Overview

Our specialist healthcare lawyers provide clear, innovative and commercial advice across the health and social care sector.

We focus on advising independent, private-sector care providers and their funders to help meet the challenges of a constantly evolving and highly regulated sector. As trusted advisors to some of the UK’s largest private sector care providers, banks and equity providers, we can help you to make the most of the opportunities for your business. We have worked closely with our clients across the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, on some critically important national projects.

As a full service law firm, we can support all of your legal needs – but we have particular strengths in advising in relation to mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity finance, dispute resolution and real estate matters, in healthcare, social care and the retirement living sector. Our market-leading healthcare procurement team has advised on some of the most complex and high profile matters in the UK, advising providers to the NHS and local authorities on how to successfully tender for care contracts. We regularly act for healthcare clients in challenges relating to non-compliant procurement procedures and other commercial disputes.

Above all else, we take the time to understand your business and your objectives to put together a team and a service tailored to you.

Our healthcare team has been recognised for its excellence and outstanding performance; having been shortlisted at the market-leading Health Investor Awards and Laing Buisson awards in 'Law Firm of the Year' categories for three years running.

Areas of focus

Our expertise in the healthcare sector includes advising in relation to the following:

  • Corporate governance.
  • Care home and healthcare consolidations, acquisitions and disposals.
  • Joint ventures.
  • Debt and equity finance.
  • Real estate.
  • Tendering for NHS and local authority contracts.
  • Public Procurement challenges.
  • Commercial dispute resolution.
  • Supply chain contracts.
  • Regulatory matters.
  • Technology and intellectual property.
  • Employment and pensions services.
  • Planning and Construction.
  • Subsidy control and grant funding.
Experience

Healthcare M&A / Corporate

Advising Mental Health Care (UK) Limited on its acquisition of a portfolio of independent hospitals and care homes from Regency Hospitals Limited and on its acquisition of Young Foundations Limited, the mental health care home provider.

Providing legal support to many aspects of Oasis Healthcare's (now BUPA Dental) business. Our work has included advising on the acquisition of the Den Dental Group and Total Orthodontics. We have also advised on PDS and GDS contracts between Oasis and the NHS Commissioning Board.

Advising Optegra Eye Healthcare, a leading international provider of ophthalmology services, in relation to its acquisition of Arnott Eye Associates, a renowned Harley Street practice.

Advising JLT, one of the world's leading providers of insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits related advice, brokerage and associated services, on its acquisition of Chartwell Healthcare Ltd, the private medical insurance broker serving UK SME clients.

Advising Bridges Fund Management on a £6 million investment into New Reflexions, a specialist children’s residential provider operating seventeen homes, to support its expansion.

Advising the founders of Nanopharm, a specialist respiratory drug delivery consultancy business, on its strategic acquisition by AptarGroup.

Advising the shareholders of domiciliary care home provider Corinium Care on its sale to a private equity backed national domiciliary and live-in care provider.

Advising an investor client on a project to aggregate and consolidate specialist care businesses, including the equity arrangements in the acquisition vehicle and transactional advice on the acquisitions by share purchase.

Advising oncology drug discovery accelerator, Cumulus Oncology Limited, on fundraises of £1.7 million and c. £4.1 million.

Advising on the sale of Ludlow Street Healthcare Group, a best-in-class provider of specialist care, education and treatment services to individuals with complex mental health needs, to Holmleigh Care Group.

Advising digital health platform Albert Health on a $1 million seed investment, led by Sabanci Ventures, with participation from Teknoloji Yatirim A.S., AK Portföy and EGÌAD Melekleri.

Advising Cytomos Limited, an Edinburgh-based life science company, on its £1.6m funding, led by Archangels with participation from Scottish Enterprise and Old College Capital.

Advising a property owning company on the disposal of its UK wide portfolio of closed and operational residential care homes.

Healthcare contracts and procurement

Advising the University of Oxford in relation to its joint venture partnership with the US-based Mayo Clinic and Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to form a strategic relationship to drive advances in medical research, education and patient care.

Advising Virgin Care, a leading independent provider of over 230 free NHS and social care services across the UK, in relation to procurement and contract matters.

Advising the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its UK’s Vaccines Taskforce on a series of crucial projects relating to the manufacturing of vaccines and antibodies in response to COVID-19.

Advising Cobalt Health, a leading provider of PET/CT scanning services, on its service agreements and lease arrangements with NHS and third party providers. Our work has included advising on its contractual arrangements with an NHS Trust and in support of its tender to be appointed on a new NHS England Framework Agreement.

Advising Tascor Services on its successful tenders to provide non-emergency patient transport services to local authorities across the UK.

Healthcare dispute resolution

Representing leading independent healthcare providers on procurement and commercial disputes including representation in High Court Proceedings and alternative dispute resolution.

Healthcare finance

Representing central government on complex commercial and dispute matters. Advising HSBC Bank and Bank Leumi (UK) on a £125 million revolving credit facility to Audley Group, the leading provider of retirement living homes to refinance existing facilities with AIG, Bank Leumi and Coutts and to fund existing and future developments of Audley Group's retirement villages.

Advising NatWest on the provision of £6 million facilities for the acquisition and consolidation of 4 care homes.
Advising on two facilities for a combined amount of £16 million for the construction of two specialist care homes in the North West of England.

Advising an alternative lender on the provision of £9 million facilities to a UK healthcare group on the development and operation of care homes.

Acting on a £22 million revolving credit facility for a leading national care home operator.

Advising a leading clearing bank on the acquisition and ongoing credit support for a specialist adult services business.

Acting for Bank Leumi in respect of real estate finance facilities of £5 million for the development of a care home in the North East of England.

Advising a leading pharmaceutical distributor on a £95million securitisation.

Healthcare real estate

Advising Somerset Care in relation to its portfolio of care homes. Our work includes the acquisition of existing care home businesses, acquiring development sites and the development of new care homes, negotiating new leases of care homes from Councils and private landlords and working with the company to develop its extra care apartment offering.

Advising a care home property owning company on its UK wide portfolio of 74 care homes including the disposal of closed and operational residential care homes.

Advising Cobalt Health, a leading provider of medical imaging services, on its estates and commercial arrangements for the installation of a mobile MRI and research facility at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Advising US listed STERIS (a leading provider of infection prevention and other procedural products and services) in relation to its leasing arrangements with various NHS Trusts to facilitate the delivery of sterilisation services.

Meet the team
Patrick Parkin

Patrick Parkin Partner

  • Healthcare
  • Procurement and State Aid
  • Commercial
John Houlden

John Houlden Partner

  • Head of Public Sector
  • Head of Procurement and Subsidy Control
  • Projects
Chris Jackson

Chris Jackson Partner

  • Infrastructure
  • Procurement and State Aid
  • Transport
Will Woodall

Will Woodall Partner

  • Energy and Utilities
  • Infrastructure
  • Healthcare
Mark Shepherd

Mark Shepherd Partner

  • Head of Private Equity
  • Corporate
  • Healthcare
Headshot of Andrew Mills

Andrew Mills Partner

  • Private Equity
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Partnerships as Investment Vehicles
 
Richard Binns

Richard Binns Partner

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Procurement Disputes
  • Procurement and Subsidy Control
Lucy Pegler

Lucy Pegler Partner

  • Technology and Communications
  • Data Protection and Cybersecurity
  • Outsourcing
Headshot of Paul Clark

Paul Clark Director

  • Real Estate
  • Real Estate Finance
  • Scottish Real Estate

What others say...

The team has a strong understanding of the contractual approach that the NHS takes when procuring goods and services from healthcare companies, and they apply this knowledge in a commercially pragmatic way.

Legal 500 2024

Key contact

Patrick Parkin

Patrick Parkin Partner

  • Healthcare
  • Procurement and State Aid
  • Commercial

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