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Hamlins recognised as Leading Firm by Legal 500 2023

Hamlins recognised as Leading Firm by Legal 500 2023

The Legal 500 2023 rankings confirm Hamlins’ status as a leading firm, with more than 75 per cent of our team members listed as Recommended Lawyers in this year’s guide to UK Solicitors.

Clients comment on our “remarkable level of expertise, top-quality team, excellent industry understanding and wealth of experience.”

The Hamlins team is praised for being “talented and hardworking, but approachable and client-focused; highly efficient and effective in delivering results,” and with “the focus always on achieving the best outcome for the client”.

Partners Amanda Burge, Chris Hutchings, Kate Andrews and Martin Ochs have again been selected as Leading Individuals. Legal 500 uses this term to distinguish ‘true market leaders, with long-established reputations in their sector, lead roles in significant matters and exceptional, widespread recognition and endorsement from peers in the market and clients alike’.

21 members of the Hamlins team have been highlighted as Recommended Lawyers in this year’s rankings, demonstrating the breadth of expertise of our colleagues across all practice areas.

Senior Partner, Joseph Holder, said:

Thank you once again to our fantastic clients for sharing such positive feedback and speaking so highly of our team members and practice areas. We are delighted our expertise has been recognised in so many categories, and to see more of our team members than ever listed as Recommended Lawyers.

We have undergone a significant period of transformation during the past two years. With the move to our incredible new home at 1 Kingsway marking a new era for the firm, this is a hugely exciting time for Hamlins as we continue to grow and to welcome new talent. We are thrilled our exceptional team is so widely recognised in this year’s rankings.”

Hamlins is listed in the following categories:

Media & Entertainment (including Media Finance)

Practice head: Martin Ochs, Christopher Hutchings

Key Lawyers: Callum Galbraith, Simon Gallant

Hamlins LLP has longstanding relationships with UK music collecting societies and the touring industry, as well as a niche specialism in handling matters pertaining to merchandise. The firm’s music side is headed by Martin Ochs who recently acted for George Lowden Guitars in its collaboration with Ed Sheeran. Christopher Hutchings leads the overall media offering and has a reflectively broad practice. Additionally, clients can rely on the team’s extensive expertise in reputation management and defamation, most notably practised by Callum Galbraith and Simon Gallant.

 

Reputation Management

Practice head: Christopher Hutchings

Key Lawyers: Callum Galbraith, Alex Cochrane, Ellen Gallagher

Next Generation Partner: Alex Cochrane

The 'top-quality team' at Hamlins LLP is led by media specialist Christopher Hutchings and provides a comprehensive reputation management service, advising a broad client base on defamation, pre-publication libel, and privacy law. Callum Galbraith has considerable expertise resolving complex pre-publication disputes, and manages the firm's position as lead solicitor in the phone hacking litigation against News Group Newspapers. Privacy specialist Alex Cochrane is also recommended for handling claims of misuse of private information arising out of the broadcast of highly intrusive fly-on-the-wall documentaries.

 

M&A Smaller Deals, up to £50m

Practice head: Aselle Djumabaeva-Wood

Key Lawyers: Richard Britain

In 2021, Hamlins LLP’s corporate team acted for SailGP in its acquisition by Olympic gold medal and America’s Cup winner Sir Ben Ainslie – the biggest deal in the sport of sailing that year. Team head Aselle Djumabaeva-Wood, the first Kyrgyz lawyer to qualify as an English solicitor, specialises in corporate transactions and secured lending for corporate acquisitions and real estate finance. Richard Britain is a corporate law and insurance specialist with significant advisory and risk management experience.

 

Hospitality & Leisure

Practice head: Ben Kilshaw

Key Lawyers: Martin Ochs, John Leasure

Hamlins LLP is particularly skilled at rolling out high street brands through the acquisition of sites and negotiations of leases pertaining to restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs. Known for his representation of leisure operators in rollouts, Ben Kilshaw also leads the practice.

 

Construction: Contentious

Practice head: Amanda Burge

Key Lawyers: Sarah Finch, Lola Dawson

The contentious team at Hamlins LLP offer expertise in a range of construction and engineering disputes, including those relating to financing, delay claims, and negligent design. The practice acts for a range of clients, in particular for employers, contractors and developers. Amanda Burge leads the team, with significant experience in commercial disputes, including for professional negligence, insurance, and financial and property matters. Sarah Finch is notable for her adjudication experience, whilst Lola Dawson has experience with IT project disputes.

 

Property Litigation

Practice head: Kate Andrews

Key Lawyers: Sarah Finch

The team at Hamlins LLP is well equipped to advise a range of clients, including property managers, investors, residential leaseholders, developers and commercial landlords and tenants. Practice head Kate Andrews has ample experience handling breaches of leasehold covenants, including applications for consent to assign and development disputes - she has 'boundless energy and complete commitment to her client's interests', and works alongside the 'razor sharp' Sarah Finch.

 

Commercial Litigation: Mid Market

Practice head: Amanda Burge

Key Lawyers: Martin Ochs, Laura Daly, Lola Dawson, Lauren Twidale

Hamlins LLP‘s 'agile commercial litigation team' handles an array of disputes, including claims involving contractual issues, torts, breach of fiduciary duties and civil fraud. The 'exceptional' Amanda Burge acts in a wide range of complex and large-value commercial disputes; and promoted to equity partner during 2021, Martin Ochs focuses on contentious IP and commercial disputes. At associate level, senior Laura Daly, and Lola Dawson and Lauren Twidale are also key team members.

 

Professional Negligence

Practice head: Amanda Burge

Key Lawyers: Sarah Finch

Rising Star: Laura Daly

Hamlins LLP's professional negligence team has experience acting both for and against professionals in sectors including legal, financial and construction. Dispute resolution head Amanda Burge is the key name - she is able to draw on her experience of working at defendant insurer firms and is regarded as 'the consummate professional lawyer - highly focused, commercially aware and personally committed'. Sarah Finch focuses on property matters, advising on real estate professional negligence claims.

 

Commercial Property: Investment

Practice head: Mark Hurst

Key Lawyers: John Leasure, Joseph Holder, Victoria Camfield, Nigel Mason,

Hamlins LLP ‘s ‘professional and efficient’ real estate practice offers clients expert advice on a full range of commercial property matters, which include developments, leasing, and management, as well as complex structuring and lending issues. Practice head Mark Hurst has almost 25 years’ experience in managing large portfolio transactions and representing fully listed PLCs, high net worth individuals, and offshore funds. Joseph Holder advises funds, institutional investors, and substantial family offices across a whole range of commercial real estate transactions; Holder contributes his deep experience in residential investment practice.

 

Sport

Practice head: Matthew Pryke

Hamlins LLP is recommended for advising on the structuring and launch of new sports events, initiatives and formats. The firm’s cross-sport client base comprises governing bodies, sportspeople, sports agents, commercial organisations, ticketing companies and sports media businesses. Matthew Pryke leads the team, with considerable experience in sports events management, broadcast and promoter agreements, commercial arrangements, sponsorships, regulatory issues and player transfers.

 

Property Finance

Practice head: Aselle Djumabaeva-Wood

Hamlins LLP‘s real estate finance team has a broad client base, acting for high-street banks, niche lenders, opportunistic funds, and developers, as well as high-net-worth individuals and family offices. The team also handles development financing of a wide range of asset classes, including student accommodation, hotels, and high end residential developments and apartments. Russian and English speaking Aselle Djumabaeva-Wood chairs the group and specialises in secured lending, acting for banks, property investors and developers. She also practises law in the Kyrgyz Republic.

 

Intellectual Property: Trade Marks, Copyright and Design

Practice heads: Martin Ochs, Matthew Pryke

Hamlins LLP‘s IP group maintains a strong music rights practice, and is a trusted adviser to a number of UK collective rights management organisations, including PRS and PPL, for all aspects of their IP protection. Co-lead Martin Ochs has extensive expertise in contentious music merchandising issues, and co-head Matthew Pryke is a key contact for influencer and model advertising, sporting brands and personalities advertisement, and brand protection strategies.