International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has once again achieved remarkable results in The Legal 500 UK 2022, with 15 rankings in key practice areas and 37 lawyers ranked. The firm has gained seven new practice recognitions, and 10 individual recognitions, which is the highest increase in the past decade.

McDermott preserved strong Tier 2 positions in M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals; Private Client in both Contentious Trusts and Probate and Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate; and improved in Employment: Employers with a move up to Tier 5. The firm gained several new rankings including: Emerging Markets in Tier 3; Finance: High Yield in Tier 4; Healthcare & Life Sciences in Tier 4; and received special note as a ‘Firm to watch’ in Bank Lending and Gaming & Betting.

Eight lawyers have been ranked in the elite ‘Leading Individuals’ list:

• Nick Azis
• Ranajoy Basu
• Mark Fennessy
• Simon Goldring
• Nick Holland
• Andrew Savage
• Tom Whelan
• Ziva Robertson (Hall of Fame: applies to lawyers listed as ‘Leading Individuals’ for six years or more)

Other highlights include:

Private Client

• Tier 2 ranking in Contentious Trusts and Probate. Described as “one of the best private client teams in London involved in the highest profile cases,” and a “powerful force in trust litigation.” Noted as an “excellent multinational firm with superb US and South African client base, and a team of top-class partners.”
• Tier 2 ranking in Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate. Described as “a one-stop solution for clients,” “readily available – pragmatic – international planning,” and its “global reach in tax and trust structuring is invaluable in family HNW cases.”
• Recommended Lawyers: Simon Gibb, Lynsey McIntyre, Astrid B. Owen, Anita Shah and Andrew Vergunst

Transactions

• Tier 2 ranking in M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals. Praised for “meticulous attention to detail” and for being “solution-oriented and straightforward.”
• Tier 3 ranking in Private Equity: Transactions Mid-Market Deals. Noted for having “a specialism in the healthcare and technology sectors.” A client states that the team “were thoughtful, timely and efficient” and “understood and anticipated our needs at every step of the transaction.”
• Tier 4 ranking in High Yield (NEW). Described as a “very professional firm,” with “talented individuals that are fully up to speed with very complex and demanding transactions.”
• Also noted in Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Debt Loans as a “Firm to watch” (NEW).
• Recommended Lawyers: Arvin Abraham, Alexander Andronikou, Ranajoy Basu, Matthew Chen, Mark Fine, Aymen Mahmoud, Stuart Mathews, Sunay Radia, Priya Taneja, Calum Thom, Eleanor West and Marta Wrobel

Emerging Markets

• Tier 3 ranking in Emerging Markets (NEW). A client comments that the team is “affable and approachable at all levels, and proficient in its legal advice,” adding that “the commercial insight of the team coupled with their negotiation and drafting expertise makes the firm a pleasure to deal with.”
• Recommended Lawyers: Nick Azis, Andrew Savage, Priya Taneja and Hamid Yunis

Healthcare

• Tier 4 ranking in Healthcare & Life Sciences (NEW), the team is lauded for being “phenomenally determined, knowledgeable, creative, thorough, relentlessly energetic.” A client notes that the team’s “approach and knowledge sets them apart from their competitors.”
• Recommended Lawyers: Sharon Lamb and Hamid Yunis
• Rising Star: David Gibson

Litigation

• Tier 4 ranking in Dispute Resolution:Commercial Litigation Mid-Market. Described as “exceptionally strong” and a “growing force that is continuing to go from strength to strength.”
• Also noted in Gaming & Betting as a “Firm to Watch” (NEW).
• Rising Star: Kimberley Smith
• Recommended Lawyers: Joshua Domb, Romilly Holland, Ben Lamble and Edward Perkins

Employment

• Tier 5 ranking in Employment:Employers (UP). Praised as “diligent, professional, available and thorough,” the team is also noted for “practical advice” that takes “the pain out of any difficult negotiation.”
• Recommended Lawyers: Katie Clark and Paul McGrath

Tax

• Tier 5 ranking in Corporate Tax. Described as “experts for international tax and particularly responsive and on point,” with an “exceptional level of client care.” A client states that “even complex questions in the context of transfer pricing or VAT are in the best hands with them.”
• Recommended Lawyers: Sarah Gabbai and James Ross

View the full Firm rankings, lawyer recommendations, client feedback and editorial commentary.

About The Legal 500

The Legal 500 organizes the rankings into a single national ranking. The Legal 500 is a guide with emphasis on teams, not individuals, with the notable exception of leading lawyers listing, Legal 500 does not rank individual lawyers. Legal 500 highlights certain key individuals within the editorial paragraphs, but the principal aim is to provide a snapshot of the market based on assessment of the overall strength and depth of a practice group. The website www.legal500.com has 4 million unique individual users each year, including 2.5 million corporate counsel. View the full Legal 500 UK 2022 rankings.

McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.