Gibson & Co. was shortlisted as one of six finalists in The Lawyer magazine annual awards for 2010 in the category of Niche Firm of the year.
Gibson & Co’s shortlisted placing was achieved as a result of an excellent performance in 2009/2010. It is a unique firm in that within the space of six years, it has built on the foundation of the oldest continuously run family law firm in the country to develop a 21st century niche commercial litigation practice.
The commercial litigation practice was established from scratch in 2003 and has grown steadily ever since in terms of turnover, clients and staff. However, even in a buoyant litigation market, 2009/10 has been a remarkable period for the firm;
Excellence in Commercial Litigation
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We have won instructions to act for the European Commission in highly unusual proceedings in the English Court. This matter is about to go to the Court of Appeal.
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We act on a number of matters for Credit Suisse, including obtaining victory at the summary judgement stage on a test case concerning its standard form terms and conditions in April 2009.
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We are instructed on a major derivatives dispute worth over £100 million for the Sri Lankan state owned utility, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
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We are acting for a Turkish national on another major derivatives dispute (US$75 million).
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Other prestigious current instructions include:
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Acting on a multi-million pound licensing dispute for the British Standards Institute, settled by mediation in May 2009.
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We have also acted for a number of matters for JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A., Superdrug Stores Plc, Hallmark Cards Plc, Bank of New York Mellon and Union Bancaire Priveé
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Toby and Jane Gibson are the partners that head this department, having met (and married) while working at Allen & Overy, where between them they clocked up 18 years of experience, some of them in Hong Kong (Toby also spent three years in Slaughter & May’s Hong Kong office). Like the partners, the four associates, Michael Reed, Claire Newburn, Claire Pringle and Jill Christer, all have excellent academic credentials and have concentrated exclusively on commercial litigation since qualification.
Gibson & Co. is based in Newcastle upon Tyne and Hexham, Northumberland. It is the oldest practice in the Country to have been continuously run by the same family. Our earliest Will dates back to 1715 and so the firm has been in existence since at least that date. Toby and Jane joined a firm with a strong and growing private client practice, run by Toby’s father, Tony (who sits as the chair of the Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal) and Toby’s uncle Derwent. The private client practice continues to flourish, acting principally for local families, for many of whom we have been acting for centuries.
The commercial litigation practice has demonstrated exponential growth over the past few years as well as a consistently high client retention rate. We have a large and growing number of repeat instructions; Superdrug and Hallmark have been clients since 2004, JP Morgan since 2005 and Credit Suisse since early 2008.
Gibson & Co. is a regional firm which has developed within six years into a top rated niche commercial litigation practice, attracting clients from all over the world. In this day of e-communication, we are able to attract and retain international sophisticated clients as a result of our specialist expertise, particularly in banking and finance disputes, as well as our very competitive rates. Our North East base allows us to offer a City firm standard of expertise without the high overheads which inevitably apply when instructing City based law firms. This has meant that we offer a very cost effective service while still having the necessary expertise.
Gibson & Co.
Ausust 2010