Addleshaw Goddard‘s team is well-equipped to oversee the full spectrum of retail and consumer matters; its expertise includes advertising and promotions regulatory advice, litigation, M&A and real estate issues. The team is headed up by Andrew Rosling and Rona Bar-Isaac. Rosling specialises in M&A deals with a focus on joint ventures and his clients include household names, while Bar-Isaac’s expertise includes market investigations and litigation. Georgina Powling is noted for her depth of knowledge in franchising, licensing and collaboration agreements. Another notable individual includes Sophie Taylor; she has a thorough understanding of international retail markets, particularly in China and South Asia, and can advise on the impact of digital trends on UK markets. Personnel changes include the arrival of Daniel Sweeney, the former deputy head of retail at TLT.

The team at CMS covers a broad range of expertise with key focus areas encompassing consumer law issues, GDPR compliance work, data protection issues, product liability advice and advertising rules. Additional expertise includes brand protection, manufacturing and ESG mandates. Tom Scourfield is well regarded for his contentious IP expertise and has overseen matters pertaining to dilution issues, acquired distinctiveness, comparative advertising and injunctions. Katie Nagy de Nagybaczon‘s clients include both retail and e-commerce clients, which benefit from her expertise in the fashion sector where she advises on growth and exit strategies, fundraisings and reorganisations. The pair jointly lead the practice, which also includes Helen Johnson, who is noted for her representation of high-profile clients such as White Stuff, Moss Bros, French Connection and Sofa.com. Melanie Shefford also has ample retail experience having advised on complex commercial agreements and compliance matters within the sector.

Dentons fields a sizeable multidisciplinary team, which handles the full spectrum of retail work include outsourcings, commercial contracts, real estate issues, privacy and cybersecurity matters, franchising work and dispute resolution. The practice utilises its global presence to advise clients both locally and internationally. Derek McCombe heads up the practice from the Glasgow office; his experience extends across 15 years’ and includes advising clients on international corporate and commercial matters. Scott Singer is well regarded for his advice to high-profile high street clients such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis Partnership and Sainsbury’s; his particular specialisms include handling commercial contracts, IT issues and privacy work. In a recent highlight, Anna Copeman represented American Eagle Outfitters before the High Court, in proceedings pertaining to a claim concerning passing off and breach of contract. James Batham joined the practice from Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP - where he led the retail and consumer sector teams - in mid-2022.

DLA Piper has an international retail and consumer practice which is led by a team of specialists. Noel Haywood leads the global consumer goods, food and retail sector group, which encompasses three international sub sectors; IP specialist Ruth Hoy steers the fashion and retail sector and commercial expert Mark Dewar oversees the consumer goods sector practice, while Haywood also sits as the head of the food sector group. Both Sophie Lessar and Chloe Forster co-lead the broader UK team; Lessar acts as a financial services and consumer sector specialist, while Forster focuses on technology related work. Noteworthy team changes include the London hires of environment and health and safety specialist Nick Rock from Reed Smith LLP in July 2021 and brand protection lawyer Patricia Collis from Bird & Bird LLP in December 2021, as well as commercial contracts expert Ryan Harrison from Browne Jacobson LLP in November 2021.

Osborne Clarke LLP‘s practice is proactive in advising clients on aspects of digitalisation, transformation and technology mandates, and has been recently involved in work relating to NFTs. The sizeable practice is now led by Anna Elliott, who took over the role from Dolf Darnton in early 2022′ Darnton still contributes to the practice. Elliott’s client base primarily lies within the fashion and luxury sub-sectors, where she guides clients through complex issues, and also leverages her experience in Australia to handle international matters. Katie Vickery is noted for her specialist expertise in international and compliance advice and she pays particular attention to product safety, ESG and consumer protection matters. Richard May was promoted to partner in May 2021.

The ‘very responsive and knowledgeable team’ at RPC is able to advise on the full spectrum of retail matters. Its clients span across a multitude of sectors, with particular emphasis in the fashion and beauty arenas; clients include House of Fraser, Tommy Hilfiger Europe, Dolce & Gabbana and Charlotte Tilbury. The practice is led by both Jeremy Drew and Karen Hendy. Drew’s expertise enables a deep understanding of both contentious and non-contentious matters, including multi-jurisdictional arbitrations, while Hendy advises listed companies and their subsidiaries with particular expertise in overseeing distressed purchases and acquisitions. Ciara Cullen is singled out for her long-standing experience in the drinks industry. Internal changes include the arrival of commercial litigator Rathi Thiagamoorthy from Dentons and commercial senior associate Hettie Homewood, who previously worked in-house at ghd.

The team at Baker McKenzie places particular focus on e-commerce and online trading matters and guides clients which seek to grow their online presence. The team oversees supply chain issues, consumer sales, product liability matters and commercial contracts. David Scott‘s practice focuses on cross-border M&A and joint ventures for clients within the consumer and healthcare sectors, while Helen Brown specialises in both offline and online consumer sales work and the related matters including data privacy, sales promotions and advertising issues. Julia Hemmings‘ expertise lies within e-commerce, marketing and privacy issues; she is also well versed in technology matters that arise from consumer products. The trio jointly lead the practice. Timothy Gee retired in 2021.

The retail and consumer practice at Bird & Bird LLP comprises multiple sub-teams spanning the food and beverage sector, the hotel, hospitality and leisure industry and the luxury, fashion and retail sector. Graeme Payne heads up the team; his practice focuses on advising retail and consumer businesses on both domestic and international growth expansion strategies. The team's expertise also includes sustainability, green advertising, technology and wellness strategies. E-commerce issues are also at the forefront of the group's focus, as the team advises on subscription terms, terms of sales, refund policies and social media influencer agreements. Ian Edwards advises on digital transformation projects, Robert Turner is a key contact for commercial and regulatory advice, and Victoria Hobbs handles disputes relating to franchising, licensing and distribution agreements.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP‘s practice advises on the full spectrum of retail and consumer related matters, from transactions and exit strategies to day-to-day issues and compliance work. The sizeable team is led by Carol Osborne, who has over 25 years’ worth of experience and mainly advises clients within the luxury goods space. Her long-standing experience enables sound advice to retail clients’ boards of directors and special board committees on matters concerning corporate governance, corporate transactions and fiduciary duties. Benjamin Lee is a key contact for transactional advice, including M&A and private equity mandates, while Richard Shaw is the go-to individual for commercial and outsourcing contracts.

The practice at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP is a key name for household brands and counts high-profile names on its client roster including Lego, Gymshark, DFS and Next. The group handles the full spectrum of retail mandates and leverages its international network to assist with global and cross-border mandates. The team is co-led by Paul Moorcroft and Amanda Partland in Birmingham and Leeds respectively; Moorcroft primarily focuses on real estate disputes, particularly relating to retail estates, and Partland is a key name for corporate transactions in the consumer space. Former practice head James Batham left to join Dentons in mid-2022.

The sizeable team at Gowling WLG advises retailers across all legal disciplines including handling competition, construction and IP matters. The team is co-led by John Coldham and Jocelyn Paulley, who moved into the role in March 2022; the pair took over from former head Chris Hunt, who focuses on real estate mandates. Coldham is well regarded for his expertise in both IP strategy and litigation, while Paulley acts for both established retail brands and start-ups, and leverages her data protection knowledge to oversee digital infrastructure mandates. Kate Swaine is also recommended for IP work and Sarah Riding handles commercial matters.

Linklaters LLP advises a range of clients, from private equity funds and investors to high-profile and high street retailers. The team is trusted by global brands such as Unilever, L’Oreal and Nestlé to handle issues throughout the entire consumer value chain, overseeing production, manufacturing, supply and distribution matters and market entry issues. Paul McNicholl and Michael Honan co-lead the practice. McNicholl often advises FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 consumer and retail clients on cross-border M&A, corporate restructurings and joint ventures, while Honan’s consumer sector expertise includes acting for e-commerce businesses, luxury companies, supermarkets and consumer brand businesses.

Mishcon de Reya LLP‘s practice utilises its MDR Brand Management business to advise clients on all retail-related matters, with expertise spanning brand licensing work, franchise developments, commercial and strategic partnerships, IP and trade mark strategies and reputation management issues. Sally Britton and Lewis Cohen jointly lead the team. Britton is well regarded for her brand protection work and often oversees clearance, enforcement and trade mark and design filing mandates. Cohen’s expertise encompasses high-profile endorsement arrangements, international franchising issues, product distribution matters, and retail website and app developments.

Pinsent Masons LLP‘s reputable practice is trusted by an array of high-profile household names including Tesco, The Body Shop, Sweaty Betty and The Co-Operative. The team's expertise encompasses the full spectrum of retail and consumer matters, with particular strength in competition, licensing and data protection mandates. Group head Tom Leman‘s long-standing experience is utilised to assist young brands seeking potential investors; other clients include high-profile retailers such as Jack Wills and Rapha. Praise is also given to Manchester-based legal director Zoe Betts, who is a health and safety specialist and works in product safety and trading law.

Noted for its ‘culture and values‘, the team at Shoosmiths LLP is well versed across the full spectrum of retail matters, with particular expertise in construction, advertising, employment, IP, insurance, M&A and restructuring mandates. London-based Gary Assim heads up the practice and is singled out for his IP expertise, where he represents clients in disputes concerning trade marks, copyright, design rights and patterns. Sanjeev Sharma practices from the Thames Valley offices and is well regarded for his corporate expertise, while Birmingham-based corporate occupier head Beth McArdle focuses on technology based mandates. Stuart Lawrenson in Solent is an employment specialist and the Manchester-based Kirsty Black oversees all property litigation matters.

The team at Taylor Wessing LLP advises clients on significant industry specific issues and also has experience in more niche areas including NFTs and asset fractionalisation issues, technology and data work, labelling issues, reputation management challenges, licensing mandates, supply chain management work and ESG matters. Edward Story acts for a variety of clients, from private companies to entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals and both UK and international businesses on corporate and commercial matters. Jason Rawkins is often sought out for his IP expertise and oversees issues pertaining to brands, designs and domain names. Story and Rawkins co-lead the department, which also fields Xuyang Zhu, who is recommended for her sound knowledge of IP rights and infringement disputes.

Browne Jacobson LLP is noted for its ‘exceptional service levels’ and the team is known for its multidisciplinary and cross-office approach. Areas of strength include handling influencer agreements, sponsorship agreements, supply chain issues and brand strategies. The practice is collectively led by real estate specialists Caroline Green and Sarah Parkinson, as well as Roland Gray who joined the practice from Dentons in November 2021 to lead the retail, consumer and logistics sector group. Additional arrivals include Cat Driscoll and Ragene Raithatha joining from DWF, who advise on commercial issues and construction mandates respectively.

Charles Russell Speechlys LLP has expertise in an array of matters including advertising, marketing and branding issues, sponsorships, brand protection work, influencer agreements, e-commerce mandates and occupier matters. Jason Saiban‘s practice focus lies within commercial matters, and places particular attention on commercial contracting within the retail and leisure sector, while Edward Craig is the go-to name for luxury retail brands, and Michael Powner is renowned for his employment expertise and counts Nike as a key client; the trio jointly lead the practice.

The team at Clifford Chance LLP supports its clients holistically, advising on M&A, competition matters and risk management work. Practice head David Pudge specialises in both domestic and cross-border M&A, public takeovers, stock exchange matters and general corporate advice; his clients include large corporates in the retail and finance sector such as the French Connection Group. Duad Khan has relocated to the Abu Dhabi office.

K&L Gates LLP‘s practice focus spans across IP, commercial, corporate, finance and real estate mandates with notable expertise in competition matters. The group’s client roster is particularly focused on luxury, electronics and consumer goods brands; key examples include Nike, Gucci and Ralph Lauren. The team is led by IP expert Arthur Artinian, fashion and luxury sector specialist Catherine Adam, who also handles logistics matters; and Jennifer Marsh, who advises on UK and EU competition law.

Lewis Silkin‘s practice is best known for handling brand management work, franchising issues, portfolio management mandates and strategic commercial and technology contracts. Julia Poulter has particular experience in advising retail and leisure clients on real estate matters; she often oversees landlord and tenant work, real estate acquisitions and disposals, and development work. Managing associate Anna Sella specialises in employment law and is well regarded for her advice on atypical work arrangements, pay queries regarding tipping and wage deductions, restructurings and grievances. The pair co-lead the practice.

Squire Patton Boggs acts for a range of well-known retailers including Holland & Barrett, Charlotte Tilbury, Claire’s Accessories and Selfridges, and is sought out for its expertise in employment matters, high-value IT projects, real estate work and restructuring issues. Matthew Lewis and Carlton Daniel jointly lead the practice. Lewis is well regarded for his employment expertise and often handles matters concerning pay negotiations and strike action. Daniel’s practice focuses on contentious and non-contentious IP matters; he is also the co-lead of the firm's advertising, media and brands industry group.

TLT ‘s retail team works with household name clients such as WH Smith, Iceland and Pets at Home, handling a range of corporate and contentious matters, as well as property, intellectual property, employment and other commercial issues. Commercial head Perran Jervis leads the team from the firm’s Bristol base, working in tandem with a multidisciplinary group of lawyers spread across Manchester, London and the national firm’s other offices.

Travers Smith LLP‘s growing client portfolio consists of both online and high street retailers, in addition to private equity houses and investors active within the retail sector. The team is well-equipped to advise clients on the full spectrum of retail and consumer matters, with recent work including advising on corporate mandates, restructuring issues and financing issues. The practice is led by Adrian West, who is a member of the firm’s corporate and ESG groups and acts for investment banks, corporate issues and management teams.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP has a sizeable team with expertise across the full range of retail and trading mandates; its clients consist of retail landlords and consumer brands such as New Look, In The Style, H&M and Carpetright. Gavin Matthews heads up the team from Southampton and has over 30 years’ worth of experience handling retail and consumer matters; specific strengths include assisting with advertising, pricing and sponsorship credit matters. Ben Butler is noted for his extensive corporate expertise, and retail employment work is overseen by specialist Christina Tolvas-Vincent. Nikki Powell was promoted to the partnership.

Clyde & Co takes a multidisciplinary approach, enabling the team to advise its retail and consumer clients across the full range of areas including assisting with construction, dispute resolution and data protection matters. Retail lettings expert Annabelle Redman leads the practice alongside Laura Oliver, who advises clients such as B&Q on real estate mandates. Francesca McGrath is noted for her management of various shopping centres owned by investor clients.

DWF's consumer sector team works with a range of household name clients, advising on issues ranging from health and safety and regulatory compliance to employment and commercial matters. Dominic Watkins leads the team, working with clients and markets head Hilary Ross. Naveen Gupta specialises in retail property.

The team at Fox Williams LLP primarily focuses on advising clients within the fashion industry. The practice is led by both Stephen Sidkin and Rhys Griffiths. Sidkin specialises in the termination of supply chain agreements, while Griffiths advises clients on compliance issues relating to the sale of travel services in Europe.

Freeths LLP utilises its cross-office approach to advise retailers on technology matters and sustainable practices that support business transformation. The team is led by Philippa Dempster, who has expertise in outsourcing mandates, international and domestic franchising work, supply chain agreements, and marketing and e-commerce matters.

Harbottle & Lewis LLP has a full-service practice and its team has industry knowledge within an array of areas including brand management work, commercial contracts, technology mandates, reputation management issues and employment matters. Sandi Simons and Melanie Benson co-lead the team, which also fields Emma Wright and Rupam Dave, who joined the practice from Deloitte LLP in March 2022.