Herrington Carmichael LLP

Herrington Carmichael is a full-service law firm providing legal advice to UK and international businesses, as well as individuals and families. With offices in Farnborough, Ascot, and Reading, the firm offers a specialist legal practice with dedicated experts operating at the forefront of their respective areas of law. Its teams deliver practical guidance, in-depth understanding, and professional expertise across a broad spectrum of legal disciplines.

The origins of the practice date back over 180 years in Wokingham and 150 years in Aldershot. The firm adopted its current name in 1935 following the merger of Walter Herrington and Graham Carmichael’s practices. Growth has been achieved through both organic development and strategic mergers, including Southorns (2003), Stanbury’s (2004), and Metcalfe and Mather (2005). Bonnetts Solicitors was acquired on 1 March 2022, with the Ascot office retained and a Reading office opened on 1 September 2022. In May 2023, the head office relocated to Farnborough, Hampshire.

The corporate team has extensive experience across the full range of transactional work in diverse industry sectors, including mergers and acquisitions, MBOs and MBIs, private equity investments, banking law, shareholder protection, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations, insolvency, corporate recovery, financial services, and consumer law. The team also provides comprehensive due diligence and legal audit services.

The firm’s commercial practice focuses on enhancing client efficiency and revenue generation, with particular expertise in IT and intellectual property law. Services include supply and franchise agreements, e-commerce, distribution agreements, technology licensing, advertising and sales promotions, sponsorships, bespoke contracts, and financial services.

Employment services cover redundancy, reorganisation, constructive dismissal, disciplinary and grievance procedures, compromise agreements, maternity, paternity, and adoption issues, harassment and bullying, flexible working, and tribunal and court claims. Services for employers include HR retainer services, employment health checks, unfair dismissal and redundancy claims, discrimination claims, breach of contract, TUPE issues, contracts, procedures and policies, restrictive covenants, termination of employment, recruitment, and data protection matters.

The property and real estate department, the largest in the local region, handles property development, plot sales, and services for landowners and house builders. Landlord and tenant services include negotiating new leases, lease renewals, and rent reviews. Residential property services cover all aspects of conveyancing, including Help to Buy, shared ownership, and HomeBuy. Property dispute resolution includes business land disputes, boundary disputes, and restrictive covenants.

Dispute resolution services aim to achieve the best outcomes in terms of time and cost, often avoiding court proceedings. Family and matrimonial law services cover mediation, separation, relationship dissolution, financial matters, and child-related issues. Specialist services for the healthcare sector include corporate and commercial matters, medical practice and care home sales and acquisitions, and employment issues.

The private client department provides services in wills, inheritance tax, powers of attorney, elder care, equity release, and probate matters.

Languages

• Afrikaans
• English (fluent)

Memberships

• Law Society
• IR Global (www.irglobal.com)
• Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
• Association of Lifetime Lawyers
• Resolution Family Law
• British Franchise Association
• Professional Negligence Lawyers Association

Staffing

• 19 UK partners
• 92 other UK fee-earners
• 85 support staff