Avocats – England

Guy Forster

Partner

Fieldfisher

Guy Hitchin

Guy acts for and is a trusted commercial property law adviser to national and international property businesses with a client base that includes property investment companies, banks and corporate occupiers, predominantly in the office, retail, leisure and hospitality sectors. Clients with commercial and residential property portfolios benefit from Guy’s extensive experience in advising on landlord and tenant law and his balanced, commercial approach to negotiations. He also often advises on complex agreements for lease conditional on development works and planning consents. Banking clients turn to Guy for his expertise when it comes to secured lending transactions, particularly in London and Manchester

Keystone Law

Guy Martin

With over 20 years’ experience at the forefront of sanctions and international law, Guy advises on all aspects of sanctions regimes, export controls, and international trade law. He also brings decades of expertise in reputation management, including media law, defamation, copyright, intellectual property, and data protection. Guy was the strategic lead in landmark sanctions cases before the European Court of Justice, including Sheikh Yassin Kadi v Council of the EU — known globally as Kadi 1 and Kadi 2. Both were heard before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice, the highest court in Europe, where the court sharply criticised the absence of due process and rule of law protection in the application of sanctions. Working with trusted legal advisers in the US and EU, Guy has secured the worldwide delisting of Sheikh Yassin Kadi as well as many other clients. These cases have helped shape new legal protocols for challenging international sanctions across multiple jurisdictions. Guy has particular experience of UN sanctions, and of advising businesses and investors on compliance with economic sanctions around the world. Guy’s clients include ultra-high-net-worth individuals, philanthropists, royalty, rulers of states and their families, international religious organisations and leaders, and internationally recognised figures in the arts and media. One client stated: “[Guy Martin is] peerless in international sanctions work, with a combination of huge experience and excellent client care.” In 2001 Guy founded and subsequently led a top-ranking sanctions department in a Central London law firm, described as “Renowned for its distinct expertise in sanctions against states and targeted asset freezing against individuals, and for its involvement in highly sensitive cases. Strong track record in the Middle East and Africa, notably in matters relating to the Arab Spring”. He has successfully led many clients in their legal and administrative challenges to asset freezing measures – or “targeted sanctions” — by judicial review applications in England, direct actions for annulment to the General Court of the EU in Luxembourg, appeals to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, and petitions before the United Nations Ombudsperson, OFAC and other international bodies. Since 2001 Guy has devised the strategy for, and led, the landmark litigation establishing the modern law of sanctions in the cases of Kadi 1 and Kadi 2. These cases have been relied on and continue to be cited globally as the foundation of modern sanctions law. Many of Guy’s clients have been denied the protection of the Rule of Law, an effective tribunal, or due process, and have suffered other injustices, often as a result of international crises, political upheaval or armed conflict. Sanctions and International Law – Recent Case Experience Sheikh Yassin Abdullah Kadi, mistakenly sanctioned around the world by the UK, US, EU and UN. In what was to become the defining case in this sphere, Guy represented Mr Kadi in his successful appeals to the ECJ in 2008 and 2013. He has acted for Mr Kadi for over 20 years. His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain faced unwarranted allegations concerning conduct pre-dating his 2014 abdication. Guy led the team in the litigation before the Court of Appeal which in December 2022 upheld the King’s sovereign immunity. The family of former Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Elsayed Mubarak were wrongfully subjected to sanctions by the EU, following the Arab Spring. Following challenges brought by Guy, the UK removed them from its sanctions list, and in 2021 and 2022 the EU lifted all remaining sanctions. Burmese national Pye Phyo Tay Za erroneously sanctioned by the Council of the EU. He was first listed by the EU in 2003 at the young age of 16. Guy instructed the legendary Sir Sydney Kentridge KC to appear on his behalf before the European Court of Justice which held that the application of restrictive measures to persons on the “sole ground of their family connection with persons associated with the leaders of [Burma] irrespective of the conduct of such persons is at variance with the Court’s case law”. This resulted in unequivocal delisting for my client. Syrian businessman Nizar Assaad, who was the victim of mistaken identity by the EU Council. His successful challenge fully vindicated Nizar Assad’s position throughout and caused the EU Council to substantially revise its practices by engaging Arabic language experts to work on its designation lists, to the ongoing benefit of all EU-designated persons from Arabic-speaking countries. Syrian businessman Mazen Al Tabbaa whose designation by the EU I successfully challenged before the European General Court. Moldovan politician and businessman Vladimir Plahotniuc former vice president of the Parliament of Moldova, successful in challenging the 2023 restrictive measures imposed on him by the EU Council. Guy is committed to promoting the Rule of Law as the indispensable foundation of a civilised society and a healthy democracy.

Fieldfisher

Guy Morgan

Partner

Fox Williams LLP

Guy Morgan

Partner Guy represents a wide variety of clients including leading banks and other funders in secured lending matters, high net worth individuals, overseas investors, developers, public sector bodies, charities, health and social care organisations and professionals (including care home operators and supported living scheme investors and developers) and vets. With many years experience of real estate finance work (acting for both lenders and borrowers), Guy has particular expertise in the development and refinancing of health and animal care premises (involving GP, pharmacy, dental, optician and veterinary practices) and social care facilities (including acting for care home and supported living professionals).

Sherrards Solicitors LLP

Guy Osborn

Partner & Head of Commercial Property

Osbornes

Guy O’Keefe

Partner; Guy has a wide ranging practice which covers banking, capital markets and structured finance. He advises financial institutions, funds and governments on investments in and fund raisings of financial institutions, including restructurings and asset sales. Guy regularly acts for a number of UK and international companies, including Drax Group, Euroclear, Banco Santander, Santander UK, Legal & General, Prudential, United Utilities, GlaxoSmithKline, UK Asset Resolution, M&G and Direct Line.

Slaughter and May

Guy Sackett

Partner

Irwin Mitchell

Guy Usher

Partner, Co-Head of Financial Markets and Products

Fieldfisher

Guy Whitehead

Senior Associate Guy has considerable experience in all real estate transactions, but has a particular focus on landlord and tenant and insolvency support work and along with Jennifer Ayris is IM’s go to retail expert. He also assists the banking and corporate teams with the property aspects of transactions and has considerable experience in dealing with transactions for charities and insolvency practitioners. He has acted on behalf of many of the country’s largest institutional landlords and now acts for a number of retail tenants. Guy also has experience of acting on significant investment acquisitions and disposals.

Irwin Mitchell

Guy Wilkes

Mishcon de Reya LLP

Guy Wilmot

Guy Wilmot is a partner in the corporate and commercial team. He advises clients on corporate affairs, startups, intellectual property and technology, e-commerce and IT.

Russell-Cooke LLP

Guy Winfield

Partner and head of the Real Estate team in Nottingham specialising in commercial development (town centre, retail and industrial) as well as residential development, property investment and property finance. Guy also leads the team acting for one of the UK’s leading gym operators. “Clients comment that he provides a best in class service with the ability to respond to matters very quickly, accurately and efficiently and has a skill of thinking laterally and "outside the box" often keeping deals alive and finding solutions to problems that would otherwise make a deal not happen”

Freeths LLP

Guyanne Saul

Browne Jacobson LLP

Gwendoline Davies

Partner and Head of Commercial Dispute Resolution

Walker Morris LLP

Gwilym Roberts

Partner and Chairman

Kilburn & Strode LLP

Gwynneth Tan

Gwynneth is an experienced employment lawyer, advising businesses and senior executives in the commercial and public sector. Gwynneth has particular experience in the retail and higher and further education sectors. Gwynneth has gained valuable insight into employer working practices from secondments to two large organisations and she continues to enjoy a close working relationship with human resources departments advising on the impact of all aspects of employment law in the workplace. Gwynneth provides strategic and commercial advice, tailored to the client’s desired outcomes, on all areas of employment law, including organisational restructures, contractual variations, employment-related support on business acquisitions and sales, TUPE in commercial agreements and business transfers/supplier change and post-termination restrictive covenants. Gwynneth regularly represents employers at employment tribunal hearings, which include complex discrimination and whistleblowing claims. Gwynneth is also an accredited trainer and delivers bespoke training to employers. Recent work handled by Gwynneth includes: advising a major retailer on TUPE aspects and the application of the Agency Worker Regulations within commercial and outsourcing contracts; advising on the employment aspects of a business acquisition of a manufacturing assembly operations, and on the effective integration of incoming employees into an existing workforce as well as a few redundancies as a result, whilst ensuring minimal disruption to workforce morale and operations; advising a large motorway service company on the employment aspects and process involved in relation to a change in contractual pension benefits; advising a company on enforcement of post-termination restrictive covenants, resulting in monetary settlement in favour of the client; successful representation of a recruitment business at an employment in its defence against a claim of unfair dismissal and sex discrimination, involving issues of employment status and pregnancy discrimination; advising on and managing a claim brought by a trade union against a University for a protective award arising out of a collective redundancy process.Gwynneth is recognised by legal directory Chambers UK and is a leading lawyer on the Legal 500. Gwynneth is recognised as a leading individual in employment law by Legal 500,2020; and is a ranked lawyer in Chambers 2020.

Shoosmiths LLP

Habiba Ahmed

Associate

Gordons Partnership 2020 Limited

Hal Branch

Managing Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution

Branch Austin McCormick LLP

Halina Wielogorska

Halina is a highly-regarded music and entertainment lawyer who has built up a sterling reputation during 10 years of in-house and private practice. She studied law at Oxford and trained at a top tier international law firm before diversifying into music in 2010. Halina is renowned for her highly commercial style; a skill she learned while operating at the epicentre of the business, label, publishing, sponsorship, events and legal divisions of some of the music industry’s most successful music start-ups (Boiler Room, AEI Group). She returned to private practice in 2014 to build her own practice at a leading entertainment firm, before joining Level to launch their music division in 2020. Consistently inspired and motivated by the talent spotting element of her role Halina takes great pride in utilising her extensive network of industry connections to assist artists and entrepreneurs in every aspect of their prospective careers. This means delivering a personal service every step of the way, working closely with her client to assemble a fantastic team to support and nurture them, while successfully negotiating the kind of deals that will give them the best possible chance of success, whatever that means to them. Her diverse and dynamic client base continues to grow, and includes an array of gifted individuals and businesses that are entering the industry at every level, reflecting Halina’s own unwavering passion for new music.

Level

Halyna Semchak

Immigration Lawyer | PhD Researcher in Immigration Law

Sterling Law

Hamidullah Khan

Director & Solicitor

Farani Taylor Solicitors

Hamilton Forrest

I am a specialist tax lawyer who advises UK and international clients on private client and corporate work. I specialise in real estate taxation, investment structuring (including fund formation), corporate work (mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures etc.) both in the UK and overseas, employee tax, global mobility, incentive schemes and private capital for high net worth individuals. I act for a wide range of clients, including individuals, SMEs and large multinationals. After attending my first tax law lecture in my final year of university, I knew that I wanted to have a career in tax. I started this at PwC before going on to qualify as a solicitor in the tax department of a large city law firm. I am a member of the Stamp Taxes Practitioners Group. While I enjoy the very technical nature of my area of law, I see myself principally as a facilitator. That is, someone who helps clients achieve what they would like to do.

Fladgate LLP

Hamish Corner

Hamish specialises in commercial, IT and data privacy law, including all aspects of technology, media and licensing arrangements, in particular software agreements (including SaaS, licence and implementation projects and outsourcing); EU data protection requirements, including GDPR; franchising, merchandising and co-branding agreements; as well as collaborations and joint ventures. His clients include growing businesses in the technology, media, retail and sports sectors. They range from start-ups and early stage growth companies, to scale-ups and privately held mid-sized and large corporates, in the UK, Europe and the US.

Shoosmiths LLP