Professionals: Higher rights for Harrogate solicitor; Law firm launches in South Africa; Gateley advises on sale of sports media services company
SOLICITOR Peter Minnikin of Harrogate law firm McCormicks can now appear in courts up to the Supreme Court after gaining the Higher Courts (Criminal Proceedings) qualification.
Senior associate Mr Minnikin is a member of McCormicks’ corporate crime and risk team and has particular expertise dealing with substantial and high profile cases, working closely with QCs and other Counsel.
He has represented clients charged with the most serious offences, including serious fraud, drugs cases, violence and sexual offences.
He appears regularly in the Magistrates’ Courts and police stations to represent clients in respect of the full range of criminal and motoring offences
Mr Minnikin handled one of the leading Computer Misuse Act cases, which set the precedent for “ethical hacking” in this country.
He also deals with a portfolio of regulatory work, including representing clients in disciplinary proceedings brought by professional bodies, such as solicitors, accountants, pharmacists, doctors and sporting bodies and individuals.
Senior partner Peter McCormick said: “The areas of criminal law, and particularly regulatory work, grow ever more complex and it is a tribute to Peter’s expertise that he can now appear in the very highest courts.”
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LAW firm Pinsent Masons has announced plans to launch an infrastructure-focused practice in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The firm has appointed two founding partners to launch the office. Rob Morson joins from Bowman Gilfillan where he was head of construction.
Shane Voigt also joins from the same firm and is similarly recognised as one of the leading disputes partners in the infrastructure sector. He is also known for his experience with Chinese contractors and infrastructure investors and is a committee member of the Africa Sub-Committee of the China Africa Joint Arbitration Centre (CAJAC). Further partner appointments are expected before the firm formally opens its doors in early 2017.
The new team will join Pinsent Masons already developed Africa practice built around the energy and infrastructure investment communities in London, Paris, Dubai, and Beijing in particular.
Globally the firm currently has around 40 partners and 150 lawyers working on Africa-related matters across 38 African countries. In 2013 the firm appointed Akshai Fofaria to lead the firm’s Africa initiative and last year brought in project finance specialist Stéphane Gasne from the East African Development Bank. Over 50 of the firm’s top 250 clients have a presence in South Africa.
Richard Foley, senior partner of Pinsent Masons, says: “Africa is a fast-growing market with clear infrastructure need. It’s a market where we are already doing significant business for Chinese organisations, European contractors, investors and funds. Having an on-the-ground presence in Johannesburg, led by a team with a market-leading reputation will enable us to scale the existing practice significantly. We will focus on infrastructure initially – and particularly projects in the energy, IT, Telecoms and transport arena.
“It takes us a further step toward our vision of being recognised as an international market leader in the global sectors upon which we focus. We said at the turn of the year that we would continue to invest to stay relevant and this is proof of our commitment.”
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GATELEY’S Leeds office has completed the sale of sports media service company deltatre to US-based private investment company Bruin Sports Capital.
A multi-disciplinary team led by corporate partner David Armitage advised LMGR s.r.l on the sale of its controlling stake in deltatre.
LMGR and its former private equity investment partner, Mediacontech, both sold their respective shareholdings in deltatre to Bruin. Giampiero Rinaudo, deltatre’s co-founder, will remain in his position as CEO of the deltatre group.
The deal has seen deltatre acquired by Bruin, which focuses on international media, sports, marketing and branded lifestyle companies, for an undisclosed sum and a significant minority shareholding in the purchasing vehicle.
Commenting on the deal, David Armitage said: “It helped that the Gateley team on this transaction had transacted M&A deals in over 100 different jurisdictions between them, and had plenty of experience of handling transactions in Italy and in working with US buyers. The UK-Italian cooperation between professionals was seamless.”
Mr Armitage was assisted on the deal by corporate solicitor Tamanna Keir, Birmingham-based tax partner James Gopsill and employment partner Andrew Macmillan, alongside a team from Turin-based R&P Legal.
The transaction also saw Gateley advise deltatre, which provides a comprehensive and broadcast solutions for the world’s largest sporting events, range of digital federations, media partners and brands, on its acquisition of the remaining minority share of its UK arm, Deltatre Media Limited.
deltatre has offices in the UK, Italy, France, Switzerland, India, Japan, Australia, Singapore and the US.
