Region’s legal biggest hitters unveiled in industry bible

Roger Hart

Manchester continues to be the main hub of commercial activity in the region, with heavy investment, particularly in regeneration projects, transport, real estate and the tech sector.

And with a continued buzz under the Northern Powerhouse initiative, it is an attractive place to do business.

As ever, there has been a raft of activity in the increasingly competitive legal sector, with a number of lateral moves.

Notably, Addleshaw Goddard has poached six real estate partners from Irwin Mitchell, and has also taken an eight-strong construction team from DWF.

Mills & Reeve LLP has bolstered its real estate offering with the hire of Mike Edge and Rachel Pitman from Pinsent Masons LLP and Fieldfisher has taken banking partner Charlotte Round, sports and entertainment lawyer Simon Taylor, and former corporate head David Bowcock, from Brabners LLP.

Elsewhere, BLM has significantly broadened its offering with the hire of a slew of partners from Slater and Gordon, including former national head of business legal services Stephen Lintott, real estate lawyers Tessa Leonard, Stephen Crook and Mark Alexander, IP specialist Steve Kuncewicz, employment practitioner Jim Lister, dispute resolution partners Nick Gee and Craig McAdam, construction and engineering lawyer Jahanara Hussain, and corporate and commercial lawyer Daniel Varney.

Liverpool has seen significant activity with the arrival of Freeths LLP, which opened an office in 2018 with the hire of real estate partners Andy Nichol and Luke Hopkins from DWF.

JMW Solicitors LLP has also chosen Liverpool as a base for its new family team, David Pickering and his department from DWF have joined the Manchester-headquartered firm and will operate across its Manchester and new Liverpool offices, with Beverley Jones leading the Liverpool-based team.

Across the region, Bolton-headquartered firm Keoghs LLP has increased its regional presence by taking Liverpool-headquartered firm, Hill Dickinson LLP’s insurance practice, which includes the hire of 17 partners.

Elsewhere in the region, firms outside Manchester are often utilised as an alternative to city practices.

Chester is a centre for high-net-worth clients, while law firms in Bolton and Preston are regularly instructed by SMEs, public-sector entities and owner-managed businesses.

The top tier 1 corporate and commercial players in Manchester are: Addleshaw Goddard (Manchester); DLA Piper (Manchester); Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP (Manchester); Pinsent Masons (Manchester).

Leading individuals in Manchester are: Alistair Cree, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP; Andrew Green, Addleshaw Goddard; Andrew Needham, TLT; Andrew Phillips, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP; Charles Glaskie, Gateley Plc; Craig Chaplin, DWF; Daniel Hall, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP; Darren Warburton, Squire Patton Boggs; David Bowcock, Fieldfisher; Frank Shephard, DWF; Giles Chesher, Squire Patton Boggs; Gregg Davison, Pinsent Masons; Helen Ridge, Pinsent Masons; Ian Gillis, Hill Dickinson LLP; James Kerrigan, DLA Piper; James Sheridan, Turner Parkinson LLP; Jane Haxby, Squire Patton Boggs; Jonathan Robinson, DWF; Jonathan Watkins, DLA Piper; Kieran Toal, Pinsent Masons; Lee Brierley, DLA Piper; Michael Birchall, Addleshaw Goddard; Paul Jefferson, Gateley Plc; Paul Medlicott, Addleshaw Goddard; Rebecca Grisewood, Gateley Plc; Robert Buckley, Kuit Steinart Levy LLP; Roger Hart, Addleshaw Goddard; Simon Masters, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP; Simon Wallwork, Slater Heelis LLP; Stephen Devlin, TLT; Tim Hamilton, Pannone Corporate LLP; Tom Bridgford, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP; Tony Harper, Brabners LLP; Yunus Maka, DLA Piper.

In Liverpool, the top tier 1 corporate and commercial firms are: Brabners LLP (Liverpool) and Hill Dickinson LLP (Liverpool).

Leading Liverpool individuals are: Andrew O’Mahony, Brabners LLP; Colin Bell, Brabners LLP; Craig Scott, Hill Dickinson LLP; Denise Walker, Glenville Walker & Partners; John Schorah, Weightmans LLP; Jonathan Brown, Hill Dickinson LLP; Laurence Pritchard, Weightmans LLP; Mark O’Connor, O’Connors LLP; Mark Rathbone, Brabners LLP; Matt Noon, Hill Dickinson LLP; Michael Brabner, Brabners LLP; Mike Jones, Hill Dickinson LLP; Nik White, Brabners LLP; Paul Attwood, DWF; Paul Rimmer, DWF; Peter Brook, DLA Piper; Rupert Gill, Brabners LLP; Sarah Bell, DLA Piper; Sue Russell, Hill Dickinson LLP.

Top tier 1 corporate and commercial practices elsewhere in the North West are: Aaron & Partners LLP (Chester); Gorvins Solicitors (Stockport); Myerson Solicitors LLP (Altrincham); Napthens LLP (Blackburn, Preston, Southport); SAS Daniels LLP (Chester, Congleton, Macclesfield, Stockport).

Leading individuals are: Andrew Curwen, Gorvins Solicitors; Edward Barnes, DTM Legal LLP; Gareth McIntegart, Napthens LLP; Jeremy Orrell, SAS Daniels LLP; Katharine Mellor, Slater Heelis LLP; Keith Melling, Napthens LLP; M Akeel Latif, Myerson Solicitors LLP; Stuart Scott-Goldstone, Aaron & Partners LLP.

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