Hugh joins Mills & Reeve from Mishcon de Reya, where he was previously a partner in the commercial tech team focusing predominantly on intellectual property (IP) and technology law. With more than 30 years’ experience in the Oxford market, he has advised high-growth tech businesses (including university spin-outs), large international companies, banks and accountancy firms. 

His appointment further strengthens the firm’s presence in one of Europe’s leading technology hubs. Oxfordshire is home to a world-class innovation ecosystem, supported by its universities, science parks and growing tech and life sciences sectors, including the emerging Oxford North development. 

Hugh will also support businesses and organisations involved in initiatives linked to the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, which aims to connect globally recognised centres of innovation and create a leading destination for science, technology and investment. 

 Hugh will work alongside commercial healthcare and health tech partner Gayle Curry and IP, data and commercial partner Alex Woolgar to support clients across the region and build on Mills & Reeve’s strong reputation within the Oxford ecosystem. 

Commenting on his appointment, Hugh said: “I’m very much looking forward to joining the excellent team at Mills & Reeve at such an exciting time for the Oxford market. The region’s technology sector continues to grow, and I look forward to supporting clients and contributing to the firm’s continued success in Oxfordshire.” 

Gayle Curry, partner at Mills & Reeve, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Hugh to the team. His deep understanding of the market and extensive experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow our presence and support clients in this dynamic market.” 

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John will work across Freeths’ 12 UK offices and will be responsible for shaping and delivering the firm’s technology strategy. His role will focus on ensuring Freeths has secure, resilient and future‑ready technology platforms that support colleagues, enhance the client experience and enable continued operational excellence.

With more than 30 years’ experience in technology and professional services, John brings a strong track record in leading complex IT environments and large‑scale transformation programmes. He began his career as a software developer, working on business‑critical applications before progressing into senior leadership roles within professional services firms. Most recently, he served as CTO at Forvis Mazars, having previously held senior technology positions at BDO.

Recognised for his collaborative and people‑focused approach, John has extensive experience working with enterprise platforms including Microsoft, Workday and legal‑specific technologies, alongside a strong focus on data, digital skills and the safe and effective use of emerging technologies such as AI.

Commenting on John’s appointment, National Managing Partner Karl Jansen said: “John joins Freeths at an important point in our ongoing growth and development. Technology is central to how we support our people, serve our clients and operate as a modern law firm. John’s depth of experience, combined with his pragmatic and inclusive leadership style, will be instrumental as we continue to build scalable, resilient and innovative technology foundations across the firm.”

John Jones added: “Freeths is an ambitious firm with a strong culture and values that are clearly lived day to day. I was impressed by both the firm’s existing technology platforms and the clarity of its plans for the future. Professional services, and the legal sector in particular, is going through significant change, and technology has a vital role to play in enabling better outcomes for clients and colleagues. I’m excited to be joining Freeths and to be working closely with teams across the business to support the next stage of the firm’s journey.”

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The acquisition marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for an important historic site that has remained largely unused for almost two decades. The College is committed to bringing the site back into productive use through a carefully considered redevelopment that respects its heritage and contributes positively to the local area.

Blake Morgan offered multidisciplinary advice to Worcester College from the early stages of discussion with the owners, the council and other stakeholders, helping to manage the complexities of dealing with both international and local parties keen to secure the future of this important asset for the city.  The team included partners Richard Wade (from Blake Morgan’s construction practice), Michael Ward (real estate), Sara Hanrahan (planning) Rajiv Joshi (employment) and Liz Bell (commercial), with support from trainee Georgia Bevan.

Worcester College recognises the strong interest that local residents and other stakeholders have shown in the future of the site. Over the coming months, the college will be engaging with the community and other interested parties as they develop proposals that seek to meet both the College’s longstanding needs and the aspirations of the wider neighbourhood.

We look forward to sharing further details once these discussions have taken place.

Michael Ward, Partner at Blake Morgan, said: “With tight timescales and a lot at stake, given the importance of this underused brownfield site to the city, it was essential to offer a full suite of advice and support on this transaction to Worcester College – derisking the complexities and helping the process run smoothly.  The owner/investor was based in Hong Kong, adding an international dimension alongside the high-profile nature of the site, and it’s a credit to the strength and breadth of experience here in the Oxford team that a bright and productive future for this historic site is now ensured.”

Lord Isaac CBE, Provost of Worcester College, said: “Worcester College and its predecessors have been custodians of land in this part of Oxford for more than 700 years. We are pleased to have secured this important site and are now committed to ensuring that its future development is of the highest quality, making a positive contribution to Jericho and to Oxford.”

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Mills & Reeve has been named as a supplier on Lot 1a (Full Legal Service Provision for all Public Sector), Lot 1b (Full Legal Service Provision for Local Government and Local Communities), Lot 1c (Full Legal Service Provision for Health and Social Care), Lot 2 (Focused Legal Support), Lot 3 (Litigation and Disputes) and Lot 4 (Projects and Complex Advice including PPP).

The RM6374 framework succeeds the existing RM6240 agreement and provides public sector organisations with access to a broad range of legal services through a compliant procurement route. The framework supports organisations across government, education, health and care, housing, local government and the wider public sector.

Mills & Reeve has worked with public sector organisations for many years and has held positions on successive public sector legal frameworks. The firm’s appointment across six lots reflects the breadth of its public sector offering, bringing together expertise from across its government, education, health and care, housing, disputes, projects, construction, procurement, employment, technology and real estate teams.

Greg Gibson, partner at Mills & Reeve, said:

“We’re delighted to have secured appointments across six lots of Government Commercial Agency’s RM6374 Legal Panel for Public Sector framework. This reflects the strength and breadth of our public sector offering and the commitment of colleagues across the firm. We look forward to continuing to support public sector organisations with practical, commercially focused legal advice that helps them deliver for the communities they serve.”

The appointment further strengthens Mills & Reeve’s public sector credentials and follows its place on the RM6360 Legal Panel for Government agreement. Together, the frameworks provide additional opportunities to support public sector bodies with a wide range of legal requirements and strategic projects.

Government Commercial Agency (GCA) is the UK’s central commercial and procurement organisation, connecting public and private sectors to achieve the best outcomes for the UK and its citizens. GCA uses its commercial expertise to create a simpler procurement experience that redirects valuable resources into essential public services – creating value for the nation.

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The transaction sees Micheldever acquire Tyre Spot’s network of 11 retail centres and a distribution centre in County Durham, adding significant retail and wholesale capability in the region. With Freeths advising on all aspects of the deal, it also brings 148 employees into the Micheldever group.

Established more than 40 years ago, Tyre Spot has built a strong reputation across the North East for tyres, vehicle servicing and MOT testing.

This acquisition represents a further milestone in Micheldever’s growth journey and reinforces its position as one of the UK’s leading tyre distribution and retail businesses. The deal supports the group’s ongoing investment in its retail network, logistics infrastructure and customer offering.

The Freeths team was led by Corporate Senior Associate Hollie Robinson, with support from Corporate Partner Malin Svanberg Larsson, Real Estate Partner Phil Gray, Real Estate Managing Associate Kelly Sawyer, Employment Managing Associate Toni Hudson, IP & Media Managing Associate Dan Cahill, Tax Managing Associate Nur Alzubeydi, Employment Associate Ellie Wise and Corporate Trainee Solicitor Adam Lilley.

Commenting on the deal, Hollie Robinson said: “Micheldever has a clear growth strategy, and this acquisition is another significant step in strengthening its retail and distribution network. Tyre Spot has built a well-established business with a strong reputation across the North East, making it a natural fit for the group. Once again, it was a great to work alongside the Micheldever team on this transaction and support them in delivering their growth ambitions.”

Will Goring, COO at Micheldever Group, added: “This acquisition marks an important step in our growth strategy and further strengthens our ability to serve customers across the North East. The Freeths team once again demonstrated a deep understanding of our business, providing clear, pragmatic advice throughout the transaction and helping us navigate every stage of the process with confidence. Their responsiveness, commercial approach and ability to seamlessly coordinate specialist support across multiple disciplines were invaluable in ensuring a smooth and successful completion.”

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The region’s commercial property market continues to show resilient growth, supported by strong occupier demand and tightening supply, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest Regional Offices MarketBeat report. Take-up totalled 706,793 sq. ft. in Q1 this year, up 18% on the previous quarter, the Thames Valley led with 248,799 sq. ft. marking a 171% increase.

The new hires form part of the firm’s continued growth strategy, which has seen Gardner Leader expand into Oxford and Swindon and increase its headcount by over 50% to more than 200 people over the last five years, alongside increased demand from investors, developers and corporate clients across the region.

Botham joins with nearly 20 years’ experience across international, City and regional firms, most recently as Head of Property at Horsey Lightly.

She advises on acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters, secured lending, and the property elements of corporate transactions. Her experience includes acting on the £64m sale of a public house portfolio for a major leisure company, as well as advising institutional investors, pension funds and a global charitable foundation on complex property matters. She has a particular interest in portfolio management, acting for corporates and individuals with commercial and mixed-use property portfolios.

Sinnott joins from Gateley Legal, where she was a Legal Director, bringing nearly 20 years’ experience specialising in residential development.

Having acted for a number of the UK’s leading housebuilders, Sinnott has extensive experience advising housebuilders, property developers, landowners and land traders through complex transactions and projects. She advises on the acquisition, disposal and promotion of both greenfield and brownfield development sites across the South. Her specialisms include conditional contracts, sub-sale, option, and promotion agreements, and unconditional contracts, as well as advising on overage arrangements, affordable housing disposals, and associated transactions.

Botham said: “Gardner Leader has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality, commercially focused advice. It’s exciting to be joining the firm as it cements its position as having one of the leading Real Estate teams in the south of England. I’m looking forward to supporting both new and existing clients and adding my expertise as we continue to strengthen our services.”

Sinnott added: “I was drawn to Gardner Leader’s strong presence in the commercial property sector, the depth of experience within the team, and its clear commitment to supporting clients across the full lifecycle of their projects. The firm’s practical, commercially focused advice and long-term client relationships strongly reflects my own approach, and I’m pleased to bring my experience in residential development to further strengthen the team’s offering to housebuilders, developers and landowners across the region.”

Recently certified as a B Corp, highlighting its commitment to balancing commercial success with positive social and environmental impact, Gardner Leader has been at the heart of the Thames Valley community for over 130 years. With offices in Newbury, Thatcham Maidenhead, London, Windsor, Swindon and Oxford, its highly experienced team of legal professionals work across nine specialist teams each dedicated to providing specific services to businesses and individuals.

Partner and head of the Real Estate team, Greg Humphreys said: “The appointments of Charlotte and Belinda mark an important step in the continued growth of our Real Estate team. Both bring a depth of experience and sector knowledge that will be of real benefit to our clients. Their arrival also supports our continued investment in the team, where we are seeing increasing demand for specialist real estate expertise from businesses, developers and investors across the wider South East and beyond.”

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Headquartered in Salford, Greater Manchester, TalkTalk Business is one of the UK’s leading B2B telecoms and managed service providers, offering a full range of business‑grade communications products and services, spanning internet access, data, voice and network infrastructure. Its mission is to empower UK organisations to exceed their ambitions by delivering trusted service and innovative solutions. TalkTalk Business has a proud history, with over 25 years’ experience serving businesses of every size – from national retailers to small and medium‑sized enterprises – with future‑proof, scalable technology and dedicated support. Building on this heritage, it continues to invest in developing a comprehensive managed services offering alongside its core connectivity specialisms.

Planet IT is a UK‑based provider of managed IT support, cybersecurity and Microsoft cloud services. The business supports organisations across multiple sectors with secure, reliable technology services, including managed IT support, cloud infrastructure, Microsoft 365 and Azure solutions, and strategic IT consultancy.

The transaction brings together Planet IT’s strong technical expertise and customer‑focused approach with TalkTalk Business’s national scale, connectivity solutions and advanced networking and UC capabilities, enhancing both organisations’ ability to support businesses across the UK with secure, scalable and integrated technology services.

Planet IT’s founders, Gavin Jones and Sean Smith, will continue to lead the business alongside the existing leadership team, ensuring continuity for customers, partners and employees as the business enters its next phase of growth.

The multi‑disciplinary Freeths team was led by Corporate Partner Malin Svanberg Larsson and Corporate Associate James Allen. The wider Corporate team included Associate Freya Squizzoni and Trainee Solicitor Harriet Welch. Employment support was provided by Partner Nicola Wallbank and the Tax and Incentives team was led by Partners Stephen Jones and Claire Boyce, with support from Associate Dhruv Shah.

Reflecting on the transaction, Malin Svanberg Larsson said: “It was an absolute pleasure to work with Gavin, Sean and the wider Planet IT team on this transaction. They have built a fantastic business with a strong culture and an impressive reputation, and this deal represents an exciting new chapter for both the founders and the business. We are delighted to have supported them on this milestone moment and wish them every success as they continue their journey with TalkTalk Business.”

Gavin Jones added: “Working with the Freeths team has been a genuinely brilliant experience. Their responsiveness, commercial insight and hands‑on support made the entire process feel straightforward and well managed, even at its most complex. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Planet IT and are excited about the future as part of TalkTalk Business.”

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Part 1 – Accelerating innovation: Investors and Oxford

Despite national economic and global political uncertainty, Oxfordshire has continued to accelerate business innovation. It has one of the strongest economies in the UK, achieving an impressive 4% year-on-year growth since 2006, and has a vibrant and engaged investor community.

From the misconception that Oxford is all about the university to lessons we could learn from Cambridge, this report is full of insights and observations from the region’s leading influencers and decision makers.

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Our report looks at three broad areas:

1. The customer and people experience
2. How can fast-growth tech businesses embed the customer experience?
3. How can businesses embed the people experience and use it for competitive advantage?

Ready to unearth their secrets?

Download the free report today to unlock our contributors’ fast growth secrets or get in touch with our specialist technology law team.

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The roundtable, captured in this white paper, looked to address some of these challenges and opportunities across two broad areas:

• How fast growth technology businesses use ESG strategies for competitive advantage
• How fast growth technology businesses can also use ESG for employee engagement and retention

Ready to unearth their secrets?

Download the free report today to unlock our contributors’ fast growth secrets or get in touch with our specialist technology law team.

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