The litigation team fielded by BDB Pitmans is well versed in handling a full range of disputes for both foreign and domestic clients, with noted expertise in IT disputes and cases concerning confidential information. Phil Smith leads the team and specialises in TMT disputes, representing some of the firm’s biggest clients in this space. Tim Clark is known for his work in commercial claims and claims for breach of contract, with particular emphasis on those arising out of the IT sector. Sophie Squire is a key name at associate level, possessing experience in court of appeal cases as well as in international arbitration in the LCIA. Jacob Gatley is another key contact.
Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 in South East
BDB Pitmans
Praxisleiter:
Phil Smith
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Tim Clark; Alan Davies; Sophie Squire; Jacob Gatley
Referenzen
‘The team is led by the experienced and highly commercial Tim Clark who commands the respect and affection of clients and counsel alike. He offers excellent, practical strategic thinking which is closely focused on achieving the particular outcomes sought by clients.’
‘They are hard working and just so good. The team is responsive, good with clients, and a pleasure to work with.’
‘Phil Smith and Sophie Squire are both brilliant. Phil is a superb litigation strategist who sees cases through from start to finish. Sophie is on top of everything and a pleasure to work with.’
Kernmandanten
Karali Group
Xpediator plc
Novacyt Group
Grayson+Co
Rock Engineering Limited
Crowe UK LLP
CALA Group
Westcoast Ltd
Blake Morgan LLP
The commercial litigation practice at Blake Morgan LLP acts both domestically and cross-border for a client base that encompasses corporations, SMEs, financial institutions and public bodies, among others. The group’s deal flow includes construction, insolvency, breach of contract and property litigation matters. Chris Potts heads the department with over 25 years experience in the space, focusing his practice on fraud and insolvency issues, alongside shareholder and company disputes. Nicola Diggle - who now works as a consultant - is well-known for shareholder and contractual disputes, with particular expertise in the IT sector. The team was bolstered by the arrival of partner Thomas Middlehurst from Moore Barlow after Stephanie Walls retired in July 2022.
Praxisleiter:
Chris Potts
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Nicola Diggle; Katie James; Thomas Middlehurst; Cherrene Balasanthiran
Referenzen
‘Chris Potts is very committed to getting good outcomes for clients. Determined, strategic and commercial approach to deliver client goals.’
‘I would highly recommend Nicola Diggle. Very commercial advice that is useful to a client.’
‘The team are a pleasure to work with. Their real strength lies in bringing a personal approach to their cases where one is needed. They are excellent at getting to grips with the sector and the business in which their client operates as well; it is not just about giving legal advice, but sitting down with the client on their side of the table.’
Kernmandanten
Miele Company Limited
Investec Asset Finance
KPMG
NHS England
University of Reading
Grant Thornton
Hitachi Capital UK Plc
Metro Bank
Begbies Traynor
IW Group Services UK (Regus)
Griffins
Harwood Wealth Management Group Plc
Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust
Walkers Global
Highlight-Mandate
- Acting for beneficiaries in a £5m trust dispute relating to a contested estate and ownership of 5 properties.
- Acting for a client in connected breach of contract claims against a Caribbean bank (FCIB) seeking recovery of £3m.
- Acted for a US engineering business (Voss) defending a £1.8m commercial agency claim – settled at mediation.
Clarkslegal LLP
Praised for its ‘focused and commercial approach to litigation’, Clarkslegal LLP is frequently instructed by high-end automotive clients on significant and high-profile cross-border disputes. The team is based in Reading and led by ‘great litigator’ Antony Morris. Christopher Tayton, hailed as ‘thoughtful, thorough and balanced’, sports a broad dispute resolution practice which emphasises commercial injunctions and fraud claims. Stephen James is a fellow key contact, notable for his work on contentious construction, employment and insolvency matters. The ‘excellent’ Emma Butcher maintains her strong practice across commercial and property disputes, alongside public procurement and product liability matters.
Praxisleiter:
Antony Morris
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Christopher Tayton; Stephen James; Emma Butcher
Referenzen
‘The Clarkslegal litigation team is knowledgeable, approachable and prompt. They understand commercial clients needs and provide concise advice in a timely manner.’
‘Antony Morris is a measured lawyer who takes real ownership of the case. Collaborative and keen to make sure the right decisions are taken. Gets stuck into the detail but keeps a weather on the overall strategy.’
‘Emma Butcher was able to build a strong rapport with the client team and was diligent in her review of the evidence and tenacious in pursuing the gaps.’
Kernmandanten
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited
Boehringer Ingelheim
Lumen Technologies Inc
BMW (UK) Limited
JDM Technology Group
Willmott Dixon
Element Materials Technology Group
University of Reading
Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Ltd
CAB Automotive Ltd
MVL Group
InstaGroup Limited
OASIS
Highlight-Mandate
- Acting for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as the defendant in High Court proceedings brought by German software development company Topalsson.
- Acted for Bop-Me Ltd in a procurement claim against the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care arising out of the award of a number of contracts for the supply of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Acting for one of 13 defendants in a High Court claim brought by Equity Real Estates and related companies for breach of contract, compensation for dishonest assistance/unlawful means conspiracy, and accounts of profits against various defendants against a background of serious fraud in the context of property development.
Osborne Clarke LLP
Osborne Clarke LLP remains a go-to firm for the full suite of commercial and corporate disputes, particularly those arising out of the technology and life sciences sectors, on behalf of an extensive client list that includes fast-growth private equity and venture-capital-backed businesses, alongside major international corporations. Esteemed Thames Valley practitioner Peter Sheppard heads up the department and focuses his practice on complex cross-border work, including litigation, arbitration and ADR. Dawn Troman is known for complex High Court claims as well as arbitral proceedings and has demonstrable expertise in technology-sector disputes. At associate level, Scott Butler is an important point of contact.
Praxisleiter:
Peter Sheppard
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Dawn Troman; Jane Park-Weir; Scott Butler
Kernmandanten
AEG
TripAdvisor
Vodafone
Falk & Ross
Reckitt Benckiser
Lonza Pharmaceuticals
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
Crossmark Developments
Bullitt Mobile Limited
ASOS
Tenzing Private Equity
Shaw Healthcare
FRP Advisory
Bective
TiVo / Xperi
Databricks
Davies Group
LevertonHELM
WT Energy
MedPharm
Miniclip
Intuit
EcoATM
Wireless Logic Limited
Highlight-Mandate
- Represented the Falk & Ross Group, a leading pan-European distributor of activewear and promotional products, in its defence of an unfair prejudice petition under s994 Companies Act 2006 which was commenced in the English courts in June 2020 by a minority shareholder, Glenn Hyams.
- Representing MedPharm, a global contract development and manufacturing organisation, as a non-party to US proceedings between Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. and Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc. v Anthony Mack and Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Advising ASOS in respect of a suite of commercial contract claims predominantly in respect of supply chain issues.
Boyes Turner
Boyes Turner has a strong reputation in the Thames Valley, praised as a ‘professional and well-respected firm capable of handling high value and complex disputes’. The team handles the full suite of commercial disputes, frequently acting on behalf of both domestic and trans-national corporations. Experienced practitioner Rowan Turrall is noted for her robust practice which emphasises disputes arising out of the technology and construction sectors. Ally Tow is another key name for contentious trusts and probate work. August 2022 saw the departure of Stephen Baker to Herrington Carmichael LLP.
Praxisleiter:
Rowan Turrall
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Ally Tow; Rachel Brown
Referenzen
‘Boyes Turner is a professional and well-respected firm capable of handling high value and complex disputes.’
‘I have found the team at Boyes Turner to be honest, hard working and thoroughly professional. In my opinion, Boyes Turner is a very good firm whose strong reputation rightly proceeds them.’
‘Having used different lawyers at different times and in different countries in the area of commercial litigation, our experience of Boyes Turner has been excellent. In particular we have found Rowan Turrall at Boyes Turner to not only be highly knowledgeable but also very thorough and sound in the advice and guidance she has given us and also in the high quality of her work.’
Highlight-Mandate
Field Seymour Parkes LLP
Field Seymour Parkes LLP's dispute resolution and litigation team acts on high-value mandates from large corporate clients, particularly those from within the automative sector. Practice head Tom Maple continues to lead on much of the firm’s premium work in the space. Seasoned litigator Bill Dixon is notable for his robust track record in commercial litigation, and is praised as ‘an asset to the profession’.
Praxisleiter:
Tom Maple
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Bill Dixon; James Palmer
Referenzen
‘What strikes me is the cooperative atmosphere amongst the team. For clients it gives a trustworthy impression when you know that team members work well together.’
‘Bill Dixon is an asset to the profession.’
‘The team is small but well organised in terms of being able to assist or cover for each other. Strong commercial skills and the abbility to keep an eye on costs at all times.’
Kernmandanten
Volvo
Whistl
Honda
Crown Agents
Highlight-Mandate
- Advised a number of different individual clients on claims against professional advisers in relation to failed film finance or tax schemes.
Freeths LLP
Freeths LLP‘s Thames Valley-based contingent primarily acts on behalf of corporate clients, but also represents landed estates as well as educational and charitable institutions on a broad variety of disputes. Core pillars of the team’s commercial litigation offering include contractual disputes, fraud allegations, M&A-associated litigation, shareholder conflicts, and IT and cyber issues – to name a few. Caroline Watson leads the team out of the Oxford office, excelling on complicated technology-sector disputes. Director Will Richmond-Coggan is a seasoned litigator, well-known for his work on data protection issues. Managing associate Paul Brown is another key point of contact.
Praxisleiter:
Caroline Watson
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Will Richmond-Coggan; Paul Brown; Tom Holden
Referenzen
‘Will Richmond-Coggan is excellent on data law issues. Very knowledgable.’
‘Caroline Watson has real depth and experience. Very pragmatic and approachable.’
‘First-class legal. A firm which understands its clients and fosters an exceptional working relationship.’
Kernmandanten
Cromwell Tools Limited
London Luton Airport Limited
Dawsongroup Plc
Amscan International Limited
Wells & Co Limited
Scania Limited
Triad Group Plc
Bristol Airport Limited
GEFCO
FedEx UK Limited
Highlight-Mandate
- Acting for a provider of outsourced pensions and financial services in defence of data breach claims impacting approximately 1,200 public sector employees with pension schemes administered by our client.
- Acting for a substantial provider of short-term consumer loans in defence of a series of claims brought by various firms, on behalf of claimants said to be affected by a cyber-security incident in 2021.
- Acting for Triad Plc against the former CEO of Triad in respect of a ‘twitter war’ she had raged against Triad, its directors and advisors.
Gardner Leader LLP
Corporate and commercial disputes, civil fraud and international arbitration are the premium currencies for Gardner Leader LLP's dispute resolution team, which is described as possessing ‘expertise and a client base which is much more stereotypical of a large London practice’. Chris Felton heads up the team, specialising in multi-jurisdictional litigation that regularly sees him act before international courts and in complex arbitration. Health and safety expert and ‘great strategist’ Michelle Di Gioia is another key contact within the group.
Praxisleiter:
Chris Felton
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Michelle Di Gioia; Andrew Shipp; Katie Dyson; Michael Axe
Referenzen
‘Excellent team. They are very collaborative, strategically minded and able to handle heavy commercial matters.’
‘The team punches above its weight for an out-of-London firm, with expertise and a client base which is much more stereotypical for a large London practice.’
‘Chris Felton is the best litigator we know. Strategic, tactical and such a nice person that his opponents do not see him coming until it is too late. The leopard of the litigation world.’
Kernmandanten
Atlip House Limited
Orgvue
Barrowfen Properties Limited
SSGC Limited
Suite Hub Limited
Prepay Technologies Limited
Managed Legal Solutions Limited
Highlight-Mandate
- Defended Swynson Limited and its owner in a Supreme Court appeal, which questioned whether the repayment of loans by a borrower released or reduced the liability a negligent adviser has to a lender based on the principle of res inter alios acta.
- Successfully defended a claim brought against Optaglio Limited for alleged breach of directors’ duties regarding the withdrawal of a patent application in the area of nano-embossing RFDI technology.
- Advised Managed Legal Solutions Limited, who funded part of the costs of a group action claim against GSK in the Seroxat Group Action.
Shoosmiths LLP
Contentious public procurement, judicial review, as well as both high-end commercial and corporate litigation are among the core work streams for the Thames Valley-based contingent of Shoosmiths LLP, which receives frequent instructions from high-profile clients across the retail, leisure and FMCG sectors. ‘First-class litigator’ Fleur Turrington chairs the Reading team and advises on the full suite of commercial litigation matters. Aimee Cook is a fellow core member of the group, focusing her practice on high-value disputes.
Praxisleiter:
Fleur Turrington
Referenzen
‘Great all-round team.’
‘Fleur Turrington is a first-class litigator.’
‘Very commercial and efficient. Massively responsive and focussed on the client and on delivering results.’
Kernmandanten
Chubb Europe Insurance Group
COTY UK & Ireland Limited
HDI Gerling Insurance Limited
Henkel Limited
Volkswagen Group UK Limited
Leeds University
Lifeways Community Care Limited
Aramark Limited
Lancashire County Council
Jungheinrick UK
Civil Nuclear Police Authority
Hewlett Packard Limited
Wifinity
Cellnex UK Limited
Chevron Traffic Management Limited
Highlight-Mandate
- Acted for transport sector client in relation to a £3.5m breach of warranty claim against the selling guarantors, following the purchase of a competitor.
- Advised Jungheinrich UK on the impact its contract modifications would have under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and its obligations under the contract if it remained unsigned.
- Provided urgent advice to a client in relation to a judicial review brought against them in regard to a decision to award a contract to a third party.
White & Black Limited
White & Black Limited‘s cross-border caseload includes a series of mandates from high-end multi-national corporations. Core pillars of the practice include a focus on contentious technology sector work and intellectual property-related disputes. Praised as ’eminently sensible and highly commercial’, practice head Victoria Wright is particularly strong for IP and major contractual claims. Fellow co-head Tom Carver specialises in intellectual property litigation and is an expert in both patent and design-right litigation.
Praxisleiter:
Victoria Wright; Tom Carver
Referenzen
‘Very client focused, individual and personal service. High partner engagement which ensures the client is getting the very best service.’
‘Victoria Wright is eminently sensible and highly commercial. Good strategic thinking to manage and frequently resolve disputes.’
‘They are responsive, excellent at what they do and provide great client support. They describe themselves as wanting to be the client’s trusted advisers, and they excel at doing just that.’
Kernmandanten
Roftek Limited and Simon Rothwell
Numerical Algorithms Group
Crafts Group LLC
Parma Patent Sinai Mülkiyet Hizmetleri Limited Sirketi
Blenheim Palace
Shantell Martin & Found the Found LLC
Matches Fashion
Vectair Systems Limited
Roftek Limited and Simon Rothwell
Highlight-Mandate
- Instructed by a client in relation to an allegation of patent infringement involving the doctrine of equivalence; direct and indirect infringement; and counterclaim for revocation.
- Instructed by US-based craft supplier in relation to the sale of knitting needles on Amazon.
- Providing advice to a patentee involving the application of the doctrine of equivalence, the restoration of a company in order to bring a claim, patent validity, licensing questions and pre-action disclosure.
Blandy & Blandy LLP
Blandy & Blandy LLP's Thames Valley-based offering handles general corporate and contract-based commercial disputes, including those with international elements, alongside an emphasis on proactive advice such as risk identification, avoidance and management. David Murray leads the team, and is supported by Debbie Brett on commercial disputes.
Praxisleiter:
David Murray
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Debbie Brett
Referenzen
‘David Murray remains calm at all times, thereby giving confidence to his clients.’
‘Very friendly service. Diligent, clear and timely.’
‘David Murray explained every process very clearly for me to make an informed decision.’
Kernmandanten
Medispace Diagnostics Limited
Certikin International Limited
University of Oxford
Englefield Estate Trust Corporation Ltd
The Glass and Glazing Federation
Huguenot London Limited
Poovaya & Co LLP
DEKS Industries Europe Limited
Work Wise Projecten BV
Rupert House School
Highlight-Mandate
Herrington Carmichael LLP
Herrington Carmichael LLP sees frequent instructions on high-level commercial dispute resolution mandates, especially those with complex and cross-border issues. Professional negligence and real estate litigation are particular strengths of the team, which was bolstered by the arrival of Stephen Baker from Boyes Turner. Baker now heads the practice group and is praised as an ‘experienced and commercially astute litigator’. He is supported by Frankie Tierney, who excels on complex High Court and multi-party commercial cases. Former practice head Adrian Taylor departed in June 2022.
Praxisleiter:
Stephen Baker
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Frankie Tierney
Referenzen
‘Herrington Carmichael’s commercial litigation team is rooted in years of experience, out of which they are able to navigate clients through a dispute in a strategic way. It is a team to be trusted.’
‘Frankie Tierney is an experienced litigator who keeps an eye on the commercial realities of a dispute. She distills the key issues from a case and provides clear and targeted advice.’
‘The firm has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is able to handle all types of issues that I have presented to them. They are easy to contact and you certainly feel looked after and that you are in capable hands.’
Highlight-Mandate
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is known for its work in general commercial litigation, with specialist advice also including international litigation and arbitration, group action litigation, and banking and finance disputes, among others. The team is led by Clare Arthurs who splits her time between Cambridge and London. Charlie Shillito specialises in financial services and professional negligence claims. Former practice head Emma Davies Day left the firm in February 2023.
Praxisleiter:
Clare Arthurs
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Charlie Shillito; Holly Strube
Referenzen
‘They have some really strong lawyers, particularly for a firm outside of the major cities. They are essentially offering London quality services.’
‘Charlie Shillito has pedigree, but also an excellent understand of how defendant professional indemnity firms operate. He is also plainly very clever, engages with the details and merits of the case, and has sound judgement.’
‘The team are a formidable legal force that are knowledgeable, flexible, commercial and adaptable. They use the latest technology to make life easier on clients and to reduce costs. They have real depth in their team.’
Highlight-Mandate
- Act for Gilliam Wallace in both her personal and commercial (as director of Azaria Consulting Ltd) capacities.
Aston Bond
Two senior litigators head the practice group at Aston Bond: James Dyche has significant experience in the space on a wide range of commercial dispute matters and leads alongside firm CEO and co-founder Stephen Puri. Commercial and contract litigation, shareholder and boardroom disputes, and IP infringement are among the team’s core focuses.
Praxisleiter:
Stephen Puri; James Dyche
Referenzen
‘I was extraordinarily impressed by their work ethic and professionalism.’
‘James Dyche is extremely strong in client management and handles demanding high-net-worth litigation clients with a polished ease.’
‘Aston Bond have a small commercial litigation team that punches well above its weight.’
Howes Percival LLP
General commercial work and IP disputes are specialist areas for Howes Percival LLP, which utilises the strength of the former Maier Blackburn practice, which merged with the firm in early 2024. Steven Maier handles the commercial litigation caseload, advising publishing houses and writer’s estates in copyright and trade mark disputes.
Praxisleiter:
Steven Maier
Kernmandanten
The Tolkien Estate Limited
Agatha Christie Limited
Madga Archer
Estate of Peter Mayle
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising the Tolkien Estate in connection with the repeated infringement of its intellectual property rights in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings on the merchandising platform Etsy.com.
- Advising Escargot Copyright Limited (the Estate of Peter Mayle) on a dispute over the use of the book title “A Year in Provence” in connection with an unrelated television programme.
- Advising British “pop” artist, Magda Archer, on a dispute with the fashion house Gucci over the use of certain images in their clothing range.
SE-Solicitors
SE-Solicitors handles a wide range of commercial disputes but places particular emphasis on restricted governance, injunctions, banking and financial services, insolvency, as well as property disputes. Carol Shaw leads the practice group, whilst Anis Waiz and Petra Van Dijk are important points of contact for finance and banking disputes, and IP litigation respectively.
Praxisleiter:
Carol Shaw
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Anis Waiz; Petra Van Dijk
Referenzen
‘Spratt Endicott is a strong regional firm with technical capabilities which would not normally be associated with a firm of this size. It has particular skill in commercial property and development property, and commercial recovery work, both of which feed through to commercial litigation.’
‘Petra Van Dijk has a particular knowledge of the use of technology for efficient case management.’