Eversheds has been appointed as the preferred legal adviser for technology company Smiths Group in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The law firm will provide commercial, litigation, employment, real estate and company secretarial advice across the region, with London-based head of international litigation and dispute management John Heaps acting as the relationship partner to Smiths.
Eversheds will use its global account management system – first developed for its relationship with Tyco – with the London Stock Exchange-listed Smiths.

Heaps said: "We are delighted to have been selected to work with Smiths and our recent track record in using our global account management system with other major global organisations gives us confidence that we will fully meet Smiths Group's expectations."
Smiths general counsel Michael Herlihy said using Eversheds will give the group greater transparency and control of its legal spend.

At this stage Eversheds has been appointed as preferred adviser and not sole adviser. The news will be closely watched by other firms that have advised Smiths in the past, including magic circle duo Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, as well as Pinsent Masons and Wragge & Co.

Last June, Smiths appointed Herlihy as general counsel replacing David Lillycrop, who left the post after a restructuring which meant the general counsel position no longer carried a seat on the company's board. The British engineering company employs more than 20,000 people across 50 countries.

Eversheds on the Legal Week Wiki