Lovells won Team of the Year in the Competition and Real Estate categories. The awards were presented on 8 February 2007.
Competition Team of the Year
For the team led by Susan Bright and Simon Polito advising MasterCard UK Members Forum Limited in the successful appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal concerning the OFT's high profile decision against MasterCard's interchange fee arrangements in the UK. The decision was also appealed by MasterCard International/MasterCard Europe (advised by Jones Day) and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (advised by Ashurst). The award was won jointly by Lovells, Jones Day and Ashurst.
The MasterCard appeal was widely recognised as the most important competition case in 2006 and followed the longest and most complex investigation in the OFT's history.
Real Estate Team of the Year
For the team led by partners Mike Gallimore, Andrew Sanders and Gill McGreevy advising Argent on the redevelopment of King's Cross Central. The regeneration scheme is one of the largest and most high-profile in Europe and involved complex planning issues for the 67 acre site next to a major transport interchange containing listed buildings and conservation areas. The scheme, which was described by the judges as one of the most important and iconic regeneration projects in London, received planning permission in December 2006.
Lovells was also short-listed in the Dispute Resolution Team of the Year category, for Barclays v HM Commissioners of Customs and Excise (HMRC), and as Financial Services & Insurance Team of the Year for Equitable Life's transfer of £4.6bn of non-profit annuities to Canada Life.
The awards show the firm's market leading work across a broad range of practice areas.