Legal 500: the top construction law firms

Unsure where to turn to for legal aid? Contract Journal is the media partner for Legalease’s Legal 500, an authoritative listing of the country’s top law firms. Read on to find out who you would want representing you should you find yourself in court.

Tier 1

Berwin Leighton Paisner

"Top firm" Berwin Leighton Paisner uses its dominance in real estate as a springboard to advise clients including Transport for London, AMEC and Land Securities Trillium. The "expert" eight-partner team includes Bob Maynard, Caroline Pope and Stella Mitchell, and is considered "a strong team of associates expertly managed by the lead partners".

Currently advising EDF Energy on long-term extensive civil engineering works and acting on a range of complex disputes for London Underground, the balanced group is focusing on international growth, with major projects under way for CCIC, JGC and Interhealth.

Pinsent Masons

With "unrivalled construction experience", Pinsent Masons is a first choice for industry giants including Balfour Beatty, Taylor Woodrow and Babcock.

Praised for nurturing "long and fruitful relationships", "outstanding performers" include Andrew Hibbert, Richard Laudy and John Salway.

Known throughout the market for its experience and knowledge on both contentious and non-contentious matters, recent high-profile cases include acting for the Balfour Beatty/Skansa joint venture on its tender for the M25 widening contract, and advising on the East London Line project. The firm's innovative Procurement to Completion (P2C) product is also highly sought after, and recent successes include the M1 widening and the St Pancras station fit-out.

Tier 2

Ashurst

Best known for acting on large-scale developments and PFI matters, Ashurst continues to act on Stratford and White City retail developments for Westfield in both advisory and dispute resolution capacities.

Better known on the non-contentious side, the group has also received high-profile instructions from RWE nPower to construct two coal-fired power stations. The four-partner team, including Marc Hanson, also acts for Tesco, IVG Real Estate and Hermes.

CMS Cameron McKenna

After last year's departures, CMS Cameron McKenna has added ex-SJ Berwin practice head Ian Insley to strengthen its bench. Praised by clients as being "user-friendly", the team, headed by Caroline Cummins, is retained by Carillion, Laing O'Rourke and RBS.

With domestic instructions including advice to Metronet on potential disputes, and to Crest Nicholson on its regeneration of Bristol Harbourside, the group also has an international presence, and is advising on developments in Latvia, Riga and Romania.

Clifford Chance

As well as work on major projects including advice to Candy and Candy on the Chelsea Barracks development and work for Tishman Speyer on Aldgate Union, Clifford Chance has a strong contentious practice.

Recent highlights include the successful recovery of £190m-plus costs for Brazilian oil company Petrobras relating to the construction of floating oil-storage units.

Commanding a "reputation for excellence", partners such as Tim Steadman and Alex Panayides are appreciated by clients such as Multiplex, Bechtel and HSBC.

Fenwick Elliott

Considered to be "at the top of their game", Fenwick Elliott has a number of "fantastic" partners, including Anthony Francis, Simon Tolson and Victoria Russell. The firm's international and domestic strength across the board is a draw for clients.

Although better known for non-contentious matters, such as acting for Balfour Beatty on the Olympic Aquatic Centre, the group also handles high-profile contentious matters, such as advising BAA on disputes arising from Heathrow T5 and representing a subcontractor on Wembley Stadium-related issues.

Herbert Smith

Led by contentious partner Michael Davis and non-contentious specialist Nicholas Downing, Herbert Smith's "first-class" construction group has a global focus on energy, infrastructure and transport.

Acting for clients such as the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, ChevronTexaco and new client the Ministry of Defence, highlights of the past 12 months included renegotiating London Underground's power service contract, acting for Vesta on multiple European wind farms, and handling two complex ICC arbitrations. The group is also specialist adviser to Land Securities on development projects.

Linklaters

Linklaters is carving out a reputation as a leader in nuclear new-build projects, and is advising on projects in Slovakia and Lithuania. Seen as "leading the field with her expertise", Ann Minogue and her team are dominant on front-end developments, with examples including acting on the Thanet offshore wind farm, and advising Hines UK on the redevelopment of Cannon Place.

Regarded as having an "outstanding reputation", the group also acts for Grosvenor, the Saudi Arabian government, and ING Stanhope.

Lovells

Specialising in transport, energy and major international projects, Lovells is retained by big-name clients such as Bechtel, Rio Tinto and Tube Lines.

Gillian Thomas and John Gerszt head the "excellent" non-contentious and contentious sides respectively. Instructions include acting on two major developments for Ballymore, advising Argent on the King's Cross regeneration, and representing Wirth in a £54m defective-equipment claim.

Mayer Brown International

With domestic infrastructure and international oil and gas expertise, Mayer Brown International provides clients with "legal advice of the very highest quality".

Serving as procurement counsel to the Panama Canal Authority, and representing Nationwide Building Society on the Shard of Glass funding, the team has an "unsurpassed speed of response".

Head of the group Michael Regan, and Sally Davies, John Rushton and Jonathan Hosie, are all "of a high standard", and are retained by clients such as Swiss Re, Zurich, GE Energy and ExxonMobil.

Nabarro

Nabarro offers a cradle-to-grave service that leaves clients "very impressed". Work for developers including Land Securities, Minerva and European Land demonstrates the firm's prestigious reputation and experience in large-scale developments.

Led by the "very commercial" Terry Fleet, the group is increasing its market share of contentious matters, and is representing the Houses of Lords and Commons on a delayed completion matter. It has also won new instructions from Multiplex and Bechtel on widely reported disputes.

Shadbolt

Although the recent retirement of Dick Shadbolt is a loss, Shadbolt's clients have "not found any areas of service wanting, and would not change them".

Department head Chris Hoar, Dominic Helps and Peter Sheridan are praised as forming "close and continual relationships".

With representative clients including Citibank, Babcock and John Laing, the predominantly contentious group is acting for Kier, and is handling multiple matters for new client Balfour Beatty Rail, including an oil spillage.

Tier 3

• Addleshaw Goddard
• DLA Piper
• Davies Arnold Cooper
• Denton Wilde Sapte
• Dundas & Wilson
• Eversheds
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• K&L Gates
• Macfarlanes
• Norton Rose
• Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
• Speechly Bircham
• Taylor Wessing
• Trowers & Hamlins
• White & Case
• Wragge & Co

Tier 4

• Allen & Overy
• Baker & McKenzie
• Beachcroft
• Boodle Hatfield
• Burges Salmon Bristol
• Clyde & Co
• Glovers Solicitors
• Hammonds
• LG
• Lane & Partners
• Manches
• Maxwell Winward
• Olswang
• Reed Smith
• SJ Berwin
• Simmons & Simmons
• Stephenson Harwood

Tier 5

• Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
• Bevan Brittan
• Field Fisher Waterhouse
• Jones Day
• Kennedys
• Lewis Silkin
• Slaughter and May
• Steptoe & Johnson
• Travers Smith
• Watson Burton

Firms are listed alphabetically in tiers