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#The Legal 500 > Simmons & Simmons > London, ENGLAND > What we say

Recommendations

London: Corporate and commercial

Within Commercial contracts. Simmons & Simmons is a third tier firm,

Simmons Simmons is praised highly by competitors and clients alike for the ‘quality and breadth of experience within the firm'. Team head Mark Dewar provides ‘clear guidance fashioned with respect to the client’s commercial objectives' and led advice to Telefónica UK on its smart meter implementation programme. Other clients include Monarch, Virgin Media and RBS.

Simmons Simmons ’ core four-partner team is headed by the highly regarded Chris Horton. and draws on an impressive list of investment bank clients, including JPMorgan Cazenove, Numis Securities and Investec, to act on a broad range of deals. Julian Perlmutter and Charles Hawes provide US advice, and UK-qualified Colin Bole is also recommended.

As well as being a popular choice for companies in the financial services sector, Simmons Simmons serves a broad client base which includes HMV, ENI and Qatar Petroleum International. In the TMT space, it works alongside IP colleagues to advise on issues at the intersection between IP and competition law. Oliver Heinisch is a ‘very sharp professional'. and Charles Bankes is ‘exceptional in this field'. Peter Broadhurst is also recommended.

Building its reputation within the funds space, Simmons Simmons has been broadening the scope of its practice to include work across the market. Recognised as a ‘leading firm for AIFMD advice'. as well as for advising individual entities on the implications of the directive, the firm has also assisted trade associations in their lobbying efforts. Darren Fox has a ‘superior understanding of the technical issues' affecting hedge funds, and is a key member of a team that also includes the ‘excellent' Charlotte Stalin and Penny Miller. On the contentious side, in addition to representing clients on civil investigations and enforcement actions, the team has a ‘superb offering' for criminal enforcement spearheaded by the ‘calm, measured and forensic' Nick Benwell. Richard Sims is also recommended.

Simmons Simmons mainly operates at the upper end of the AIM market, advising both issuers and brokers. Charles Mayo acted for NetScientific on its £30m IPO. Team head Chris Horton is ‘a pleasure to work with on the other side of a deal'. Colin Bole is also recommended.

Simmons Simmons attracts praise for its ‘good level of partner access, tailored advice and responsive associates'. Co-heads Arthur Stewart and Gideon Sharp (‘a very switched-on, creative and commercial lawyer' ) lead a five-partner team, which was joined in 2014 by Dale Gabbert. former head of Reed Smith LLP ’s EMEA investment funds practice. The practice is particularly noted for its track record advising on regulated markets transactions for a sponsor client base that includes AnaCap Financial Partners and Brookfield Asset Management.