Banking and finance
DICKINSON DEES LLP Newcastle
Muckle LLP Newcastle
Ward Hadaway Newcastle
Watson Burton LLP Newcastle Hay & Kilner Newcastle
Mincoff Jacksons LLP Stockton-on-Tees
Optima Legal Newcastle
Sintons LLP Newcastle
Clients describe the practice at Dickinson Dees LLP as ‘extremely proficient and approachable’. It was recently instructed by Alliance & Leicester on a number of acquisition finance facilities, including advising the bank and AIB Group plc on development facilities in the waste sector with a value of more than £20m. Deborah Kirtley leads the experienced team, which acts for clients such as Barclays, Abbey and the specialist acquisition finance team at Clydesdale Bank.
The four-partner offering at Muckle LLP is headed by Stephen McNicol. One practice strength is property finance, with notable instructions including advice to Bank of Scotland on the provision of £50m revolving credit facilities to a property developer. Institutional clients include HSBC, Lloyds and RBS.
Ward Hadaway’s practice head Julie Harrison continues to demonstrate a ‘wealth of experience’. The team has an ‘excellent reputation’ and recently handled overdraft-related instructions for the Co-operative Bank and Bank of Scotland.
Watson Burton LLP provides ‘invaluable’ advice to borrowers and lenders. It acted for Mansion Group Ltd on a recent £8m refinancing with Barclays. Clients praise Mark Lazenby for his ‘breadth of view’, and the ‘refreshingly commercial’ Gillian Hall.
Much of Hay & Kilner’s finance work is real estate related; the team acts for several clearing banks in relation to loans on a wide variety of commercial properties in the region. Phil Broadhurst is singled out as an ‘expert in his field of mortgage regulation and compliance’. Paul Taylor is also recommended.
Stockton-based Geoff Skeoch leads Mincoff Jacksons LLP’s practice and specialises in property finance. Clients include Yorkshire Bank, Allied Irish Bank and the Co-Operative Bank.
At Optima Legal, clients praise the ‘all-round excellent service’, singling out Chris Johnson’s ‘overwhelming can-do attitude backed up by technical skills’. Alexandra Cook and Jonathan Yates are also recommended. Clients include Lloyds TSB. The firm merged with McKeags in 2008.
Sintons LLP acted for two major lenders in the funding of two substantial portfolios with a value of approximately £16m. Practice head Andrew Walker is recommended. Clients include Alliance & Leicester and Dunbar Bank.
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