manchester, Liverpool Hibberts LLP Nantwich Hill Dickinson LLP Liverpool, Manchester Kuits LLP Manchester LaneSmith & Shindler LLP Manchester Mace & Jones Knutsford Aaron & Partners LLP Chester Birch Cullimore Chester Forbes Preston Gorvins Stockport Irwin Mitchell Manchester JMW Solicitors Manchester Laytons Manchester Lees Lloyd Whitley Liverpool Morecrofts Solicitors Liverpool sas daniels Stockport Stephensons Solicitors LLP Leigh Thompsons Manchester Firms are listed AZ within tiers

Commercial property Elsewhere in the North West BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET LLP Preston HILL DICKINSON LLP Chester JMW SOLICITORS Manchester Aaron & Partners LLP Chester DWF LLP Preston Forbes Blackburn Hibberts LLP Nantwich Kippax Beaumont Lewis Bolton Neil Myerson Solicitors Altrincham Slater Heelis Collier Littler Sale Stephensons Solicitors LLP Wigan, St Helens, Leigh, Bolton Walker Smith Way Chester Barnetts Southport Gorvins Stockport Jobling & Knape Lancaster Mace & Jones Knutsford Percy Hughes & Roberts Birkenhead Whiteheads Solicitors Limited Chorley Firms are listed AZ within tiers

DWF LLP’s Preston office forms an integral part of the firm’s nearpeerless regional credentials. Its distinct emphasis on property business across all its offices is a major selling point. Prestonbased Roland Maguire stands out. Forbes’ team includes several experienced individuals managing partner John Barker heads a department which features Tim Hollingsworth and Diana Robertson. A number of new developer clients underline the solid reputation of this practice, praised for ‘understanding business and sector issues’. Hibberts LLP acts for a number of significant clients including Chamberlain Developments, Windward Estates, Clive Christian, Vernon Cooper Properties, Brit European Transport and DJM Logistics. The firm also has a sizeable plot sales team, and in Martyn Measures and Peter Wilde boasts experienced individuals.

Property litigation COBBETTS LLP Manchester

Addleshaw Goddard Manchester Beachcroft LLP Manchester DLA Piper UK LLP Manchester Eversheds LLP Manchester Halliwells LLP Manchester, Liverpool Hill Dickinson LLP Liverpool Pannone LLP Manchester Brabners Chaffe Street LLP Liverpool DWF LLP Manchester Forbes Blackburn Mace & Jones Manchester Stephensons Solicitors LLP St Helens Firms are listed AZ within tiers

With three experienced partners in Richard Price, Kate Hamilton Ryan and Stuart Irons, Pannone LLP has a formidable offering. Its representation of the Highways Agency in connection with the recovery of possession of land, the subject of CPOs, for the construction of the M6 toll road, illustrates the pivotal roles that the firm often takes. Other firms with strong property litigation practices include, Brabners Chaffe Street LLP which recently recruited Lawrence McDonald in Liverpool; Forbes, where Robin Stephens has a loyal client following of local and housing authorities, and property developers; Mace & Jones where Charles Tomlinson has a fine reputation; and Stephensons Solicitors LLP for litigation in the social housing sector.

Social housing TROWERS & HAMLINS Manchester

BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET LLP Liverpool COBBETTS LLP Manchester HOWARTH GOODMAN Manchester, Preston Addleshaw Goddard Manchester Beachcroft LLP Manchester Berrymans Lace Mawer Liverpool Bremners Solicitors Liverpool DWF LLP Liverpool, Manchester, Preston Forbes Blackburn Halliwells LLP Manchester Pannone LLP Manchester Whiteheads Solicitors Limited Chorley Firms are listed AZ within tiers

Howarth Goodman’s primary focus is housing association law and it remains one of the respected names in the sector, advising over 100 housing associations nationwide. Steven Baddiel heads the department. Other firm’s with social housing experience include, Addleshaw Goddard, although much of its expertise is in Leeds; Beachcroft LLP, where the property practice also gains instructions from housing associations; Berrymans Lace Mawer, where Sarah Mansfield specialises in social housing law and has attracted an impressive client base including Halton Housing Trust and Golden Gates Housing; Bremners Solicitors, which has a strong emphasis on social housing work and an impressive following of housing associations and RSLs; DWF LLP’s property practice which services numerous RSLs; Forbes, which is commended for its housing litigation expertise; Halliwells LLP, where senior associate Michelle Stevenson represents a series of housing associations and local authorities; and Chorley based Whiteheads Solicitors Limited, which specialises in housing law and has a nationwide following of housing association clients.