Ben Chivers

Ben Chivers

Partner

Ben is a partner in our Technology & Commercial Transactions Department. He also heads the firm's Leisure and Hospitality Group and chairs the firm's Beyond Brexit Working Group.

Ben specialises in high-value and complex commercial contracts, often with an international dimension. These include outsourcing, manufacturing, supply of goods, supply of services, distribution, management, agency, franchise and brand licence agreements. He has extensive experience in the structuring and negotiation of equity joint ventures and co-operation agreements. He advises a range of corporate and other clients on their commercial contracts and on commercial and trading law more generally, including unfair contract terms, consumer law and the law of agency. He also regularly advises on commercial contracts in the context of M&A, including transitional services and separation arrangements.

Ben has expertise in a range of sectors, with particular focus on leisure and hospitality, retail, financial services and energy and infrastructure. As head of the firm's Leisure & Hospitality Group, he regularly advises on management and franchising arrangements in the hotel and wider leisure and hospitality sector. He also advises clients on Brexit-related risks and mitigation strategies and wider supply chain issues.

Industry recognition

Ben is a Leading Individual in The Legal 500 and a Notable Practitioner in Chambers and Partners for Commercial Contracts.

Work Highlights

  • Moto Hospitality, the UK's largest motorway service station operator, on a new exclusive fuel supply deal with BP for all of its UK sites.
  • Safestore on its joint venture with Carlyle Group for the roll-out of Safestore-branded and managed self-storage sites across Europe.
  • The developer of a major new multi-billion pound UK theme park on its key brand licensing and hotel management arrangements for the project.
  • BTC, the owners of Soho Coffee and Euphorium, on a range of matters including hotel management and food and beverage arrangements for the NoMad hotel in Covent Garden.
  • McColl's Retail Group on a variety of business-critical commercial contracts, including its major supply deal with Morrisons.
  • Target Servicing on multiple, high-value debt portfolio servicing arrangements with customers including Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and GE Money.
  • Various clients on Brexit risk mitigation strategies, including in the context of the new Trade and Co-operation Agreement agreed between the UK and the EU.
  • THE World Universities Insights on a wide range of commercial contracts including collaboration agreements with educational institutions around the world.

WHAT OTHERS SAY

Ben Chivers: very commercial, turned things round ludicrously fast. Dropped into the deep end at the end of a transaction and felt like he’d been there since the beginning. Pragmatic and able to solve issues quickly. Top rate lawyer.
The Legal 500 2023
Ben Chivers is knowledgeable, easy to work with, and delivers excellent quality of work.
Chambers and Partners 2023
He cuts through the detail to the heart of an issue.
Chambers and Partners 2023
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