Retail & Leisure
Our track record in advising organisations in the retail and leisure sector is first rate. We act for many high-street brands providing a wide range of legal advice including corporate, property, employment, regulatory, outsourcing, supply-chain management, e-commerce, competition, litigation and dispute resolution, insurance, pensions, and intellectual property/ brands.We pride ourselves on understanding the issues which impact on our clients in this sector, demonstrated by:
- Pinsent Masons' active membership of the British Retail Consortium and we are working with them on initiatives around outsourcing and commercial leases;
- We run a highly successful HR Retail Forum, aimed at HR Directors operating in the retail and leisure sectors. This is endorsed by Adams Childrenswear and IKEA;
- We have strong links with Retail Week and were keynote speakers at their Recruitment and Retention in Retail conference in 2005;
- Within the leisure sector, we have specialists with vast expertise in the hotel and licensed retail (bars and restaurants) sectors;
- Recent corporate deals include advising on the management buy-out of the business and assets of Miller Brothers Electrical Group; advising Urban Dining Plc, owner of the Tootsies restaurant chain on its recommended takeover by The Clapham House Group; advising Kaupthing and Baugur on their £117m acquisition of Jane Norman; advising Rubicon Retail on the sale of Warehouse and Principles.
- Our team has provided employment advice to some well-known retail and leisure names including Adams Childrenswear, ASDA, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Queens Moat House Hotels.
- Our property clients in this sector include Rezidor SAS hotels, A F Blakemore (trading as Spar), Costco, Budgens, Principles, Warehouse, Mexx and Liz Claiborne.
- Pinsent Masons' outsourcing team has advised Boots on its IT infrastructure to IBM Global services, WH Smith in relation to its £2million claim arising out of the failure in supply of an integrated HR system and report writer, and Voyager Pub Company on the terms of an agreement with an online business-to-business exchange supplying goods and utilities.
- Advising IKEA, Harvey Nichols, Argos and Mackays in relation to distance selling regulations and e-commerce;
- Trade mark and branding advice to clients such as Adams Childrenswear, PRG Powerhouse, Harvey Nichols and ScS Upholstery.
