Armstrong Teasdale > London, England > Firm Profile
Armstrong Teasdale Offices
38-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
LONDON
WC2A 3PE
England
Armstrong Teasdale > The Legal 500 Rankings
Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m Tier 3
Armstrong Teasdale‘s corporate team is noted for its growing presence in the IT, medical technology, advanced manufacturing and branded businesses sectors. The practice is noted for its proficiency in cross-border transactions where practice head Peter Kohl – a dual-qualified practitioner in the UK and US – is an active figure. Joan Yu, who leads the firm’s capital markets group, specialises in public M&A and cross-border transactions. Una Deretic is recommended for her expertise in retail and natural resources M&A, particularly on deals with an international aspect.Practice head(s):
Peter Kohl
Other key lawyers:
Joan Yu; Una Deretic; Yvonne Costello; Coral Yu
Testimonials
‘Very experienced corporate department. Clarity of communication is their key strength. Clients like working with their straightforward approach.’
‘Una Deretic is an experienced and first-class operator. Diligent, hardworking and clear communicator. Focusses on key deliverables and not minutiae.’
Key clients
Applegreen Plc / Welcome Break
Closerstill
VolkerWessels
United Oil & Gas Plc
Victoria Oil & Gas Plc
FKA Brands
Rurelec Plc
Pembridge Resources Plc
VSA Capital Limited
RDCP Capital
Finsol Systems
Silverwood Brands Plc
Work highlights
- Advised AQSE-quoted Silverwood Brands Plc in connection with its acquisition of a minority stakes in Lush, a British skincare and cosmetics manufacturer and retailer. Deal value £216.8 million.
- Advised RDCP Group Limited on in its acquisition of a 75% stake in precision engineering group Pexion, in a transaction valued at £34 million.
- Advised the principal shareholders of Tictrac Limited, a leading wellness software company in the U.K., in the sale of all the shares of the company to Dialogue Health Technologies Inc., a leading healthcare provider listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Deal value £36 million.
Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap Tier 4
With noteworthy expertise in the natural resources sector, Armstrong Teasdale frequently acts for companies, investment banks, brokers and other financial advisers on domestic and cross-border ECM transactions, while also advising on public M&A deals. Joan Yu, who leads the team, is a key name to note for AIM transactions as well as for public takeovers, reverse takeovers and secondary offerings.Practice head(s):
Joan Yu
Key clients
Baron Oil Plc
Empyrean Energy Plc
Metals Exploration Plc
Rurelec Plc
Pembridge Resources Plc
United Oil & Gas Plc
Invinity Energy Systems Plc
Samarkand Group Plc
Silverwood Brands Plc
VSA Capital Group Plc
VSA Capital Limited
Canaccord Genuity Limited
WH Ireland Limited
Novum Securities Limited
Optiva Securities Limited
Victoria Oil & Gas Plc
Work highlights
- Advised AIM quoted Invinity Energy Systems Plc on a strategic investment of £2.5 million by Everbrite Technology Co. by way of a conditional subscription of new shares.
- Advised AQSE quoted Silverwood Brands Plc on its acquisition of Sonotas Group.
- Advised AIM quoted Baron Oil Plc on its £5 million equity fundraising and a separate retail offer launched to existing shareholders through a REX trading platform.
Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 4
‘Committed to the cause‘, Armstrong Teasdale‘s commercial litigation department has a strong presence in the finance, natural resources, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing industries. UK department head Robert Paydon is ‘a very good strategic thinker‘; James Thorndyke focuses on sport, IP and general commercial disputes; Fraser Mitchell is a recently-elevated partner; and senior counsel Andy Kerman is ‘a great tactician‘. Senior associate Emma Shaw and of counsel Molly Ahmed are also key litigators.Practice head(s):
Robert Paydon
Other key lawyers:
James Thorndyke; Fraser Mitchell; Andy Kerman; Emma Shaw; Molly Ahmed
Testimonials
‘Fantastic solicitors – thorough, dedicated and achieve results.’
‘Robert Paydon is creative, tenacious and thoughtful. Great litigation know-how and a very good strategic thinker.’
‘Fraser Mitchell is very sharp and commercially driven.’
‘Andy Kerman – hugely experienced, wise, and a great tactician. He really does understand the client’s concerns.’
‘Molly Ahmed is very hardworking, nothing is too much trouble for her; and Emma Shaw is highly efficient.’
‘Highly efficient, full of good minds, and committed to the cause.’
Key clients
Purple Surgical
Privinvest Holding SAL
FKA Brands
Petrosaudi Oil Services (Venezuela)
Melford Capital
Cancrie Investments
Kataman Metals
European Health Technology
Work highlights
- Acting for Cancrie Investments in its multi-jurisdictional enforcement of a United Arab Emirates judgment.
- Acting for Privinvest in a series of commercial contract and guarantee claims.
- Acingt for Purple Surgical in high-value commercial disputes arising out of the supply of PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals Tier 4
Armstrong Teasdale advises clients engaged in exploration and early exploitation of mining and mineral licences on a full range of transactions, chiefly public and private M&A, debt and equity financing, commercial disputes and commercial contracts. Transactions for listed companies on the London Stock Exchange is a core competency of the team, which is led by Joan Yu and Peter Kohl – heads of the UK capital markets and corporate practice groups, respectively.Practice head(s):
Peter Kohl; Joan Yu
Other key lawyers:
Una Deretic
Testimonials
‘I believe that the AT Mining Team is the most outstanding in London because they have a combination of full spectrum legal experience, from public companies, corporate, litigation and government relations. They seek solutions, not problems, and are not afraid to tell the client the realities of a deal, a case or a situation.’
‘The mining team Peter Kohl, Una Deretic and Joan Yu have always delivered excellent and timely advice. They know how to navigate a company away from choppy waters threatening issues. Their experience with public companies is second to none, and the international reach is today essential.’
Key clients
Jade Resources Limited
Gerald Metals Groups
Highcountry Cameroon Limited
Metals Exploration Plc
Pembridge Resources Plc
Jade Resources Limited
Invinity Energy Systems Plc
Mississippi Lime
Work highlights
- Advised AIM-quoted Invinity Energy Systems Plc on a strategic investment of £2.5 million by Everbrite Technology Co., Ltd by way of a conditional subscription of new shares. Everbrite is a leading Taiwanese manufacturer of industrial technology, and the investment was intended to support a closer strategic relationship between the two companies in Taiwan and further afield.
- Advised AIM-quoted Metals Exploration Plc on its capital reorganisation and capital reduction.
TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport Tier 4
Event management specialists Armstrong Teasdale support a number of major competitions, such as The All-England Lawn Tennis Club, the London Marathon and EUFA, with an exhaustive range of relevant issues, including delivery and supplier agreements, security contracts, venue agreements, data protection, and concession contracts. The practice is headed up by Zane Shihab, while James Thorndyke focuses on regulatory and disciplinary issues, often in the public eye. Thorndyke also assists on issues involving the illegal buying and selling of sporting events tickets. Consultant Nick Bitel
supports Shihab on the drafting and negotiation of regulations in the equestrian space. Practice head(s):
Zane Shihab
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Strong industry knowledge. Provide practical and commercially-minded advice.’
‘James Thorndyke consistently provides sensible and practical guidance and is excellent in client management matters.’
Zane Shihab has very strong industry knowledge.’
‘Strong sports law team with good experience in niche areas like ticketing.’
‘James Thorndyke and Zane Shihab are both exceptional lawyers.’
‘An extremely impressive sports law team, with outstanding clients. The team adopts a very hands-on, client focused approach.’
‘James Thorndyke is an excellent partner: very clever and excellent on the law, while remaining very commercially minded and client focused.’
Emma Shaw is an excellent practitioner, with skill well beyond her years of qualification. A star in the making.’
Key clients
UEFA
All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited
London Marathon Events Limited
Rugby Football Union
Chelsea Football Club
World Marathon Majors
Racehorse Owners Association
W Series
Thoroughbred Group
Azam Media Limited
One Football GmbH
Joymo AS
Citizen Ticket
Blackburn Rovers Football Club
Bloodstock Industry Forum
Copa 90
Brighton Marathon
Work highlights
- Advised The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited (AELTC) on the legal issues arising in connection with their proposed decision to prevent Russian and Belarusian tennis players from competing at the Wimbledon Championships 2022.
- Advised London Marathon Events Limited year-round, culminating in the London Marathon, including drafting and negotiating all commercial contracts required to stage the event, running the brand protection programme and providing advice on the full range of commercial, data and intellectual property matters.
- Advised the AELTC on all matters in relation to the staging of The Championships, including ticketing, running AELTC’s anti-infringement policy to prevent unauthorised sales of tickets as well as hospitality and brand protection programmes.
Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 5
Armstrong Teasdale is noted for its experience in ECM matters in the oil and gas space, particularly on behalf of companies quoted on the Main Market and AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Joan Yu and Peter Kohl jointly lead the team: Yu is a go-to name for flotations, secondary issuances and RTOs on AIM for oil and gas companies, whilst Kohl is an expert in M&A, venture capital, capital markets and corporate governance matters in the space.Practice head(s):
Joan Yu; Peter Kohl
Other key lawyers:
Una Deretic
Key clients
United Oil & Gas plc
Baron Oil Plc
Empyrean Energy Plc
Victoria Oil & Gas Plc
Applegreen Plc
Work highlights
- Advised AIM quoted Baron Oil Plc on its £5 million equity fundraising and a separate retail offer launched to existing shareholders through a REX trading platform.
- Advised United Oil & Gas Plc on its proposed sale of two U.K. Central North Sea assets to Quattro Energy Limited.
Employment > Immigration Tier 6
Armstrong Teasdale provides clients with access to both US and UK immigration advice, with a broad offering in the latter that straddles sponsorship, settlement, and nationality issues. Ben Xu is the head of the practice and utilises his experience in corporate and commercial law to provide valuable insights into the immigration needs of his corporate clients.Practice head(s):
Ben Xu
Testimonials
‘Armstrong Teasdale’s immigration practice offers a first class service. They are knowledgeable, tenacious, but pragmatic about the advice they deliver. The recent arrival of Ben Xu as a partner has endorsed their commitment to grow and thrive in this area.‘
‘Ben Xu is a stand-out partner; with a wide-ranging knowledge base, bags of charisma and a strong commitment to achieving his client’s objectives, he has developed an expansive and loyal cohort of professional clients who refer high quality work. He also has an extensive international network which he draws upon to offer a world-class service. His encyclopaedic knowledge and highly acute judgement has seen him act as an expert to the High Court in immigration matters.’
‘The service and collaboration is absolutely great; quick turn around, knowledgeable and professional. We have a dedicated partner as our account manager and if there is an urgent need or problem then they will go out of their way to sort it.‘
‘Ben Xu is our immigration solicitor: fantastic service level, accommodating and professional. We have managed to cut down our visa application processes by many weeks, sometimes even months, compared to before.’
‘The most unique part of Armstrong is its people. Their team comprises highly knowledgeable and experienced people who specialise in immigration law. This expertise allows them to navigate the complexities of these legal areas with confidence and provide clients with top-notch counsel. They value the unique perspectives and experiences that a diverse team brings and recognise that it leads to more well-rounded and innovative solutions.’
‘As a client of Ben Xu, I have been consistently impressed by his professionalism, expertise, and unwavering commitment to achieving optimal outcomes. From our very first interaction, it was evident that Ben possess a deep understanding of the complexities of immigration law. ‘
‘The immigration team is dedicated, friendly, and provides a world-class legal service.‘
‘Ben Xu is a dedicated and experienced immigration lawyer.‘
Key clients
Lavazza Coffee
Brocket Hall
Flo Group
Singleton Birch
Strand Palace Hotel
Planet Smart City
Stablehouse
Leon Bara
Econet Investments Ltd
Work highlights
- Worked on the acquisition of Singleton Birch by Mississippi Lime Company and subsequent transfer of employees from Mississippi Lime Company to Singleton Birch.
- Adviser for Reply Ltd, making over 100 visa applications in the last 12 months alone and assisting in sponsorship compliance matters.
- Advising Wimbledon Championships with their players’ and technical staff’s visa applications for many years.
Employment > Employers Tier 7
Armstrong Teasdale has strengths in HR support work, senior executive termination negotiations and claim management, and is described by clients as providing ‘a one-stop shop‘. Well known clients of the practice include Totaljobs and Lavazza.Other key lawyers:
Louise Smyth
Testimonials
‘Strong client understanding, great process management and expertise’
‘Great agility and knowledge.’
‘Quick to respond, polite and professional.
‘The team at Armstrong Teasdale are highly commercial and pragmatic. They understand the business and are able to help with practical resolution and wider ranging employment services, such as re-designing contracts, redundancy processes, etc. Very much a one-stop shop.’
Key clients
Totaljobs Group
Lavazza Coffee UK Ltd
National Fostering Agency Group
HSF Health Plan Ltd
London Marathon Events Limited
Hackett Ltd
FKA Brands Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised London Marathon Events Ltd on a number of HR and employment law matters.
- Advised the HR team at long-standing client, Lavazza Coffee UK Ltd, on a range of employment matters.
- Advised Otto Bock Healthcare Ltd on the employment aspects of their acquisition of Pace Rehabilitation Limited.
Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
Armstrong Teasdale > Firm Profile
For more than a century, Armstrong Teasdale has forged long-term relationships with clients large and small around the globe. Since our founding in 1901, we have grown to be one of the 200 largest law firms in the U.S. We have more than 800 lawyers and staff professionals across 18 offices internationally, including in London, Dublin and throughout the U.S.
The London office of Armstrong Teasdale delivers high-quality legal services to clients across a range of specialist sectors. All matters are managed by experienced and commercially astute partners, who are committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for clients. The firm has a long-standing reputation for successfully managing complex deals and disputes.
The London office advises on a full range of legal services including:
Commercial/IT – advice on commercial contracts, licences, support agreements, joint venture agreements, e-commerce matters, outsourcing, privacy issues and data protection.
M&A/corporate finance – advice on acquisitions, disposals, demergers, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity. The team has extensive experience in acting for buyers or sellers and management teams – particularly in the sub £100m market. Much of the M&A work has a cross-border element, we have extensive overseas experience in the legal aspects of international transactions and cross-border issues.
Equity capital markets – advice for quoted clients, underwriters and Nomads on the LSE main market and AIM. The team project manage all legal aspects of the IPO process and following the successful IPO continue to advise clients to meet their ongoing requirements, including secondary fundraisings, corporate governance, acquisitions and disposals, takeovers and schemes of arrangement.
Insolvency/restructuring – advice on a wide range of domestic and cross-border corporate restructuring and insolvency matters. Work includes advising and representing board of directors (particularly in relation to their needs and duties when a company is in financial trouble), debtors, bondholders, unsecured and secured creditors, officeholders, banks and other financial institutions, and other sources of financing and parties interested in acquiring distressed assets and businesses.
Employment/immigration – advice for large corporates and SMEs on a range of contentious and non-contentious employment and immigration matters. Providing day to day legal advice to employers on a variety of issues, helping to navigate these complex employment and immigration laws, so that businesses can effectively manage and resolve workplace issues.
Sport, media and entertainment – the sports practice is recognised as being among the best in Europe. The team has led ground-breaking work involving complex litigation on issues such as competition, ticketing and doping. The team has developed an outstanding list of clients, including some of the world’s greatest sports events and individuals.
Commercial litigation – advice on a wide variety of commercial litigation disputes, including commercial contracts, injunctive relief, ad hoc arbitrations and arbitration under LCIA, ICSID and ICC rules, partnership disputes, minority shareholder claims, professional negligence, intellectual property and media-related cases, opposition and trade mark infringement proceedings, defamation, data scraping and property disputes.
Real estate – significant expertise in areas such as investment acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant, development work and secured lending. Our real estate litigators work closely with the transactional team, to work hand in hand in advising clients and to provide support on acquisitions and long-term portfolio management.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Counsel | Andy Kerman | akerman@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7271 |
| Partner - Leader Europe | Daniel O'Connell | doconnell@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7085 |
| Corporate and M&A | Peter Kohl | pkohl@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7082 |
| Employment | Jonathan Bruck | jbruck@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7305 |
| Commercial Litigation | Robert Paydon | rpaydon@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7280 |
| Real Estate | Scott Hilton | shilton@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7097 |
| Capital Markets | Joan Yu | jyu@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7083 |
| Sports, Media and Entertainment | Zane Shihab | zshihab@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7312 |
| Immigration | Ben Xu | bxu@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7310 |
| Insolvency and Restructuring | Imran Aslam | iaslam@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7251 |
| Real Estate Disputes | David Wise | dwise@atllp.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7539 7252 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Nick Bitel | Nick is known as one of the best sports lawyers in Britain… | View Profile |
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Yvonne Costello | Yvonne is a partner specialising in general commercial and corporate law and advises… | View Profile |
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Una Deretic | Una is a partner experienced in a wide range of corporate and… | View Profile |
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Scott Hilton | Scott Hilton is a partner in the firm’s U.K. real estate practice… | View Profile |
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Anthony Kerman | Andy is a Senior Counsel at the firm, he has considerable… | View Profile |
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Peter Kohl | Peter is a partner and Head of UK Corporate, he has more… | View Profile |
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Daniel O'Connell | Daniel is Partner and Leader Europe, he is a skilled corporate lawyer… | View Profile |
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Robert Paydon | Robert is Partner and Head of UK Commercial Litigation, he is an… | View Profile |
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Emma Shaw | Emma is an Associate Solicitor in the Sports and Commercial Litigation Departments. … | View Profile |
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Zane Shihab | Zane is a Partner and the Head of UK Sport, IP &… | View Profile |
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James Thorndyke | Partner in the Sports and Commercial Litigation departments. James acts for sporting… | View Profile |
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David Wise | Partner/Solicitor advocate (Higher Courts Civil Proceedings) and Head of UK Real Estate… | View Profile |
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Joan Yu | Joan is a Partner and Head of UK Capital Markets. Joan’s practice… | View Profile |
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Coral Yu | Coral is an Associate Solicitor in the Corporate and Capital Markets team. … | View Profile |
Solicitor Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mr Nick Leale | Nicholas Leale is U.K. head of the firm’s Regulatory practice and focuses… | View Profile |
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Fraser Mitchell | Fraser Mitchell is a partner in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution… | View Profile |
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Ben Xu | Ben Xu has over 11 years of experience in dealing with U.K. immigration… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Total number of lawyers internationally : 370 Total number of staff professionals : 300Languages
Cantonese French German Italian Mandarin Russian Serbo-Croatian Spanish Arabic Estonian Dutch PortugeseMemberships
ALLIURIS Alliance of International Business Lawyers Lex Mundi - The World's Leading Association of Independent Law FirmsClient Testimonials
TESTIMONIAL (SPORT): “The expert, pragmatic and responsive team at Kerman & Co stands out for its expertise in ticketing and sports sponsorship.”
“I cannot recommend Kerman & Co more highly. The intelligence, patience and great understanding of sports law demonstrated by the team, has helped advise me on many complicated matters”.
TESTIMONIAL (M&A): “Kerman & Co were invaluable to us during the transaction. Their expertise, commercial approach and responsiveness ensured a smooth process. Their team was personable and easy to deal with, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.”
“Their experience advising listed companies with assets in emerging markets and completing cross-border transactions is second to none”.
TESTIMONIAL (Capital Markets): “We have a very close working relationship with Kerman & Co and their advice and commitment during this transaction was invaluable. They are an extension of our in-house team and they have contributed greatly to the growth of our business, since its inception.”
“We were provided with incisive advice and guidance from the outset, which made the process near enough seamless. We would have no hesitation in recommending their services, especially to those operating public companies, where the Kerman team really does excel.”
TESTIMONIAL (Employment): “In a pretty stressful situation Jonathan was superb and really guided us through the ups and downs. I am delighted we achieved the result we hoped for.”
“Expert, pragmatic and responsive team.”
TESTIMONIAL (Private Client): “I have the highest regard for Kerman & Co and the services you have given me and my family.”
“An outstanding all-round service from Kerman & Co”.
TESTIMONIAL (Dispute Resolution): “They are very good at resolving issues, they know how business actually works in the real world.”
“We were very pleased to have Kerman & Co in our corner!”
TESTIMONIAL (Real Estate): “Really value the institutional knowledge Kerman & Co have of our property portfolio, they really are an extension of our in-house team.”
“Deliver a very consistent service across the board, also take pride in developing personal relationships, which is important to us.”