gunnercooke recognised by The Legal 500 with eight ranked practice areas and 18 recognised lawyers

gunnercooke is delighted to be celebrating another fantastic year in The Legal 500 rankings for 2021. The latest directory has recognised the firm in eight different practice areas across the UK and has recommended 18 gunnercooke lawyers, including Rob Fawke as a Leading Individual and Anna Willetts as a Next Generation Partner.

Ranked practice areas include:

Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market

gunnercooke LLP has established a disputes presence in relation to financial services, SME and owner-managed businesses, technology, media, real estate and IP. Shilpen Savani acts in commercial disputes and contentious corporate matters; Fergus Buckley is noted for civil fraud matters. Laurence Katz has specialised in commercial dispute resolution for approximately 25 years. Former partner David Herbert joined Locke Lord LLP.

Recommended lawyers: Shilpen Savani; Fergus Buckley; Laurence Katz

Trade Finance

gunnercooke LLP joins the ranking having recruited specialist trade and commodity finance partner Veronika Koroleva from Dentons. One client notes that ‘this team provides a bespoke and extremely user-friendly service, which in many respects has the feel of having one’s own in-house counsel‘. Koroleva co-leads the practice with Marc Weisberger, who has more than 20 years’ experience in commodities trading, finance and investment. Together, they act for both lenders and borrowers, with a particular focus on alternative finance providers, international banks with a UK presence, and commodity traders. Working across the full range of traded commodities, they handle pre-payment and off-take arrangements, spot and term commodity sales, structured trade and commodity finance, ownership-based structures, trade finance products, receivables financing and supply chain financing.

Recommended lawyers: Veronika Koroleva; Marc Weisberger

Intellectual Property: Trade Marks, Copyright and Design

gunnercooke LLP’s IP lawyers handle instructions on contentious issues including trade mark and copyright infringement, passing off, entitlement and breach-of-distribution allegations. The rapidly growing team welcomed three new partners – Rosie Burbidge, Robert Taylor and Nick Berry – who offer expertise in the sectors of media and entertainment, professional services, FMCG, entertainment and leisure. Oppositions and invalidity actions are also routinely handled.

Recommended lawyers: Rosie Burbidge; Robert Taylor; Nick Berry

Employment

The non-traditional partner-led structure at gunnercooke LLP, enables the firm’s lawyers to work more directly with a range of domestic and international clients. The firm advises public sector bodies, including education bodies and registered housing providers; Simon Horsfield specialises in employee-relations issues and senior-level hires and departures, while the ‘client-focused and knowledgeable’ Joanne Tindall has particular expertise in the manufacturing and retail sectors.

Recommended lawyers: Simon Horsfield; Paul Ryman; Joanne Tindall

Pensions

The non-hierarchical structure at gunnercooke LLP means clients ‘always have easy access to experienced lawyers’ to advise on a wide range of matters. Described as ‘technically strong’ by clients, Suresh Bhatt handles both contentious and non-contentious matters, advising employers, trustees and law firms without pensions capabilities on corporate transactions, liability management, trust documentation drafting and liaising with the Pensions Regulator. Another key lawyer is Adam Bushby, who specialises in trustee and company advisory, litigation and professional trustee work.

Recommended lawyers: Adam Bushby; Suresh Bhatt

Banking & Finance

gunnercooke LLP’s working model makes it ‘especially appealing’ to clients, with a ‘high calibre’ of practitioners undertaking work in a variety of areas. Rob Fawke leads the team and is strong on leveraged and real estate finance work as well as corporate lending transactions. Georgina Tripp assists financial institutions, corporate borrowers and institutional investors with a range of matters including asset-based lending and acquisition finance issues. Jill Parker offers ‘quality legal advice and commerciality’ and is particularly noted for her real estate finance work.

Leading individual: Rob Fawke

Recommended lawyers: Georgina Tripp; Jill Parker

Family

gunnercooke LLP’s family practice is spearheaded by Roland Humphreys, who has ‘particular expertise in dealing with high-value financial settlement cases as well as complex children’s cases, often with an international element’. He also has notable specialist experience in agricultural cases with a family component.

Recommended lawyers: Roland Humphreys

Property Litigation

gunnercooke LLP’s property litigation practice provides ‘excellent knowledge, service and communication at all times.’ Jointly led by Tom Seabrook and Jen Morris, the team represents developers, occupiers and management companies. Seabrook is ‘an excellent solicitor’ who is also qualified as a chartered surveyor and handles commercial and residential property disputes. Morris gives, ‘concise answers to complex problems’, with noted expertise providing advice on unlocking development sites. Environmental criminal defence specialist Anna Willetts joined from Clyde & Co LLP in summer 2020.

Recommended lawyers: Jen Morris; Tom Seabrook

Next generation partner: Anna Willetts

View the full rankings online here.