SGH Martineau LLP
SGH Martineau LLP is a UK top 100 commercial law firm offering a range of legal services to clients in the energy, banking & financial services, restructuring & insolvency, investment funds, leisure & retail, education, industry & manufacturing and private wealth sectors. It is headquartered in Birmingham and has offices in London and Brussels.
The firm is a member of both Multilaw and LEGUS - two of the leading, independent international networks of law firms supporting its international capability. Reflecting the importance of UK–US trade links, SGH Martineau is the only firm based outside of North America belonging to State Law Resources. SGH Martineau is also the only UK member of the Association of European Energy Consultants (AEEC) – a pan-European network of law firms boasting leading energy, utilities and telecommunication law specialists.
History
SGH Martineau was born out of a merger between regional law firm Martineau and city-based Sprecher Grier Halberstam.
Martineau's roots date back to 1828 when Arthur Ryland started in practice under his own name. In 1852 he entered into partnership with Sir Thomas Martineau, (1828-1893), the Mayor of Birmingham from 1884-87. This alliance formed Ryland & Martineau and from 1887 it was known as Ryland, Martineau & Co.
In 1874 J. B. Carslake became Partner and the firm’s name changed to Ryland, Martineau & Carslake. Generations of the Martineau and Carslake families have been represented at Martineau since the mid 19th century, with Hugh Carslake, great grandson of J. B Carslake, still a partner with the newly merged SGH Martineau. In 1987, Ryland Martineau merged with Johnson & Co, forming Martineau Johnson.
Legacy Martineau was responsible for incorporating Lloyds TSB Bank plc and helped found the University of Birmingham (for whom it still acts for) in 1900. In 1950, the firm drew up the assembly agreement between the Austin Motor Company and Nissan that played a major role in Japan becoming a force on the world export market.
In October 2004, the firm moved to its current Headquarters, No 1 Colmore Square, Birmingham and in June 2008 underwent a major rebrand, dropping the Johnson from its name to be known simply as Martineau.
In contrast, Sprecher Grier Halberstam was formed in 1984 by two friends and colleagues, David Sprecher and Ian Grier. From that period until the merger in 2011 it had grown to a 19-partner commercial law practice with a wide range of clients including many household names, professional partnerships, listed companies, merchant banks, mortgage lenders and smaller family owned businesses. Both Ian Grier and David Sprecher are still with SGH Martineau and are widely known and respected in their fields of Insolvency and Corporate law.
Main practice areas
SGH Martineau's main practice areas are:
- Energy law
- Banking & financial services
- Restructuring & insolvency
- Investment funds
- Leisure & retail
- Education law
- Industry & manufacturing
- Private wealth