Banking and Financial Services
We provide expert advice for financial institutions and corporates across a range of UK and cross-border banking and other finance-related transactions. Our particular area of expertise is dealing with PPI issues, fraud, mis-selling and professional negligence claims.
Construction
We bring you the resources, expertise and knowledge to address all your construction, engineering and projects needs – whether you are a public or private sector employer, a consultant, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, insurer, purchaser, tenant or funder. Our team encompasses both contentious and non contentious lawyers who have direct experience in key construction industries such as energy and infrastructure, defence, real estate and sports facilities.
Corporate and M&A
Commercially aware and knowledgeable, our lawyers can guide you through any business issue. Our expertise spans international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, public company takeovers, initial public offering and secondary offerings, private equity, joint ventures, project support and corporate governance. We have a strong local presence, backed up by international reach through our established network. Our team also has a prominent reputation in M&A within the chemicals sector.
EU and Competition
We offer a comprehensive competition law service that extends to both contentious and non-contentious matters. We advise on all aspects of EU and UK competition, state aid and procurement law, including merger control, and advise on behavioural investigations, competition-related disputes, distribution agreements, technology licences, and joint ventures and strategic alliances. You can come to us for 24/7 “dawn raid” services and training, as well as corporate defence of economic crimes.
Environmental, Safety and Health
Working with both clients and industry bodies, we have a thorough knowledge of the environmental, safety and health sector, giving us clear insight into the challenges you may face. We act for clients of all sizes throughout every sector, including chemicals, manufacturing, power generation and distribution, renewables, waste, retail, and construction. We are ideally positioned to counsel you on environmental issues, from emissions to air, water, ground, local authority enforcement and regulatory action. We are specialists in inquests, fatal accident investigations and corporate manslaughter, and our 24/7 incident hotline offers instant support in the event of a major accident, fatality or environmental incident.
Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology
We offer efficient coverage and insights into the six main areas of IP: patent protection and portfolio strategy, brand protection, trade secrets, commercial agreements, IP litigation and data protection and privacy. We can protect your brand through vehicles such as trademark, copyright or licences to help manage your portfolio and enforce IP rights or defend against IP claims in court or at tribunal.
Labour and Employment
We act for a variety of private sector employers and have a strong footprint in the Manchester region. Our experience spans boardroom disputes and executive terminations, litigation, industrial action, flexible working, redundancies, restructuring, contracts, data protection, discrimination and the UK Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE). We have particular experience in retail, advertising and recruitment.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Adept at handling complex commercial litigation matters, our litigators have expertise advising companies in the chemical, manufacturing and financial services sectors, as well as on a range of issues including trade and cross-border disputes and property, pensions and finance disputes. We are familiar with risk and alternative dispute resolution, and with conducting investigations of a serious nature. This includes fraud, corruption and product recall/ liability losses.
Pensions
The Manchester team frequently works with colleagues across our network to provide extensive pensions coverage. We can deal with corporate pensions issues relating to employers and trustees, as well as advising on all matters related to public sector pensions.
Real Estate
Whether you are an investor, developer or funder, we can advise you on the acquisition, funding, leasing and dispositions of individual properties and portfolios. We also act for the owners or occupiers of office, retail, industrial and hotel premises in their operational needs. Giving you an end-to-end service, we cover initial planning and CPO, acquisition, financing, investment, development, asset management and disposals, providing results-driven legal advice. The team is familiar with a number of sectors including energy and utilities, institutional investors, commercial developers, regeneration projects and hospitality and leisure.
Restructuring and Insolvency
Experienced across the range of contentious and non-contentious insolvency mandates, we have received particular recognition for our work within the pensions sector and can advise you on all forms of corporate insolvency regimes, including administration, corporate voluntary arrangements, administrative receiverships, Law of Property Act (LPA) receivership and liquidations. We also advise on restructuring and reorganization including cross border restructuring.
Tax Strategy and Benefits
Acknowledged proficiency in restructurings, acquisitions, investments, benefits advice, share matching plans and tax structuring issues, our work encompasses tax matters including those relating to customs duty, VAT, employment and pensions issues, property, private client and contentious tax matters.
