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In-house: Eversheds brokers Dyson sole adviser deal alongside fresh FSCS appointment

Eversheds Sutherland has added to its suite of sole adviser relationships with a deal for Dyson’s global privacy mandate.

Eversheds has been a leader on sole adviser mandates since its first in 2006 with Tyco, a relationship which continued after the security provider merged with industrial company Johnson Controls in 2016. The firm’s sole adviser role for Dyson’s global privacy work will run for a three-year term.

The Eversheds team was led by partner Liz Fitzsimmons, pitching for Dyson’s privacy work across 82 jurisdictions. Supporting partners include Paula Barrett, Ros Kellaway, James Hyde, as well as the firm’s global privacy team, particularly in Shanghai, led by partner Jack Cai.

Eversheds executive partner Ian Gray told Legal Business Dyson was attracted to the firm’s global reach across 34 jurisdictions in Africa, Asia, Europe the Middle East and US, as well as a network of more than 200 related firms.

Gray commented: ‘Most large corporations, particularly those working across several jurisdictions, are going the same way in that they are all looking at efficiency. Efficiency includes reducing the number of legal advisers they have got.’

Dyson global legal compliance and ethics director Nicholas Cranfield commented: ‘We were impressed by the quality of their privacy offering as well as its international reach and the team’s deep local knowledge of privacy laws and regulations around the world.’

Eversheds has multiple sole adviser mandates, including with Johnson Controls, Turkish Airlines, the International Air Transport Association and Severn Trent.

‘We seem to be having a reasonably good run at the minute,’ Gray added.

Meanwhile, Eversheds was one of three new firms to be appointed to the FSCS legal panel, alongside Addleshaw Goddard and Clifford Chance (CC).

The FSCS, the UK’s statutory compensation scheme for customers of authorised financial services firms, first created a legal panel in 2015  as it sought a more structured approach to recouping investor losses.

Eight firms were appointed to the panel, which is divided into three lots and runs for three years, with a potential one-year extension. Bevan Brittan, Burges Salmon, Dentons, Burness Paull and Trowers & Hamlins were all reappointed to the panel, while Slaughter and May, Herbert Smith Freehills and King & Wood Mallesons were not reappointed.

Addleshaws, Bevan Brittan, Burges Salmon, Burness Paull, CC, Dentons and Eversheds were appointed to the core legal services lot, worth about £12m, while Addleshaws was appointed to the Scots law lot, and Trowers HR and employment.

FSCS GC James Darbyshire led the review. He commented: ‘Against a backdrop of increasing customer expectation and a changing economic and regulatory landscape, I’m confident we’ve got the right mix of legal partners to help us deliver our strategic priorities in the years ahead.’

Hamish.mcnicol@legalbusiness.co.uk