Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Industry focus > Emerging markets Tier 2

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP handles complex transactions and disputes across a host of emerging markets, and its work encompasses trade and export finance, international arbitration, project finance, capital markets and bank finance. The firm's Africa practice is a core focus for the multi-disciplinary team, which includes Carter Brod, who is dual-qualified in US and English law, and who advises on high-profile bond offerings. He assisted Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago with a consent solicitation for $300m in senior secured notes and a new $70m offering. Ayesha Waheed is a key adviser on energy and infrastructure projects in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the CIS and Asia, and Bruce Johnston handles banking and finance transactions in EMEA. Together with Brod they assisted Turkey's Aktif Bank with the update of its €390m MTN programme. Transactional oil and gas and projects lawyer Olivier Chambord is increasingly involved in emerging markets deals, particularly in Africa, while project development and acquisition finance specialist Seyfi Can Kandemir's practice has a strong focus on Turkey.

Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m Tier 3

Headed up by Tim Corbett, who has extensive experience in cross-border corporate transactions, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP’s strategic London hub is well regarded for its full service corporate and transactional offering in public and private M&A. The team is a strong choice for clients in the energy, investment management, technology and life sciences sectors who are seeking a comprehensive and cross-border M&A service. Working on deals which span France, the UK and a number of emerging markets, energy and project development specialist Allison Soilihi focuses on joint venture, private equity and M&A transactions. Other names to note include Mark Geday, who specialises in the private equity and investment management, while Iain Wright is noted for his capabilities across public and private M&A, IPOs, joint ventures, securities law and fundraisings.

Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m) Tier 3

Frequently working in conjunction with the firm’s US offices, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP is engaged by a number of investment firms, sovereign wealth funds, and portfolio companies for its capabilities in mid-market transactions. Practice head Mark Geday is a highly active adviser whose recent highlights include big-ticket transactions in the media. Other key figures include Tim Corbett, who heads up the EMEA corporate group, and Robert Hutton, whose expertise is concentrated in the infrastructure, tech, and luxury travel sectors. Tom Cartwright left the firm for Paul Hastings LLP in June 2022, while Jayne McGlynn left the firm in May 2023.

Dispute resolution > Competition litigation Tier 3

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP houses a ‘formidable team of experts‘ who leverage their international strength to advise notable clients, including Mercedez Benz Trucks, AstraZeneca UK, and Teva Pharmaceuticals. Practice head Frances Murphy is ‘simply outstanding' and equipped to handle a broad spectrum of issues, including allegations of abuse of dominance, cartel investigations, and civil proceedings concerning damages. The ‘highly accomplished and effective' Joanna Christoforou represents a broad-range of clients across the life sciences and technology industries in matters concerning abuse of dominance investigations, and appeals before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court; and Leonidas Theodosiou often acts for global corporates in merger control matters, in addition to handling state aid investigations.

Employment > Employers Tier 3

Matthew Howse, experienced in both strategic planning and restrictive covenants and team-move litigation, heads up the London employment team at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP. The firm is recommended for its cross-border capabilities, with the London office being part of a strong global network. Further key names in the team include regulatory employment matters expert Louise Skinner and associate Thomas Twitchett.

Finance > Asset based lending Tier 3

Able to call upon the expertise of practitioners based in the US, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP remains very active for an impressive roster of large US-based banks, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America and JP Morgan, both on UK-originated deals as well as cross-border mandates with a transatlantic nexus. While the firm does handle some more conventional domestic matters for working capital purposes, including for a growing range of alternative funder clients, the firm is particularly adept at advising on larger ticket event-driven mandates, where the ABL portion sits alongside other debt in the capital structure and involves complex inter-creditor arrangements. The team is particularly active in the tech, manufacturing and retail sectors, an area that associate James Mead has strong visibility, both on the new money and restructuring front. Former team head Georgia Quenby  recently retired.

Finance > Debt capital markets Tier 3

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP handles the full range of DCM transactions under UK, US and EU securities laws from its London office. Although it is particularly well known for sovereign debt issuance, the firm also handles investment grade programmes, convertible bonds, private placements and liability management transactions. Head of debt capital markets Carter Brod (who is 'an exceptional lawyer, super-innovative, hardworking and able to stay calm and resilient under pressure') and head of international finance Bruce Johnston are the key practitioners. Brod acted for insurance company Prudential plc in a $350m offering of notes, and handled a $147.5m convertible notes issue for Selina Hospitality. Victoria Weir is highly regarded for private placements of debt. The firm also handled a consent solicitation process for $300m of notes issued by Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago.

Finance > Securitisation Tier 3

At Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP, ‘the high-quality team provides advice on some of the most cutting-edge structured finance transactions‘. The firm has a deep bench of experienced partners, among them the ‘first-class lawyer‘ Merryn Craske, who is ‘extremely well known in factoring securitisation transactions‘. She advises banks, originators, alternative investment funds, private equity firms, and other market participants in relation to securitisation and structured finance transactions in a range of asset classes. Richard Hanson, who ‘thinks laterally to get good client outcomes‘, frequently advises alternative investment funds and asset managers on structured finance and securitisations. He assisted Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. with a £1bn back leverage revolving facility structure. Theresa Kradjian and Lisa Cargill are also heavily involved in the portfolio sales, warehouse financings, asset-backed commercial paper conduits and pan-European funding platforms.

Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates) Tier 3

Deploying a ‘rational, hard-charged and thorough’ approach when addressing financial crime issues, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP represents international banks and global corporations in regulatory and criminal investigations. With special expertise in cases involving insider trading, market abuse, and complex fraud corruption, the team consistently deals with cross-border proceedings brought by international and domestic enforcement authorities, spanning from the SFO to the US DOJ. Melanie Ryan and Chris Warren-Smith both lead the group, providing bespoke advice on tax issues, sanctions breaches, and retail share trading matters. Paul Mesquitta handles complex commercial litigation and arbitration, having been promoted to partner in October 2022.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms Tier 3

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP assists clients on the full spectrum of data protection and privacy-related issues. The team is also experienced in the structuring and implementation of data-heavy projects, such as segregation arrangements and complex supply chains. Practice head Mike Pierides focuses on all aspects of technology transactions including cloud arrangements and digital payments. Corporate lawyers Timothy Corbett and Nicholas Moore advise on cross-border transactions and venture capital financings.

Transport > Aviation Tier 3

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP has strengthened its aviation practice with the arrivals of co-head Sidanth Rajagopal and Manuela Krach from K&L Gates LLP in October 2022 and March 2023 respectively, with both specialising in aviation financing. In addition to working ‘like a Swiss watch’ on matters of financing, restructuring and bankruptcy, Peter Sharp, who jointly leads the team, acts for clients engaged in disputes, including commercial, post-disaster and insurance matters. Solicitor advocate David Waldron represents clients in restructuring, insolvency and bankruptcy matters, as well as commercial disputes.

Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious Tier 4

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP‘s ‘dynamic‘ team in London is a critical part of the firm’s global contentious regulatory practice, with practitioners frequently playing a key role in matters with a cross-border element. FCA investigations and proceedings, large-scale customer redress exercises, and remediation programmes are all part of the group’s regular workload. The key senior contacts are Chris Warren-Smith, who ‘combines great strategic and tactical nous with rigorous analysis and excellent legal judgment‘, and ‘great litigator‘ Melanie Ryan.

Employment > Immigration Tier 4

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP‘s global immigration offering is run by the Washington-based Shannon Donnelly, who works closely with Matthew Howse as the practice head of the UK labour and employment team. The UK immigration practice is closely integrated with the wider employment offering as part of the firm’s holistic HR services. The firm acts for a number of high-profile multinational clients, with particular strengths in US-based entities, and has a core focus on media, tech, entertainment, and finance sector companies and executives. Associates Jennifer Connolly, Yvette Allen, and Carina Bryk are key contacts for London immigration work.

Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare Tier 4

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP‘s team is noted for advising biotech companies on seed investments, venture capital deals, and obtaining product approvals. Omar Shah has vast expertise in acting for clients in cartel investigations and challenges to European Commission decisions, while Allison Soilihi handles a variety of matters, including private equity transactions and joint ventures. Frances Murphy leads the competition team, often acting for large pharmaceutical companies in challenges to dawn raid search warrants and allegations of market exclusion. The ‘exceptional‘ Paul Ranson has broad experience spanning the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, often advising clients on pricing, reimbursement, and outsourcing issues.

Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 4

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP remains strong in financing and transactional work, whilst having the strength in depth to handle contentious matters, including litigation, arbitration and regulatory issues. Ayesha Waheed leads the team and acts for developers and lenders in oil and gas, power generation, and infrastructure projects.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design Tier 4

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP fields a ‘confident’ team that is active across a range of sectors, with a particular focus in the automotive, retail, luxury, apparel, and technology arenas. The department undertakes general trade mark and design matters, as well as litigation and the protection and enforcement of trade marks. Nick Bolter helms the practice, counting high profile retail, luxury and apparel brands in his client roster. Martin Henshall’s particular strengths lie in trade mark-related issues.

Corporate and commercial > EU and competition Tier 5

The competition group at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP is praised for its ability to combine ‘subject matter expertise’ with a ‘practical approach’, to advise its diverse roster of clients on both contentious and non-contentious competition matters. The practice has earned a formidable reputation for its strong competition offering in the pharmaceutical sector where it is routinely instructed by high-profile pharmaceutical companies on a significant volume of CMA investigations. Team lead Frances Murphy is entrusted by clients to oversee their complex, high-profile matters, and plays a pivotal role in driving the team’s involvement in noteworthy contentious and non-contentious engagements. Leonidas Theodosiou, noted for his ‘attention to detail’, was promoted to partner in October 2022.

Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5

For one client, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP boasts ‘one of the best banking litigation teams in the City’, describing it as ‘dynamic, highly effective, and committed’. The team is particularly strong in the securities litigation sphere, with team head Chris Warren-Smith notably skilled in this area. Also leading the team is Melanie Ryan, who is a ‘great litigator with a very good following’. Ryan represents banks and financial services firms in relation to cross-border regulatory investigations. Peter Sharp yields a ‘fantastic intellect’, and has experience in insolvency and restructuring situations. ‘Brilliant partner’ Paul Mesquitta is another name to note.

Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 5

'With huge experience in international arbitration', Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP‘s London team represents clients under all the major international arbitration. It routinely handles significant disputes involving the Americas, Asia, Europe, the CIS, Africa, and the Middle East. David Waldron is particularly active in financial services and oil and gas sector-related disputes; Peter Sharp has 'great strategic appreciation'; and Chris Warren-Smith and Melanie Ryan's practices also incorporate arbitration work. Recently-promoted partner Paul Mesquitta is 'a great arbitration practitioner'.

Investment fund formation and management > Private funds Tier 5

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP is known for representing multinational financial institutions as sponsors of funds, investors into funds, co-investors in unquoted companies, and as participants in the secondaries market in relation to purchasing and selling fund interests. The team is led by asset management sector specialist Simon Currie. Currie is supported by venture capital, infrastructure and debt funds expert Robert Mailer as well as the impact funds focused Oliver Rochman .

Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity Tier 5

Working closely with its US offices, the data privacy and cybersecurity team at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP advises UK, European, and global companies in relation to transactional data privacy matters, data breaches, regulatory investigations, and data sharing arrangements. Key names to note include Matthew Howse, who advises corporations on EU privacy and cybersecurity compliance. Vishnu Shankar joined the firm from the Information Commissioner’s Office in October 2023, while former practice head Pulina Whitaker left in August 2023.

Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax Tier 6

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP's tax practice advises on a range of transactions and disputes, in addition to coverage of senior executive remuneration, day-to-day tax planning, and compliance issues. Team lead Kate Habershon has a comprehensive corporate tax practice, which includes advising on private investment funds. Neil McKnight and associate Grace Tan are key names. Todd Smith joined in October 2022 from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory Tier 6

Noted for its expertise in the investment management arena, the practice at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP is led by ‘exceptionally experienced’ Simon Currie, who advises on the formation, management and operation of private investment funds, listed investment companies, managed accounts and separate account investment vehicles. William Yonge, who specialises in UK and EU financial services regulation, is another key contact in the group.

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium Tier 6

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP has a ‘dynamic and effective’ litigation practice, and for one client, is ‘up there with the best of the magic circle firms.’ Melanie Ryan, a ‘great litigator’, represents clients across disputes in banking, financial services, and energy, and leads the team. Chris Warren-Smith, co-chair of the firm’s white collar and corporate investigations practice, is key to the team, along with ‘clever, shrewd litigator’ Peter Sharp  and ‘highly experienced’ David Waldron.

Finance > Transport finance and leasing Tier 6

Headed by Sidanth Rajagopal, following his arrival in October 2022 from K&L Gates LLP, the nascent aviation finance group at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP provides ‘commercial, practical and astute’ advice to airlines and leasing companies across a range of cross-border financings. Rajagopal, whose ‘grasp of the industry is second to none’, has a balanced perspective of the market, and since joining the firm has worked closely with its Dubai office for fly dubai on numerous sale and leaseback mandates.

United States > Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 3

United Arab Emirates > Oil, gas and natural resources

Demonstrating cross-border capabilities and a depth of expertise across M&A, financing and development work, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is an established advisor to a range of clients active in the oil and gas space. Wider work for the team includes sanctions advice to energy companies reviewing their Russian assets, and investigations and litigation support. Practice head Jennifer Josefson has a ‘very commercial approach’; she stands out for her knowledge and experience in the sector and is highly active on petroleum and LNG mandates. Legal consultant Alexandra Rotar, who splits her time between London and Abu Dhabi, has considerable knowledge of environmental and regulatory matters and is noted for her work on carbon capture, storage and voluntary carbon offset endeavours.