- Managing Partner: Ian Jeffery
- Number of partners : 60
- Assistant solicitors: 87
- Other fee-earners: 37
- Total fee-earners: 184
- Total staff: 317
THE FIRM The firm’s lawyers and business services personnel are focused on providing effective and commercial solutions to clients’ needs. In addition to expertise in the legal fields of real estate; corporate; employment and reward and immigration; litigation and dispute resolution and media, brands and technology, the firm focuses in particular on a number of sectors: media, people and regeneration. Surveys show that clients particularly value Lewis Silkin’s cost-effectiveness, their personalised approach to the needs of their business and distinctive approach to legal updating, know how and training events (details on www.lewissilkin.com).
PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK
The firm organises itself around the unique needs of each of its clients, drawing on experts in the following practice areas and industry sectors.
Academies: A leading adviser to organisations that have been establishing academies.
Construction: Highly regarded in this area, the firm works as part of the project team from the outset, offering a comprehensive service from new build property to heavyweight civil engineering, and contentious matters when they arise.
Corporate Services: An active role that may include documenting the deal as well as acting as a business adviser, structuring the deal or conducting complex negotiations. The range of work includes shareholder agreements, project finance, flotations, employee benefits, insolvency and regulatory advice. A particular focus is on growing companies and businesses in the media and marketing sectors. Commercial expertise includes publishing, franchising and outsourcing.
Defamation: Expert and practical advice to corporations, firms or individuals whose reputation has been put at risk by libel, slander or malicious falsehood.
Employment, Reward & Immigration: The firm has one of the highest-rated teams in London, a group of outstanding lawyers with a reputation for straightforward practical advice when a sensitive and commercial approach is needed. Lewis Silkin is a member of Ius Laboris, an international alliance of employment lawyers.
Housing: A recognised leader in this field, Lewis Silkin’s innovative thinking and long experience feed a strong record of challenging work in the social housing sector, regeneration schemes and related private finance arrangements.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution: From sensitive mediation to High Court litigation, the firm works with clients to achieve their commercial objectives. Lewis Silkin is known for its success in winning disputes, as a result of a string of high profile victories, but, increasingly, many problems are being resolved effectively with appropriate dispute resolution techniques.
Marketing Services: From long established advertising agencies to start-ups across the spectrum of marketing services, clients value Lewis Silkin’s understanding of the challenges they face, the result of over 30 years spent advising many of the industry’s leading names. The firm’s track record in this sector is second to none, and it regularly advises on international matters through its membership of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA).
Media, Brands & Technology: An active convergence practice advising a range of brand and media owners, marcomms, consultants, digital and technology businesses on contentious and non-contentious matters, including regulatory clearance, rights protection and exploitation, competition, patents, trade marks, procurement or outsourcing of IT systems, data protection, software, licensing and distribution agreements.
Partnership Law: Advising professional partnerships, LLPs and individual partners, the firm’s multidisciplinary contentious and non-contentious team understands the unique nature of partnership environments.
Real Estate & Development: Advising occupiers, investors and developers on all property-related needs, from financing to planning, environmental issues, regeneration and development, from leases to litigation or dispute resolution.
Sports: An expert squad that combines strengths in employment, immigration, brands and marketing, publishing, IP, corporate finance and property.
CLIENTS The firm’s clients range from large corporations and plcs to government agencies and entrepreneurs, across a wide range of sectors – from advertising, media, publishing and the internet to social housing and property, restaurants, partnerships and retailers, to sport and utilities.
INTERNATIONAL Lewis Silkin regularly offers international service through its carefully built network of contacts and alliances, including the Global Advertising Lawyers’ Alliance (GALA), the international association of corporate communications lawyers, www.gala-marketlaw.com and Ius Laboris, the leading global alliance of employment, incentives and pension lawyers www.iuslaboris.com
Areas of PracticeEmployment & Incentives: 40%
Property/Project Finance/Construction/Social Housing: 17%
Advertising/Media/Defamation/IP/IT: 17%
Corporate Finance/Commercial: 14%
Litigation & Dispute Resolution: 12%