The Legal 500 UK: Morgan Lewis Recognized in 2026 Edition

LONDON, October 3, 2025: Morgan Lewis has achieved 27 practice rankings in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500 UK. The firm earned a new “Firm to Watch” designation in Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious) in addition to four practice area rankings in Fintech (Corporate and Regulatory), Bank Lending, and Intellectual Property (Patents). Partners Frances Murphy, Tim Powell, and Chris Warren-Smith were named to the guide’s prestigious Hall of Fame, reserved for individuals who have repeatedly been named Leading Lawyers.

Ten partners—Carter Brod, Merryn Craske, Matthew Howse, Frances Murphy, Mike Pierides, Tim Powell, Sidanth Rajagopal, Peter Sharp, Hiroshi Sheraton and Louise Skinner—were named Leading Individuals while four partners—Ted Craig, Manuela Krach, Allison Soilihi, and Leonidas Theodosiou—were named Next Generation Partners. The firm also received 67 unique lawyer recommendations in the guide, which recognizes lawyers named in the editorial commentary.

PRACTICE RANKINGS

Corporate and Commercial:

• Corporate Tax
• EU and Competition
• Financial Services: Contentious
• Financial Services: Non-Contentious/Regulatory
• Fintech: Corporate and Commercial
• Fintech: Regulatory
• M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m)
• Private Equity: Transactions – Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m)

Dispute Resolution:

• Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail
• Commercial Litigation: Premium
• Competition Litigation
• International Arbitration

Employment:

• Employers
• Immigration: Business

Finance:

• Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Debt Capital Markets
• Securitization
• Transport Finance and Leasing

Industry Focus:

• Emerging Markets
• Life Sciences and Healthcare

Investment Fund Formation and Management:

• Private Funds

Projects, Energy, and Natural Resources:

• Oil and Gas

Risk Advisory:

• Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)

TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecoms):

• Intellectual Property: Trademarks, Copyright, and Design
• Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious)
• IT and Telecoms

Transport

• Aviation

LAWYER RANKINGS

Hall of Fame

• Frances Murphy: Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition
• Tim Powell: Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious)
• Chris Warren-Smith: Dispute Resolution: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail

Leading Individuals

• Carter Brod: Finance: Debt Capital Markets; Industry Focus: Emerging Markets
• Merryn Craske: Finance: Securitisation
• Matthew Howse: Employment: Employers
• Frances Murphy: Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation
• Mike Pierides: TMT: IT and Telecoms
• Tim Powell: Life Sciences and Healthcare
• Sidanth Rajagopal: Transport: Transport Finance and Leasing
• Peter Sharp: Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Premium
• Hiroshi Sheraton: Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious)
• Louise Skinner: Employment: Employers

Next Generation Partners

• Ted Craig: Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Funds
• Manuela Krach: Transport Finance and Leasing
• Allison Soilihi: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m)
• Leonidas Theodosiou: Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation; Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition

Recommended Lawyers

• Yvette Allen: Employment: Immigration: Business
• Keir Baker: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail
• Oliver Bell: TMT: IT and Telecoms
• Robert Bolgar-Smith: Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration; Commercial Litigation: Premium
• Nick Bolter: TMT: Intellectual Property: Trademarks, Copyright, and Design; TMT: Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious)
• Abbey Brimson: Private Equity: Transactions - Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m)
• Carter Brod: Finance: Debt Capital Markets; Industry Focus: Emerging Markets
• Charlotte Cavendish: TMT: IT and Telecoms
• Olivier Chambord: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m); Emerging Markets; Oil and Gas
• Abby Clifford: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Jennifer Connolly: Employment: Immigration: Business
• Ted Cook: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail
• Timothy Corbett: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m); Life Sciences and Healthcare
• Gulmin Cosar: Finance: Securitisation
• Ted Craig: Private Funds (Including Infrastructure Funds)
• Merryn Craske: Finance: Securitisation
• Laura Crilly: Transport Finance and Leasing
• Simon Currie: Corporate and Commercial: Financial Services: Non-Contentious/Regulatory; Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Funds (Including Infrastructure Funds)
• Benjamin Davies: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m-£750m)
• Matthew De Cataldo: Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity: Transactions – Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m)
• Paul Denham: Emerging Markets
• Shannon Donnelly: Employment: Immigration: Business
• Elif Eke: Finance: Securitisation
• Nichola Foley: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Mark Geday: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m); Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity: Transactions – Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m)
• Oliver Gregory: Employment: Employers
• Luciana Griebel: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m-£750m); Life Sciences and Healthcare
• Kate Habershon: Corporate Tax
• Hanna Hedayati: Intellectual Property: Trademarks, Copyright, and Design
• Martin Henshall: TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms): Intellectual Property: Trademarks, Copyright, and Design
• Matthew Howse: Employment: Employers; Employment: Immigration: Business
• Robert Hutton: Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity: Transactions – Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m); Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m)
• Konstantin Kochetkov: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Dr. Manuela Krach: Finance: Transport Finance and Leasing
• Theresa Kradjian: Finance: Securitisation
• Christina Lewes: Transport: Aviation
• Steven Lightstone: Corporate and Commercial: Financial Services: Non-Contentious/Regulatory; Fintech: Regulatory; Fintech: Corporate and Commercial
• Robert Mailer Fintech: Regulatory; Fintech: Corporate and Commercial
• James Mead: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Paul Mesquitta: Aviation; Dispute Resolution: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail; Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration; Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Premium
• James Mulligan: TMT: IT and Telecoms
• Frances Murphy: Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation; Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition; Industry Focus: Life Sciences and Healthcare
• Pauline Mutuc: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Mike Pierides: Fintech: Regulatory; Fintech: Corporate and Commercial; TMT: IT and Telecoms
• Tim Powell: Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious)
• Sidanth Rajagopal: Transport Finance and Leasing
• Tayne Rankine: Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Funds (Including Infrastructure Funds)
• Paul Ranson: Industry Focus: Life Sciences and Healthcare
• Oliver Rochman: Investment Fund Formation and Management: Private Funds (Including Infrastructure Funds)
• Vishnu Shankar: Life Sciences and Healthcare
• Peter Sharp: Dispute Resolution: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail; Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Premium; Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration; Transport: Aviation
• Jack Shawdon: Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity: Transactions – Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m)
• Hiroshi Sheraton: Industry Focus: Life Sciences and Healthcare; Intellectual Property: Patents (Contentious and Non-Contentious)
• Louise Skinner: Employment: Employers
• Todd Smith: Corporate and Commercial: Corporate Tax
• Yaroslav Smorodin: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans
• Dasha Sobornova: Finance: Securitisation
• Allison Soilihi: Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals (£100m–£750m); Emerging Markets; Industry Focus: Life Sciences and Healthcare; Oil and Gas
• Grace Tan: Corporate and Commercial: Corporate Tax
• Leonidas Theodosiou: Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation; Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition
• Molly Tinker: Corporate Tax
• David Waldron: Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Premium; Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration; Transport: Aviation
• Martin Whittle: Intellectual Property: Trademarks, Copyright, and Design
• Chris Warren-Smith: Dispute Resolution: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail; Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Premium; Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration; Risk Advisory: Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)
• TatFu Wong: Finance: Debt Capital Markets
• Tomasz Wozniak: Private Equity: Transaction: Mid-Market Deals (up to £500m)
• William Yonge: Corporate and Commercial: Financial Services: Non-Contentious/Regulatory