London
Duane Morris
Citypoint, 16th Floor
One Ropemaker Street
London, UK EC2Y 9AW
Phone: +44 20 7786 2100
Fax: +44 20 7786 2101

In London, Duane Morris represents all types of businesses, from startups to multinationals. Our clients are active in almost every industry and commercial area, including manufacturing, mining, fashion, financial services, commodities, construction, hotels, healthcare, sports, science, technology, heavy engineering, retail and resources. The London-based partners have specific industry knowledge and interdisciplinary skills and are admitted as solicitors or barristers in England, Wales and other jurisdictions, advising on UK, EU and international matters.

Range of Services

Corporate & Commercial

Duane Morris advises companies, shareholders, investors and funders at all stages of the corporate life cycle on a wide variety of corporate and commercial matters. We represent clients in connection with critical commercial contracts, such as joint ventures, licensing, distribution, franchising, research and development, contract manufacturing, partnering, logistics, sponsorship and branding—everything needed to leverage business value.

Our team regularly assists private companies with shareholder agreements, succession planning, equity incentives and return of value strategies, and proactively supports clients daily on corporate governance matters.

Duane Morris represents banks, financial institutions and other providers of financial services, including investment banking and brokerage firms, commercial finance companies and insurance companies, around the world.

Information Technology and Telecommunications

Duane Morris deals with the transactional, finance, regulatory and dispute resolution aspects of structuring and implementing a variety of information technology and telecommunications projects, and advises on a full range of data privacy and cyber security issues.

Employment Law

Duane Morris represents large institutional clients, medium-sized and smaller-sized companies and start-ups on employment matters in connection with mergers and acquisitions, refinancing, TUPE transfers, large scale re-organisations, Employment Tribunal and High Court claims, implementation of employment contracts and benefits, regulatory matters, share option and profit-related pay, employee severance, layoffs and downsizing, confidentiality, and non-compete issues. Duane Morris also provides day-to-day human resources advisory services to clients, together with formal annual employment training, and bespoke, in-house training for all clients via the Duane Morris Institute (DMi) London.

We do not advise or represent employees in relation to the bringing of claims before the Employment Tribunal against an employer for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal.

VAT at the rate of 20% will be payable on our fees and on those disbursements which are subject to VAT.

Litigation, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Duane Morris’ Trial Practice Group represents clients in all aspects of complex commercial litigation, including risk audit, litigation avoidance strategies and, when settlement proves impossible, litigation, arbitration and mediation of disputes. Our litigators have considerable industry knowledge in automotive, engineering, finance, professional partnerships, insurance and real estate. They handle disputes involving product liability, consumer law, intellectual property, information technology, insurance, employment, banking, real property, injunctive relief and letters of request (letters rogatory), often with cross-border elements.

Construction and Engineering

Our London-based Construction team provides the full range of legal services to clients in nearly every aspect of construction, engineering, energy and infrastructure. With recognized construction and engineering lawyers, Duane Morris offers a wealth of knowledge and experience to counsel clients with pragmatic and innovative advice, designed with commercial value in mind.

 The UK Construction team focuses on complex and technical disputes that can arise before, during or after project completion. Our goal is to help clients avoid costly litigation wherever possible, through the adoption of practical, preventative measures designed to effectively manage risks and avoid disputes. When disputes do arise, our lawyers are skilled in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, conciliation and commercial negotiation. Should litigation be unavoidable, Duane Morris Construction lawyers have significant courtroom experience in numerous venues, particularly in the UK Technology and Construction Court, and have represented clients in several high-profile construction cases.

Real Estate

Duane Morris’ real estate solicitors represent a broad range of corporate, developer, investor and individual clients in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, real estate backed financings, development and related planning, environmental and construction issues.

Mergers and Acquisitions

The firm represents clients in all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, including negotiated acquisitions and divestitures, hostile acquisitions, defense against takeover attempts, management buy-ins and buy-outs and joint ventures. We develop and implement creative strategies to help our entrepreneurial clients accomplish their objectives, whether they are a buyer, seller, lender or intermediary. We regularly work on complex cross-border transactions and represent UK companies in acquisitions abroad, as well as foreign companies in connection with acquisitions in the United Kingdom and elsewhere around the globe.

Capital Markets

Duane Morris’ Capital Markets Group advises companies at all stages of the company life-cycle (e.g., early-stage, growing and mature companies) on strategies and initiatives for raising funds and exit. We represent companies in connection to private placements, accessing venture capital and private equity, and preparing for and making public offerings of securities (e.g., AIM IPO’s and secondary fundraisings) and counsel them on applicable UK/EU securities law compliance, ongoing reporting obligations and corporate governance issues.

For Additional Information

For more information, please contact Nic Hart or any of the lawyers referenced in the Attorney Listing.

Duane Morris is a partnership authorised and regulated by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority (number 310992). The rules of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority, including the SRA Code of Conduct, can be accessed at www.sra.org.uk. The firm's VAT registration number is 744 3570 30.

Required pricing information for consumers and businesses on Employment Tribunals (claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal), our complaints procedure and your rights can be found on our Notices/Regulatory tab. 

A list of the partners and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at the above address. The partners are all lawyers who are also partners in the international law firm of Duane Morris LLP.

Duane Morris is a partnership authorised and regulated by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority (number 310992). The rules of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority, including the SRA Code of Conduct, can be accessed at www.sra.org.uk. The firm's VAT registration number is 744 3570 30.

Duane Morris
Citypoint, 16th Floor
One Ropemaker Street
London, UK EC2Y 9AW

A list of the partners and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at the above address. The partners are all lawyers who are also partners in the international law firm of Duane Morris LLP.

Price Transparency

For Employment Tribunal Cases:

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal are usually in the region of:

  • Simple case: £25,000-£45,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20 percent)
  • Medium complexity case: £45,000-£75,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20 percent)
  • High complexity case: £75,000 - £200,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20 percent)

    Factors that could make a case more complex:
    • If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
    • Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
    • Making or defending a costs application
    • Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
    • The number of witnesses and documents
    • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
    • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of in the region of £515-£600 per day (excluding VAT, charged at 20 percent). Generally, we would allow 5-10 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees and barrister’s fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and we may ask for payment on account to ensure these disbursements are covered.

Counsel's fees estimated between £2,000 to £5,000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing. Preparation will be charged separately.

All figures given above are before VAT at the applicable rate which is currently 20%.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all usual work in relation to the following key stages of a claim but additional work may need to be undertaken depending on the nature of the case:

  • Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
  • Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
  • Preparing response
  • Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
  • Considering a schedule of loss
  • Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
  • Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
  • Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
  • Preparing bundle of documents
  • Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
  • Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
  • Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
  • Any appeal against a Decision or defending an appeal

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced/less. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.

Time scales - how long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. Time scales will be dependent on the Employment Tribunal Directions Orders in specific cases.

This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Stage

Time

If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation

4-12 weeks

If your claim proceeds to a final hearing

Up to 24 months but typically around 12 months (if not settled earlier)

Complaints Procedure

Duane Morris is committed to providing a high quality service. If you are not happy with our service, or the bill for our service, please raise the problem with the lawyer responsible for your matter or, if you prefer, our complaints partner Alex Geisler. This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings.

What will happen next?

    1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within three days of receiving it.
    2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve one of our complaints partners reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
    3. Within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter one of our complaints partner will invite you to a meeting to discuss and resolve your complaint. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, you may instead be offered a chance to discuss the matter by telephone.
    4. Within three days of the meeting, or any telephone conversation we have with you instead of a meeting, one of our complaints partners will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
    5. In any case, they will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including their suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
    6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another partner unconnected with the matter at the firm to review the decision.
    7. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
    8. If we have to change any of these timescales we will let you know and explain why.
    9. As well as your right to complain about any of our bills under our complaints procedure, you can also apply for the bill to be assessed by the court under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974, in which case the Legal Ombudsman may not consider your complaint.
    10. If following our final response, you remain dissatisfied, you should contact the SRA or the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first.

      If you take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, then this must be made:
      • Within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint; and
      • No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complaining about; or
      • No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

      You can contact the Legal Ombudsman at:
    11. The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

Modern Slavery Statement

Privacy Policy

SRA Transparency Rules