The proposed planning reforms in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill are many and varied. However, there are a number of themes that run through the proposals. Ambition The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill aims to reverse geographical disparities between different parts of the United Kingdom by spreading opportunity more equally. Given the scale of this ambition, the Bill is inevitably lengthy - the Explanatory Notes alone run to 247 pages - and includes a disparate set of measures encompassing devolution, regeneration and planning. Whilst the proposed planning reforms in the Bill are many and varied, there are a number of themes that run through the proposals...
Shoosmiths LLP
Main Contacts

Gary Assim
Partner
Crispin Bridges Webb
PartnerOffices
Overview
Shoosmiths LLP is unusual among its UK law firm peer group for steering its path to a £128million turnover largely through organic growth, rather than by mega-merger.
For clients, this translates into a slick operation where teams are well integrated, and the right skills for a requirement can be focused on or scaled up easily. This impression of strong relationships of trust and teamwork at Shoosmiths is underpinned by a 20 year commitment to diversity and shared values.
Against this background is a sharp ambition to step into the vacuum that international competitors have left behind, and the firm has rapidly expanded its UK footprint to become one of today's most 'national' firms, with a series of successful office openings in Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, the acquisition of the Scottish firm ACH in 2012 and an opening in Belfast three years later. These extensions have been built on a historic base in the East Midlands dating back to 1845, together with the firm's 30-year status as a regional heavyweight in the South-East. The firm may be onto something - their clients include a wide number of blue-chip names who clearly like a firm on their panels which is 'not too small, and not too large.'
Client focus and commerciality are at the heart of the Shoosmiths service promise - the firm views itself as a service business and its lawyers and front line staff are genuinely encouraged to make a difference in a way that is relevant to each client.
The cultural imperative to "take initiative" (one of the firm's 4 core values) has helped the firm to score many innovative firsts - "it's something we just do, rather than something we talk about". Shoosmiths was the first UK law firm to publish its fee income (1994), and the first law firm to be on twitter (2008). It has pioneered an innovative Risk & Reward pricing structure in collaboration with a major client, was the first UK law firm to publish its Gender Pay Gap figures (2017), has introduced a flexible 'resource solutions' suite for clients and in-house legal teams seeking a more tailored approach to contract legal services, and is likely to be 'one to watch' when it comes to delivering the new solutions enabled by legal tech.
Shoosmiths' commitment to diversity is well-evidenced - a female CEO presided over its recent decade of growth, and the firm is regularly recognised in Diversity League Tables.
Whilst its own agile office network is centred in the UK, Shoosmiths regularly works with law firms with a similarly client-focused outlook in the jurisdictions where our clients do business - "where they go, we go".
National awards from the last 12 months include: Legal Business National/Regional Firm of the Year 2018; EG Legal Team of the Year (2018); and Winner of the Legal 500 Corporate & Commercial Specialism of the year (Venture Capital).
In a rapidly changing legal environment, where markets, technology and new global risks continually re-set the client agenda, Shoosmiths is a law firm which combines innovation and resilience, in tune with the times.
Notable
Areas of Practice
Professionals
Partners

Paul Alger
Partner
Daren Allen
Partner
Charles Arrand
Partner
Gary Assim
Partner
Steve Barnett
Partner
Laura Board
Partner
Andrew Bowden-Brown
Partner
Kirsty Chalkley
Partner
Heather Chandler
Partner
Anika Chandra
Partner
Claire Checketts
Partner
Hamish Corner
Partner
Johanne Cox
Partner
Kiran Dhesi
Partner
Angus Evers
Partner
David Farnell
Partner
Vaqas Farooq
Partner
Simon Fennell
Partner
Richard Follis
Partner
Ryan Fordham
Partner
Robert Forsyth
Partner
Anastasia Fowle
Partner
John Hartley
Partner
Karen Howard
Partner
Prakash Kerai
Partner
James Klein
Partner
Sherif Malak
Partner
Choisanne Man
Partner
Joseph Mazzucca
Partner
Kevin McCavish
Partner
Chris Mills
Partner
Bill Molloy
Partner
Amit Nayyar
Partner
Liam Phillips
Partner
Sebastian Price
Partner
Ian Reid
Partner
Julian Richards
Partner
Francesca Ryan
BD Events Executive
Lee Sennett
Partner
William Seymour
Partner
Sanjeev Sharma
Partner
Barry Stimpson
Partner
Philip Tansley
Partner
David Thompson
Partner
Sam Tyfield
Partner
Susie Wakefield
Partner
Caroline Watson
Partner
Robin Webb
Partner
Catherine Williams
Partner
Lisa Williams
Partner
Steve Wiltshire
PartnerPrincipal Associates

Siobhan Atkin
Principal Associate
Richard Baker
Principal Associate
Elliot Bishop
Senior Associate
Julie Bonich
Senior Associate
Hayley Çapani
Principal Associate
Lauren Conroy
Senior Associate
James Cullingworth
Principal Associate
Matt Douglas
Senior Associate
Lisa Faragher
Senior Associate
Adam Fox
Senior Associate
Chris George
Principal Associate
Angela Gregson
Principal Associate
Claire Hayes
Principal Associate
Kat Hornsby
Senior Associate
Sarah Jenkins
Principal Associate
Khan Kassam
Principal Associate
Matthew MacLachlan
Senior Associate
Alexander Massey
Senior Associate
Karen Mortenson
Principal Associate
Lawrence Renny
Senior Associate
Ryan Steed
Senior Associate
Matthew Stimson
Principal Associate
Natalia Tombs
Principal Associate
Brian West
Principal Associate
Richard Willcox
Principal Associate
Michael Winter
Senior Associate
Rubina Zaidi
Senior AssociateAssociates

Hayley Band
Associate
Ben Churchyard
Associate
Becky Gray
Associate
Verity Hudson
Associate
Siffat Khan
Associate
Foley Laseinde
Associate
William Moore
Associate
Lucy Sanderson
Associate
John Shirley-Rakhra
AssociateLegal Directors and Key Support Personnel

James Benedick
Legal Director
Sarah Buxton
Legal Director
Helen Duff
Legal PA
Charlotte Dunn
Legal Director
James Lindon
Legal Director
Katie Yorke
Legal DirectorArticles
New guidance on crypto ads from CAP
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has issued guidance on ads for cryptoassets following an increase in the number of Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) complaints about crypto ads. What are cryptoassets? Cryptoassets are defined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as: “cryptographically secured digital representations of value or contractual rights that use some type of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and can be transferred, stored or traded electronically.” Below are some high level examples of different products that fall under the term “cryptoassets”: Cryptocurrencies are probably the most well-known form of cryptoasset...
Press
Employment specialist Robert Forsyth boosts Shoosmiths’ London team
Law firm Shoosmiths has boosted its employment team with the appointment of Robert Forsyth as a partner in London.With more than a decade of experience at DLA Piper, Robert (pictured left) advises clients on both the employment and employment tribunal litigation aspects of major national and international deals and projects. A Legal 500 listed lawyer, Robert guides clients on all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, and has particular experience in the banking, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and leisure sectors...
Shoosmiths experts react to Queen’s Speech
The State opening of parliament began with the Queen’s Speech and was delivered by Prince of Wales this year. Our experts respond below to the speech at large.Alex Bishop, co-head of the Shoosmiths Birmingham office, said: “We were delighted to see Birmingham and the Commonwealth Games specifically mentioned in the Queen’s Speech, marking this pivotal year for the city. It is imperative we leverage the opportunity the Games will bring to propel the city forwards and to take advantage of the levelling up agenda. Any support Government can give to further this objective is most welcome - giving greater autonomy to the regions has to be a move in the right direction”...