International overview

International and cross-border work

As you'd expect, much of our work has an international element. We act for multi-national organisations and institutions, entrepreneurial businesses and wealthy individuals and families. Our services range from providing specialist UK advice to our international clients and clients of other international law firms to co-ordinating advice for our clients across multiple jurisdictions.

Our independence means that you’ll receive a service that is tailor made to your requirements.

UK legal advice for international clients

As a leading independent UK law firm we deliver award winning sector and specialist advice across all three UK jurisdictions (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Doing business in the UK

Doing business in the UK for the first time can be exciting but complex. In this inward investment guide, we identify 10 key points to help you plan ahead for success. 

Our UK Investment Launchpad service, enables inbound clients to fast track the UK set up process by providing rapidly deployed project management, alongside expert legal advice, to deliver on the ground support with the development and implementation of the client’s UK market entry strategy.

You can read here how we supported a US healthcare provider to create a new business through a joint venture by providing a collaborative legal and project consultancy solution.

UK legal advice for overseas law firms

Overseas law firms come to us because they know that we have no ambitions to compete in their domestic markets. We also work alongside significant US, European and other law firms with UK offices who benefit from our sector knowledge, areas of expertise and resources.

Co-ordinating international legal advice for our clients

Our independence offers the key advantage of flexibility.

  • When clients require advice in other jurisdictions we work with like-minded leading independent firms around the world. This is our Preferred Firm Network - a non-exclusive network of law firms which we have assembled over many years, who share our values and provide expert advice and excellent service at a fair price in their jurisdictions. We invest considerable time and resources in developing and maintaining these relationships which enables us to provide a seamless service to our clients - through a single point of contact at Burges Salmon, delivering consistent, high quality advice they can act on and based on a single retainer and billing arrangement.
  • Alternatively, we can work with our clients’ chosen overseas law firm.
  • We project manage the legal advice our clients receive across multiple jurisdictions, often acting as a hub for European legal matters, particularly for clients based in the US or Asia, using the mix of law firms that works for them.

Our independence means that we can work with the right firm for your matter every time.

International experience

Advising Victoria’s Secret in protecting one of its core brands in Europe, including multiple opposition proceedings. This was a pan-European matter.

Advising National Express Group on its tenders to run public transport services in several projects across the Middle East. The competitions are mainly for bus concessions and include a mixture of operation, maintenance, infrastructure and construction contracts. We have advised on all areas of these projects, from the completion of compliant bids and negotiations with public authorities in each country, to the ongoing running of services following successful bids. We co-ordinated matters across Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

Advising WEX Europe Services on the HR and employment issues arising following the acquisition of the fuel services credit card company across nine European jurisdictions. The team project managed the advice for the US parent and UK subsidiary.

Advising UK dairy co-operative Milk Link on its merger with Danish dairy co-operative Arla Foods amba to create a £2 billion UK dairy business.

Advising The Spear Group on its acquisition by Vienna headquartered Constantia Flexibles Group, working alongside Thompson Hine LLP in the US. We co-ordinated matters across Vienna, South Africa, the US and the UK.

Advising foreign governments seeking to introduce new nuclear legal regimes and applying IAEA laws and standards. We have provided legal support to contractors in the Middle East, to an owner/engineer appointment in a western European jurisdiction and export controls advice to numerous clients with global multi-site, multi-jurisdiction operations.

Coordinating ongoing trade mark work for Harrods in all 10 countries in South America working with local attorneys in each country.

Advising an international bottling and distribution organisation on its European data protection programme (incorporating preparation of procedures handbooks) and covering over 40,000 employees. This was a pan-European matter.

Advising United Arab Emirates Armed Forces on an AED5 billion plus YahSat project for the provision of military satellite communications services.

Co-ordinating employment advice for Thomson Reuters across 19 jurisdictions for an IT outsourcing project including obtaining advice as to whether TUPE/ARD would apply in each relevant jurisdiction and planning for potential transfers. The matter spanned Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Advising a global US business on a major HR/employment project relating to the implementation of a psychometric assessment for recruitment and promotion purposes and IT policies. This involved co-ordinating advice from 23 separate jurisdictions and assimilating it into one report for the client, as well as managing the legal spend and producing one invoice in US$. Jurisdictions included Europe, Asia, South America and the US.

Advising on the UK aspects of a multi-jurisdictional transaction involving the acquisition by CMST Development Co of a majority stake in Henry Bath & Son Limited from commodities trader Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. The matter involved supporting Fangda Partners alongside law firms in the US, Singapore and the Netherlands.

Advising on ECI’s acquisition of Investis, the corporate communications company, from Gresham Private Equity involved co-ordinating advice in the UK, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Sweden and the US.

Advising on the £78.8 million disposal of the majority of FirstGroup's bus operations in London to Metroline (owned by Singapore based ComfortDelGro) and Tower Transit (owned by Australian based Transit Systems).

Advising the sellers of the shariah compliant AUB UK Student Accommodation Fund on the sale of the fund’s entire portfolio of eight student accommodation properties located throughout the UK for £271 million. This was a UK, Middle-Eastern matter.

Advising the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority on plans for the regeneration of a 35 acre site in London’s Royal Docks. The £1 billion deal will re-instate the Royal Docks as a commercial and trading centre for the 21st century, delivering around 20,000 full-time jobs and boosting local employment in Newham by 30 per cent according to the GLA. The deal is also one of the first direct investments by an Asian developer in London’s property market. This was a UK and Asia matter.

Advising a contractor on the construction of a £4.2 billion tunnel project.

Meet the team
Jeremy Dickerson

Jeremy Dickerson Partner

  • Head of International 
  • Head of Intellectual Property, Media and Sport
  • Defamation and Reputation Management
Rhian Wood

Rhian Wood Head of International Relations

  • Banking

International

We help international clients expand into the UK and expand from the UK overseas.