Osborne Clarke has a well established practice (acknowledged to be "first-rate" by Chambers & Partners 2003-04 guide), advising a range of partnerships and LLPs across the entire spectrum of professional services. We provide advice in all the areas required to run a successful business, from partnership structure, LLP strategies for commercial joint ventures. corporate tax and employment issues, to handling supplier disputes and negligence claims, should they arise.

The recent "merger mania" affecting, in particular, the legal and accountancy professions, has resulted in us advising on a wide range of mergers. The team includes corporate lawyers with specialist partnership experience and the ability to handle the complex and often sensitive issues that mergers (and de-merger) involve.

In particular, the firm has advised many individual partners of client firms on their own positions, particularly in relation to the enforceability of restrictive covenants, where partners, unhappy with the merger proposals, are seeking to take their clients elsewhere. We use diplomacy, a strong commercial understanding of the business background and a clear analysis of the legal framework to find the right solution.

We also handle partnership disputes when the relationship breaks down. We have a reputation for working with those involved to find practical solutions, which - as far as possible - meet the commercial and personal objectives of the parties, without damaging the underlying business. We are more than capable of taking an aggressive stance where necessary, but we try to avoid costly litigation proceedings if possible.

The head of the team is on the editorial team of the ‘Encyclopaedia of Professional Partnerships’, and is an active member of the Association of Partnership Practitioners.

• advising the salaried partners of a top 10 accountancy firm on their admission as equity partners following a prior merger
• advising Solomon Hare on its incorporation as a LLP
• advising medical practices on changes to their partnership agreements as a result of the implementation of the Government's new contract proposals

Jos Moule
t +44 (0)117 917 4218
jos.moule@osborneclarke.com