Knights plc

Managing Partner: Joanna DeBiase

Number of partners: 33

Number of other UK fee-earners: 110

Contacts:  

Banking & Finance: Harriet Jones, Gemma Coles

Fraud & Crime: John Milner

Commercial Development: Jeff Elphee

Commercial Dispute Resolution: Paul Kite

Construction: Paul Brampton

Corporate & Commercial: Adam Dowdney

Crime: Joanne Gibbons

Employment: Richard Devall

Family – Matrimonial: Jolene Hutchison

Franchising: Jane Masih, Russell Ford

Landlord & Tenant: Jon Mowbray

Property Investment & Management: Jeff Elphee

Real Estate Dispute Resolution: Jon Mowbray

Residential Conveyancing: Gary Bunce

Real Estate: Shital Mehta

Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts: Jacqueline Almond

Court of Protection: Jacqueline Almond

Immigration: Richard Devall

Education: Celia Whittuck

THE FIRM 

IBB Law is an award-winning full-service regional law firm with national reach. With offices in the Thames Valley, West London and Buckinghamshire, the firm is perfectly placed to service clients across the South East.

IBB Law is a modern law business that is proud of the people we work with – both our clients and our employees. We care about our clients and put you at the heart of what we do. We work to truly understand our clients' needs, and tailor a solution to meet them.

For your business 

With one foot in the Thames Valley and the other in the thriving inward investment market of West London. Close to Heathrow, it is perfectly placed to support businesses, both regionally and across the UK.

For Individuals 

IBB’s Private Client teams can support families through every major life event. Its lawyers help clients to understand what are the best choices for them, and make the law work to deliver on those choices. IBB's teams have a vast amount of experience in working with High-net-worth individuals and families, and can manage the most complex of emotional and financial situations.

AREAS OF PRACTICE  

Real Estate: 33%  

Private Client: 34%  

Commercial Services: 20%  

Community Legal Services: 13%  

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK 

Corporate & Commercial: 

The corporate and commercial teams cover M&A, corporate finance, corporate advisory, private equity, JVs, partnerships, commercial contracts, competition and regulatory, franchising, outsourcing, business recovery and insolvency, pensions. Clients range from medium-sized organisations who appreciate the firm’s West London location and business links, to public companies and UK subsidiaries of foreign companies looking for business acumen as well as legal advice. The firm has a niche speciality in mobile home parks, hotels, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing and automotive.

Commercial Dispute Resolution: 

This growing team advises corporate and commercial clients, including household names, on a wide range of complex contractual and business disputes. It also undertakes IT and IP dispute work, franchising disputes, debt recovery, professional negligence, commercial fraud and shareholder/ partnership disputes. The team includes a number of qualified commercial mediators and promotes a flexible approach to dispute resolution.

Contentious Probate:  

The growing team, headed by Paul Grimwood, has exceptional specialist expertise in dealing with all types of Wills, trusts and probate disputes. The team has particular experience dealing with high value estates, including those involving complex issues, such as foreign assets and other jurisdictions.

Banking & Finance:  

The firm advises UK and foreign banks and other leading lending institutions on facility agreements, security structuring and secured lending. IBB can also advise on the best way to structure the financing of businesses or particular investment or development deals, whether related to senior or mezzanine debt funding. The firm also has specialist expertise in the creation of the appropriate vehicle for finance deals, including SPVs and various forms of co-investment such as joint venture structures. IBB Solicitors is also one of only a few firms with the specialist knowledge required for the establishment and operation of collective investment schemes.

Employment: 

The team provides employers with advice on HR issues and disputes including disciplinaries, performance management and grievances; outsourcing, restructuring and redundancies; representation in employment tribunal proceedings; drafting employment documentation; and they also deliver in-house training seminars. The team advises many household name clients and tailors its advice to the business and culture of each client.

Real Estate: 

The group has developed an impressive national client base in areas as diverse as commercial development, construction and engineering, residential development, investment, finance and occupational management. With Heathrow on the doorstep, manufacturing, logistics and warehousing make up a significant market. The development team is one of the largest dedicated teams in the South. The construction and landlord and tenant teams continue to grow an increasing share of the South East market. The teams are supported by property tax expertise and specialist real estate dispute resolution lawyers and mediators.

Private Client:  

High net worth private clients form a significant part of the client base for IBB’s private practice. Services including wealth planning, wills, probate, tax, trusts, estate planning, property and financial advice for individuals. Work is also undertaken for institutional clients. The team is particularly strong in its Court of Protection work with three professional deputies, six full SFE and four full STEP members. Other related teams with whom there is a close working relationship provide charities advice, criminal defence, family law advice including children’s cases, employment and personal injury.

Family:  

With a sizeable and talented team, IBB’s collective expertise in family law is huge. Typically, the team handle complex and high value cases for wealthy individuals, including those where there is an international element.

Franchising: 

IBB Owen White is widely recognised as one of the leading firms for franchising law. Advising both franchisors and franchisees, the team is able to draw on the wider IBB Law team to provide a full-service offering to franchise clients.

Fraud & Crime: 

Ranked in the top four teams in London by fees, the team has a place on the Very High Cost Case Panel. The team advises on a wide range of white-collar crime including the powers of regulatory bodies, both compliance and investigation and any resultant criminal sanctions

Education:  

Set up in 2020, the team has quickly established a strong reputation in the market, largely due to the credibility of team lead Salima Mawji. The team has exceptional specialist expertise in advising clients facing a variety of education law challenges. They can assist with any education law issue that a child, parent or student faces. The team also regularly advises educational professionals, including teachers in schools and college, and university lecturers.