Chambers and Partners 2009
Agriculture and Rural Affairs (South West)
Rickerbys is a popular player in the rural market, and is applauded for its easy to work with style. The firm has expanded its agricultural department and handles both non-contentious tax planning and probate work for private clients, as well as offering litigation services on the contentious side of things. The firm recently handled a complex and sizeable sale of an arable farm for the trustees of the Bathurst Estate, exchanging contracts expediently within a restrictive timescale. Robin Beckley receives warm praise as a “top rural lawyer” who “really understands his clients.” Leading the rural business team, Beckley advises on numerous matters, in particular landlord and tenant issues, options, land disposals and acquisitions.
Banking and Finance (South West)
This broad practice draws praise for its pragmatic and constructive approach, and advises banks, financial institutions, asset financiers and corporate borrowers on a range of funding transactions. The “proactive and reliable” lawyers also have niche expertise in independent school financing. The group has been advising a major clearing bank on its £100 million sub-participation in a credit facility, and also acted on a £12 million funding of an overseas commercial property development. Highly knowledgeable Tim Walker has a thriving banking and asset finance practice. Clients report: “He takes the trouble to find out the way we work, and he works with us rather than lecturing us.”
Corporate Finance (South West: Bristol and surround)
This Cheltenham-based team “will always endeavour to do its utmost best for clients,” say market observers. The group is led by Richard Knight, whom sources appreciate for the clarity and conciseness of his advice: “He never gets bogged down in minutiae - and he recognises that time is money.” He heads a group of five lawyers, who handle work ranging from local to international deals, with Norway currently proving a particularly active source of work. The firm’s quality commercial expertise is an added bonus on corporate transactions.
Debt Recovery (South West)
For the most part, debt recovery work emanates from the firm’s existing commercial clients and educational establishments. However, the practice has progressed over the past year to warrant taking on another dedicated recoveries team member and an upgrade to its IT systems. Clients now also include landowners and businesses seeking bespoke services. The main contact for the group is partner Colin Gibson.
Dispute Resoluction (South West: Bristol & surround)
This Cheltenham-based firm elicits praise for “its acute attention to detail and transparency regarding costs.” The dispute resolution team, led by partner Colin Gibson, possesses the resources to deal with a range of disputes, including shareholder, IP and professional negligence claims. “The lawyers show initiative and get good results,” say satisfied clients . The firm is also renowned for its work in the property litigation field.
Education: Institutions (Schools) (Best of the UK)
This “quietly self-confident” schools team pulls lawyers together from different departments across the firm to provide the full range of services to its education sector clients. The team continues to focus on the independent schools sector, although it also advises a number of further education and higher education institutions. Based in Cheltenham, the firm has a strong regional practice and acts for all the independent schools in Gloucestershire. Clients come here for commercial property and employment advice in particular, and pay homage to the firm’s “significantly lower fees than London practices.” Lawyers are “incredibly responsive and helpful.” Employment specialist Alice Reeve leads the group and has significant knowledge of the education sector. “She’s always available and has proven to give sound advice on all sorts of issues,” say clients.
Employment (South West)
Rickerbys has an “exceedingly fine reputation” in a number of niche sectors, including education, where the team handles employment matters for a number of independent schools. Veterinary practices also benefit from the expertise of the team, with ten new practices joining the team’s portfolio in the past year. This niche expertise has led to demand for the team beyond Cheltenham, with clients based as far afield as Norfolk, London, Shropshire and Leeds. There is also some impressive corporate support on offer at the firm. Alice Reeve heads the work on the education front and also leads seminars and training sessions for HR professionals. Peers are quick to label her a “smashing lawyer and an asset to Rickerbys.”
IT (South West)
This team conducts a wide range of work relating to IT, e-commerce and data protection issues, advising on licensing, development and distribution, amongst other matters. The team is “extremely impressive and highly knowledgeable,” according to clients, and has successfully worked with small and medium-sized IT and e-commerce businesses as well as larger clients from the corporate and public sectors. In the past year, it has been involved in advising a major building society on the arrangement of its new mortgage software system, and advised G4S Security Services (UK) on its software and hardware procurement contracts. Tim Walker heads the IT team.
Intellectual Property (South West)
This team of “well-informed and thorough” lawyers has recently been bolstered by the Cheltenham office’s recruitment of Steven Murray, Ian Dawes and Christina Maclean. With leading clients including Sci-MX Nutrition and Signet Armorlite Europe, the team is active on both the contentious and non-contentious sides of IP. “Pragmatic, hard-working and highly regarded by his clients,” practice head Edward Davies is also “building a good team around him” and is well thought of for his expertise in non-contentious matters. He advised Nelson Thornes on the review of its precedent author agreement and series editor agreement, which constituted part of a project involving the updating of an existing maths textbook series. He also advised Adey in connection with its exclusive supply arrangements with British Gas, particularly regarding the interplay between IP and competition law when looking at restrictions in the agreement. In addition, he successfully represented Montpellier as a claimant in an action for infringement of unregistered design right and, in the alternative, copyright.
Litigation/Dispute Resolution: General Commercial (South West: Bristol & surround)
This Cheltenham firm has a sound reputation for private client work, and its sizeable team is involved in the entire spectrum of matters for a roster of UK-based and international clients. The group’s workload encompasses resident and non-domicile issues, cross-border probate and offshore trusts, and the firm also houses a specialist team, which advises clients on the sale and purchase of overseas property. The team can also draw on in-house investment management expertise. Marcus Parker heads the department.
Real Estate (South West)
Rickerbys is nationally recognised for its strength in education-related projects. Numerous local schools, colleges and universities consult the group, which also acts for UCAS. It regularly advises on securing large capital gains on surplus land for development, and recently acted for Westonbirt School on a complex exchange of park and farmland. The team is equally noted for its skill in acquiring, developing and disposing of care homes, as illustrated by its advice to Robert Walsh Projects - a subsidiary of Blanchworth Care - on the acquisition of a care home development site in Wotton-under-Edge. The group is closely involved in many of the significant projects currently underway in Gloucester, including development schemes at the historic docks and the Waterwells site. It also has a substantial client base of owner-occupiers and tenants, including RoadChef Motorways, Countrywide Estate Agents and British Waterways. Head of department Mark Fabian possesses several years’ experience of acquiring freehold and leasehold office property.
Restructuring/Insolvency (South West)
This Cheltenham-based department “is attentive and constructive” in offering solutions to any problem by working together as a team. The hugely knowledgeable lawyers advise IPs, banks, corporates and individuals on administration, liquidation, bankruptcy and directors’ disqualification matters. “They help the process move along efficiently because they really know what they are doing” and can draw on deep resources within the firm. The team acted for the directors of Auto Active who were faced with a winding-up petition, and subsequently a liquidator was appointed with various claims totalling £540,000. Rickerbys successfully defended the claims and the liquidator was forced to pay £20,000 compensation. Colin Gibson is an “approachable and pragmatic” licensed IP who combines a focus on corporate and personal insolvency with expertise in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. He is especially esteemed for his skill in formulating and presenting arguments. Qualified IP Derek Jones is highly active in the insolvency market, drawing praise for “his in-depth knowledge and commercial approach in taking matters forward.”
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