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.
Year this Office was Established: 1854
Lawyers Worldwide: 1600
Notable
Areas of Practice
Professionals
Partners

Charles Arrand
Partner
Gary Assim
Partner
Rick Atha
Partner
Steve Barnett
Partner
Richard Bellamy
Partner
Victoria Bentley
Partner
Mark Blair
Partner
Aleks Bosch
Partner
Simon Briggs
Partner
Fiona Cameron
Partner
Kirsty Chalkley
Partner
Heather Chandler
Partner
Claire Checketts
Partner
Gillian Crotty
Partner
Phil Crowe
Partner
Mark Davis
Partner
Stephen Dawson
Partner
Grant Edwards
Partner
Angus Evers
Partner
Sarah Ewing
Partner
Judy Fawcett
Partner
Simon Fennell
Partner
James Foster
Partner
John M Fotheringham
Consultant
Anastasia Fowle
Partner
Thomas Hall
Partner
Kellie Hatton
Partner
Tracey Hemingway
Partner
Nick Holland
Partner
Matthew Howarth
Partner
Andrew Jennings
Partner
Alex Kirkhope
Partner
Sherif Malak
Partner
Joseph Mazzucca
Partner
Barry McKeown
Partner
Michael McLaughlin
Partner
Simon Meek
Partner
Lauren Miller
Partner
Richard Millington
Partner
Bill Molloy
Partner
Stuart Montgomery
Partner
Peter Morris
Partner
Jonathan Naylor
Partner
Amit Nayyar
Partner
John Palmer
Partner
Stephen Patch
Partner
Liam Phillips
Partner
Sebastian Price
Partner
Simon Procter
Partner
Sally Robinson
Partner
Sanjeev Sharma
Partner
Paul Stokey
Partner
Dan Stowers
Partner
Gwynneth Tan
Partner
David Thompson
Partner
Anna Vangrove
Partner
Susie Wakefield
Partner
Caroline Watson
Partner
Robin Webb
Partner
Michael Whitworth
Partner
Catherine Williams
Partner
Lisa Williams
Partner
Steve Wiltshire
Partner
James Wood-Robertson
PartnerPrincipal Associates

Stuart Angus
Principal Associate
Siobhan Atkin
Principal Associate
Navi Atwal
Senior Associate
Richard Baker
Principal Associate
Emma Bhuttae
Senior Associate
Elliot Bishop
Senior Associate
Julie Bonich
Senior Associate
Helen Bridgman
Principal Associate
Ayesha Chandegra
Senior Associate
Jennifer Clarke
Principal Associate
Sarah Collins
Senior Associate
Kate Connolly
Principal Associate
James Cullingworth
Principal Associate
Sarah Evans
Principal Associate
Soma Fattah
Senior Associate
Felicity Forward
Principal Associate
Adam Frost
Senior Associate
Chris George
Principal Associate
Collette Gibson
Senior Associate
Angela Gregson
Principal Associate
Claire Hayes
Principal Associate
Holly Hirst
Principal Associate
Sarah Jenkins
Principal Associate
Sarah Maddock
Senior Associate
Kate McGoverne
Principal Associate
Rachel Munro
Senior Associate
Stuart Nevin
Principal Associate
Chris Northway
Senior Associate
Helen Poulter
Principal Associate
Claire Raddan
Senior Associate
Kara Roberts
Senior Associate
Oliver Spicer
Senior Associate
Matthew Stimson
Principal Associate
Hywel Thomas
Senior Associate
Emily Utley
Principal Associate
Matt Ward
Senior Associate
Brian West
Principal Associate
Richard Willcox
Principal Associate
Faye Wright
Senior Associate
Jennifer Wright
Principal Associate
Rubina Zaidi
Senior AssociateAssociates

Miranda Badminton
Associate
Josh Burgess
Associate
Ruth Forbes
Associate
Holly Gerard
Associate
Rachel Girven
Associate
Sam Henegan
Associate
Hannah Howard
Associate
Amy Leech
Associate
Kelly Mercel
Associate
Amy Price
Associate
Gabs Rodriguez - Cleary
Associate
Pavan Sumal
AssociateLegal Directors and Key Support Personnel

James Benedick
Legal Director
Christine Burrows
Legal Director
Helen Duff
Legal PA
Charlotte Dunn
Legal Director
David Goy
Legal Director
Claire Le Mouellic
Legal Director
Jessica Ready
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”...