Firms To Watch: M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m

Well regarded for the depth of its tech and life sciences offering, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's growing London-based practice has been bolstered by the hire of Richard Goold, who arrived from EY in February 2022. Of counsel Ross Davies is also noted.

M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m in London

Addleshaw Goddard

Highly regarded by a sizeable roster of FTSE-listed clients - spanning the financial services, energy, gaming and retail and consumer sectors - for its experience in complex and high-value corporate transactions, the ‘very friendly and courteous’ team at Addleshaw Goddard offer a significant ‘depth and breadth’ in knowledge and an ‘excellent and reliable service.’ The team possesses a wealth of experience in domestic and cross-border public company takeovers, drawing on the expertise of a number of dedicated specialists that previously acted as secretaries in the Takeover Panel. The group is led by divisional managing partner and private equity specailist David Kirchin and Chris Taylor, who also heads the Africa group, focuses on the retail and consumer, life sciences and renewables sectors. Nick Pearey regularly handles strategic public takeovers, ECM transactions and private M&A transactions across an array of sectors. The highly regarded M&A practitioner Simon Wood regularly assists public companies listed on the main market and AIM. Graham Cross and Hugh Lauritsen, whose expertise is most concentrated in the financial services sector, are key lawyers who handle a variety of corporate transactions. New arrival Hardeep Plahe, former partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, joined the team in May 2023, bringing 16 years of experience of cross-border M&A and financial regulatory work, particularly in the Middle Eastern market.

Practice head(s):

David Kirchin; Chris Taylor


Other key lawyers:

Nick Pearey; Simon Wood; Graham Cross; Hugh Lauritsen; Hardeep Plahe; Ben Koehne; Jaya Gupta; Francesco Rosso; Oliver Broomfield


Testimonials

‘Ability to set up quickly a team dedicated to the deal with the relevant specialists fully involved in the deal.’

‘Oliver Broomfield was fully involved in the file and had a practical and creative mindset. He has been a facilitator of the deal and managed to have all our important items take into account in our transaction. Other notables M&A associates include Francesco Rosso. Hugh Lauritsen also stood out as a partner.’

‘They have in house expertise in all fields which is more convenient to progress deals. They are nice in their mannerisms and sell their point with a convincing argument.’

‘Very friendly and courteous. I found it very easy to make contact with the team here. They were always available, within reason of course, and made the deal happen because of their very calm and methodical approach to issues we faced during the deal.’

‘Very strong knowledge of the sector bringing insight and experience. They take on board feedback and input very well. They are very experienced at supporting multi-firm common interest privilege groups. They have innovative approaches to solving issues. They articulate risks simply and seek to find solutions.’

‘They take the time to create strong individual relationships. They respond well to feedback and input. The team has highly effective negotiators. They help clients join the dots on issues and risks. They give recommendations and not just options.’

‘The depth and breadth of the team is outstanding, and this results in a consistently excellent and reliable service. They were able to progress key workstreams whilst also reacting to new issues as they arose on the day, and this can only be achieved with an exceptionally strong team. Services levels and responsiveness were excellent. They inspired confidence by being across issues and focusing on solutions exceptionally quickly.’

‘Ben Koehne is a solution focused individual who demonstrates excellent collaboration skills to find the best outcome for his clients. Jaya Gupta is exceptionally calm and has an impressive capacity for being across multiple issues at any one time.’

Key clients

Barclays Bank UK plc, HSBC UK Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group plc, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest Group, Northern Bank Limited (trading as Danske Bank), Santander UK plc, TSB Bank plc, Virgin Money and Bank of Ireland (UK) plc as joint clients


Associated British Foods


BNP Paribas


DP World


AdvanceAdvT


Terra Firma


Cirrus Inns


SSE


Curtis Banks


New Forests Asset Management


Egmont International


British International Investment plc and Norfund


Mortgage Brain


Shareholders of Burts Crisps


Work highlights


  • Advising 10 of the UK’s largest high street banks on the creation and launch of Cash Access UK Limited, a joint venture between the clients to enable consumers and small businesses to access cash, deposit and basic banking services where they are needed across the UK, including via shared banking hubs.
  • Advised DP World on the establishment of an Africa investment platform with BII, the UK’s development finance institution to identify, screen and develop opportunities for BII to invest in ports, inland container depots and other logistics assets across Africa. The parties expect to commit over US$1.7bn of investment over the next several years.
  • Advised AdvancedAdvT, a listed acquisition vehicle associated with tech entrepreneur Vin Murria, on its £300m cash and share takeover offer for M&C Saatchi, the international advertising and marketing agency.

Dentons

Praised for its multi-jurisdictional M&A offering, the ‘experienced, very reactive, always practical’ and ‘commercial’ team at Dentons is well-placed to assist FTSE 350 clients with mid-market and premium work across a range of sectors, including energy, financial services and real estate. Heading up the team is the ‘solution focused’ Neil Nicholson, who regularly handles UK and cross-border M&A. Matthew Tinger has recently acted in the sale and acquisitions of hotels and real estate assets. With particular experience of advising North American clients, Darren Acres handles a broad range of transactions - including public and private M&A, joint ventures and equity capital market matters. Other names to note include Joseph Altendorff, who specialises in cross-border investment and M&A. James Vernon joined the team from Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP in January 2023, offering a broad practice which covers joint ventures, general corporate advisory, public company takeovers and private M&A.

Practice head(s):

Neil Nicholson


Other key lawyers:

Matthew Tinger; Darren Acres; Joseph Altendorff; James Vernon; Joseph Collingwood


Testimonials

‘Experienced, very reactive, always practical and looking for a solution.’

‘Always very reactive, working towards a solution so that a deal gets done whilst protecting my interests. In particular Neil Nicholson and Joseph Collingwood stand out.’

‘Always responsive and always looking for a solution. They are very experienced in M&A which is a value they add to our deals and matters.’

‘They have the ability to work well with buyers and sellers’ legal teams and build a good working relationship. The lawyers we worked with were Neil Nicholson and Joseph Collingwood.’

‘Dentons’ key strength is its availability and willingness to assist in driving a deal to completion. They are very commercial and user friendly. They work collaboratively across disciplines.’

‘Neil Nicholson pays close attention to each deal and is solutions focused. Joseph Collingwood works hard to deliver for the client.’

Key clients

Informa plc


Capita plc


Sigma Capital Group plc


PRS REIT plc


Harrison Street Real Estate Capital LLC


Aprirose Limited


St James Holdings Ltd


Trevipay


Premier Foods plc


BGL


Dye & Durham


Work highlights


  • Advising Informa plc on the acquisition of Tarsus Group at an initial enterprise value of U$940 million.
  • Advising TSX-listed Chorus Aviation Inc. on the acquisition of Falko Regional Aircraft Limited at a value of over $850 million.
  • Advising on the disposal of a 50% stake in TotalEnergies’ Egyptian fuel retail, aviation and lubricants business to ADNOC Distribution.

DLA Piper

The corporate group at DLA Piper possesses significant experience in corporate engagements across the financial services, insurance, engineering, real estate, life sciences and technology industries. With a large international network across more than thirty countries and a growing client roster, the team is regularly sought out by blue chip clients in big-ticket transactions. The highly experienced M&A practitioner Jon Kenworthy focuses on advising global businesses, particularly in the tech, media and sports sectors. Charles Severs is reputed for advising listed and private companies in a range of industries in M&A and equity capital market transactions, while IP law specialist Robert Bishop has significant experience across public takeovers, acquisitions and disposals, buyouts, venture capital investments and joint ventures. Beyond his position as chair of DLA Piper’s International Corporate Reorganisations practice, Ben Forgiel-Jenkins also focuses on international transactions and corporate advisory support for clients active in the industrials, real estate and TMT space. Recently acting for financial sector and digital media clients, the ‘trusted advisor’ Rob Salter, is ‘technically excellent and commercially minded.’ Noted by one client as a ‘great lawyer and great strategist,’ Jonathan Earle principally handles corporate finance advisory work. Tracey Renshaw offers extensive knowledge and experience of the energy sector and energy transition M&A.

Practice head(s):

Jon Kenworthy


Other key lawyers:

Charles Severs; Robert Bishop; Ben Forgiel-Jenkins; Rob Salter; Jonathan Earle; Tracey Renshaw


Testimonials

‘A truly global offering and a one stop shop for clients across the full spectrum of specialist areas. A very beneficial focused in-house programme with a diverse training menu. They go beyond just legal advice with innovative offerings from dedicated in-house management consultants.’

‘Rob Salter is a trusted adviser. He is both technically excellent and commercially minded.’

‘Rob Salter is our main relationship partner. He is a good and experienced operator and a safe pair of hands.’

‘The team has a great breadth and depth of experience.’

‘Jon Earle is a great lawyer and great strategist. He is also very numerate, which is unusual!’

Key clients

Axa Real Estate Investment Managers UK Ltd


Blackstone Real Estate Partners


Brookfield Asset Management


Cloudreach Europe Limited


Compass Group


Element Materials Technology


General Electric


Harrison Street Real Estate Capital


Heineken UK Limited


Innergex Renewable Energy


Learning Technologies Group


Leidos Holdings


London Stock Exchange Group


Longfellow Real Estate Partners


Mazuma Holdings Limited


Menzies Aviation Holdings


Merlin Entertainments


Miller Homes


MKS Instruments


Northside Entertainment Holdings


NTT Global


OPEN Health


Oxford Properties


Pearson plc


Philip Morris International


RPS Group plc


Shell International


Starwood Capital


Triplepoint/ Digital9 DC Limited


Unilever plc


Valeura Energy


Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc


Wargaming Group


Work highlights


  • Advising Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc on its 50:50 joint venture with BT Group plc to create a new premium sport offering for the UK & Ireland and to transfer the operating business of BT Sport to Warner Bros. Discovery.
  • Advising Shell International on its acquisition of Daystar Power, Shell’s first power sector acquisition in Africa, and its acquisition of Nature Energy Biogas.
  • Advising General Electric (GE), as their global co-ordinating counsel, on the separation of its healthcare business, creating GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Headed up by the co-chair of the global corporate and M&A practice, Richard Moulton, who specialises in private equity and M&A transactions for corporate and financial sponsor clients, the London hub of the international practice at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP offers ‘deep sector expertise’ across at least seven key sectors including energy, insurance and financial services. The ‘excellent’ Robin Johnson is a widely recognised lawyer in the market and manages the firm’s client relationship with Next plc, handling their strategic M&A transactions. Regularly acting for clients in the industrials and technology arena, Antony Walsh, is well-versed in global M&A and reorganisation work. Simon Masters specialises in advising on M&A, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, initial public offerings and fundraisings. James Trevis heads up the private equity group and Jon Gill’s practice principally involves private equity, M&A and venture capital transactions for high growth companies in the technology sector. Oil and gas and LNG specialist, Jubilee Easo, who advises state and international oil and gas entities and financial institutions, and Martin Mankabady, who regularly acts in financial services and insurance matters, are other key lawyers.

Practice head(s):

Richard Moulton


Other key lawyers:

Robin Johnson; Antony Walsh; Simon Masters; James Trevis; Jon Gill; Jubilee Easo; Martin Mankabady; Amanda Partland


Testimonials

‘They have deep sector expertise therefore their lawyers understand what is pertinent to our sector which helps issue spot and plan.’

‘Robin Johnson is an excellent M&A partner. He is always switched on when it comes to his clients, always seems to be thinking about them and how he can help, whether in a legal capacity or simply making a connection with other industry players. Amanda Partland is a fabulous M&A partner. I have worked with Amanda for 20 years. She is a consummate professional and unflappable in a transaction. She focuses on what needs to get done and delivers every time.’

‘Business-minded attorneys who act as much as business advisors as savvy attorneys.’

‘Antony Walsh is a top-notch attorney who provides outstanding service in every way, from the personal and direct involvement in all matters to assure prompt and excellent service, to immediate responsiveness whenever required, excellent legal advice informed by practicality and knowledge of the underlying business and matter. The associates providing support are excellent as well.’

Key clients

Rolls-Royce


Eutelsat


Next PLC


Aviva PLC


Johnson Matthey Plc


M&G


Experian


Eaton Corporation


Smiths Group


Tenneco


Work highlights


Pinsent Masons LLP

Particularly praised for their focus on ‘solving problems,’ the ‘commercial’ and ‘incredible’ corporate team at Pinsent Masons LLP handle the full gamut of corporate transactions including joint ventures, public and private M&A and equity fundraisings, for publicly and AIM listed clients. Led by Edward Stead whose client list features management teams and institutional investors, the team offers expertise across key strategic sectors including real estate, healthcare, technology, financial services and retail. The highly experienced Rob Hutchings, who specialises in stock market and corporate transactions, has recently been engaged in acquisitions in the energy, oil and gas and healthcare market. Robert Moir is noted for his assistance to investors, developers and funders in the real estate sector in joint ventures, disposals, strategic M&A and portfolio deals. Other key figures include James Kaye, noted for his broad corporate and corporate finance practice. Thilo Schneider left the practice to join Mills & Reeve LLP in September 2022.

Practice head(s):

Edward Stead


Other key lawyers:

Rob Hutchings; Robert Moir; James Kaye; Tom Leman; Ben Elliott


Testimonials

‘Commercial and get on with both sides to find solutions.’

‘Tom Leman and Ben Elliott were a pleasure to work with and understand the big picture to get results.’

‘The team are incredible. They are conscientious, proactive and focused on solving problems. They endeavour to answer questions for you rather than increasing one’s workload. Fundamentally they recognise we are all running towards a combined goal, and they behave like team members rather than third party service providers.’

Key clients

Huntsworth Limited (now Inizio Health)


M Group Services


4D Pharma


Teva Pharmaceutical


Motor Fuel Group


Abrdn


Royal London


NatWest


Sweaty Betty


Condeco


AXA IM


Oxford Properties


Doncasters Group


Hedin Mobility Group AB


Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici


MML Capital


PayPoint plc


Cathexis Holdings LP


N.M. Rothschild & Sons Ltd


Delek Group


Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited


ISG Construction


Work highlights


  • Advised Delek Group in connection with the proposed US$1 billion+ combination between its subsidiary, NewMed Energy and Capricorn Energy PLC, creating a MENA gas and energy group and one of the largest upstream energy independents listed in London.
  • Advised AXA’s real estate investment arm on the £391 million corporate acquisition from Goldman Sachs and Canmoor of 7 property SPVs owning a UK logistics property portfolio.
  • Advised Hedin Mobility Group AB in relation to its bid to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of Pendragon Plc by way of a cash offer.

Bird & Bird LLP

Working across offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, the ‘fantastic team full of brilliant talent’ at Bird & Bird LLP focuses on mid-market, cross-jurisdictional matters, primarily in the life sciences, technology, energy, retail and consumer and sports sectors. Growing its concentration in the IP and digital, and natural resources spaces, the team has recently advised on a significant deal flow from US buyers. Practice head Matt Bonass - especially noted for his focus on the energy and utilities sectors - advises on public and private M&A, joint ventures, and private equity transactions. The ‘solutions focused’ Neil Blundell regularly acts for US companies on tech transactions. With experience as director and board member of digital media and technology companies, the ‘standout partner’ Simon Fielder is well-placed to assist with listings on UK stock markets, international M&A, and equity and debt financings. Drawing on his experience in the New York and Abu Dhabi markets, Nick O’Donnell has been instructed by private equity and corporate clients on M&A, public takeovers, restructuring and governance matters. Clive Hopewell’s practice encompasses equity financing, IPO and M&A mandates. Other key figures include the ‘superb’ Mark Rundall and James Baillieu advise clients on M&A and venture capital investments. Specialising in acquisitions and divestitures in the technology, communications, automotive and energy and utilities sector, the ‘organised and professional’ George Mason is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Matt Bonass


Other key lawyers:

Neil Blundell; Simon Fielder; Nick O’Donnell; Mark Rundall; James Baillieu; Clive Hopewell; George Mason


Testimonials

‘Bird & Bird team was on hand at any time to take time for 1-to-1 calls, and always took their time to make sure we were all comfortable with every aspect of the transaction. They really went above and beyond.’

‘Mark Rundall was superb, being very hands-on, and always being available for a discussion at short notice. He attended every call, and coordinated a number of different disciplines across international borders. I would not hesitate to call on him again and recommend him to others.’

‘Richie Lamb was Mark’s right-hand-man, working tirelessly on every detail of the transaction. He had a complete view of everything that was happening, and (like Mark) was extremely commercial with the advice he gave us. I would also highlight the work of Emily Patel (tax expert) who came up with a creative and innovative way to make sure more junior members of the team gained extra value through the deal structuring. This was very important to leadership, and could easily have been missed by a less integrated firm.’

‘Neil Blundell is a solutions focused partner, and he integrates well as an extension of the internal team. George Mason is fully organised and professional across all aspects of a transaction. He is willing to go above and beyond in order to ensure successful outcome.’

‘Excellent, responsive and commercially minded team with clear lines of responsibility and accountability which meant that it was clear at any time to the client who was in control of what. Dean Rae has maturity and an approach well beyond his technical PQE. George Mason has a great manner with clients and engenders trust.’

‘The team make the working relationship very positive. The individuals are personable, knowledgeable and try to bring a commercial perspective to their advice. They are able to break down complex issues into pragmatic recommendations. They operate separately but never in contradiction of each other. Most importantly, when issues inevitably arise, they are quick to respond, take ownership of the issues and do what is required to resolve them.’

‘Fantastic team full of brilliant talent. The team takes the time to understand what the key issues and needs are of the client/deal and work collaboratively to execute. Above all, the team are super friendly, considerate and very much an extension of our team. They can be summed up as being great humans. Lovely people, diligent, pro-active, quick execution and very easy to work with.’

‘It is the individual leaders there that really make the difference. Our M&A transaction was led by two of the best in the business in my opinion. What they brought to the deal was personality, commercial nous, pragmatism, first class negotiation skills and an ability to make you feel like one of the team that gave us as clients great comfort that we were in safe hands as we took on the turbulent ride of the deal. The two stand out partners were Simon Fielder and George Mason. They are two brilliant professionals with whom I would have no hesitation working again or recommending them to others.’

Key clients

TeamTek Consulting Limited


Safex Holdings UK Limited


Eficode Oy


Kambi group plc


Cero Generation Holdings UK Limited


Railway Pension Investments Limited


TransGlobe Energy Corporation


Shareholders of Vohkus Limited


Marks & Spencer PLC


Spearhead International Limited


Envision Pharma Group


Work highlights


  • Advised long-standing Finnish client Eficode Oy on their acquisition of Clearvision, a solutions provider for Atlassian and other open-source tooling software and their acquisition of a majority interest in it by Investcorp, the global investment manager.
  • Assisted Maltese listed Kambi group plc with the acquisition of Danish front end specialist Shape Games A/S.
  • Advised Marks & Spencer Group Plc on the acquisition of the intellectual property, including the source code and algorithm developed by Thread, the personalised fashion marketplace.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Highly praised by clients as a ‘strategic, practical and supportive’ team,  Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner offer ‘tailor-made’ assistance on cross-border transactions for funds, public and private companies. The team acts for clients across a range of sectors, most notably in the agriculture, retail and sports and entertainment sectors. The London practice is helmed by the highly experienced Benjamin Lee, noted for his experience in the financial services, real estate and retail industry. Regarded by some clients as ‘the best corporate lawyer,’ the ‘pragmatic, responsive and commercial’ Jinal Shah is a key port of call for cross-border transactions, especially in emerging markets. Servicing multinationals, investors, financial sponsors and entrepreneurs across an array of sectors, John Bennett  operates a broad practice, with experience in corporate finance, M&A, shareholder activism, joint ventures and private investments. Andrew Hart is an expert in the retail and financial services industries, acting on acquisitions, joint ventures, carve-outs and issues of equity. M&A and corporate finance expert Marie Johnson and Simon Beddow are further key names to note. Ian Ivory left the firm to join White & Case LLP in January 2023, while Indi Heire left to join GIC in November 2022.

Practice head(s):

Benjamin Lee; Joel Lander


Other key lawyers:

Jinal Shah; John Bennett; Andrew Hart; Marie Johnson; Simon Beddow


Testimonials

‘The team make everything easy. They are strategic, practical and supportive, put you in a position to win deals, and complete transactions on short time frames.’

‘Jinal Shah is the best corporate lawyer I have worked with. He is down to earth, practical, and strategic. He co-ordinates the many workstreams across practice areas and lifts the burden from in-house counsel.’

‘The service provided by the team is really tailor-made, which is highly appreciated on our end. The team has the ability to build cohesive, high-performance teams to carry out targeted, high value-added missions (projects) in a risky, complex context. The advice goes beyond the purely technical and includes tactical elements adapted to the context.’

‘The personal relationship with Jinal Shah is highly valued, and his unparalleled negotiating skills make him an indispensable asset in any deal. All associates (both mid-level and senior) are extremely talented, which means that on certain deals, where working directly with a partner is not essential, they can deliver high-quality work.’

‘Jinal Shah is very pragmatic, responsive and commercial. He is a stand out partner in the corporate team.’

Key clients

Manzanita Capital


ME+EM


McWin Food Ecosystem Fund


Ocado Group


Tristan Capital Partners


Lumen Technologies


RAW Charging Group


Secure Income REIT plc


Landsec


The Office Group


Carrefour Group


Newmark Group Inc.


Magdalen College, Oxford University


Farfetch


Playtech


Dagenham JV Limited


Moorfield Real Estate Fund IV


Work highlights


Goodwin

Goodwin is a strong choice for clients across the real estate, technology and life sciences arenas, who seek out the ‘outstanding’ team of M&A lawyers for its ‘deep sector knowledge’ and ‘global experience.’ The team frequently acts for clients on the buy and sell side in a full spectrum of transactions including divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, joint ventures and stock deals. The group of lawyers heading up the practice include: Graham Defries, who also co-chairs the firm’s UK life sciences team; the ‘extremely competent’ David Mardle, who offers significant experience in M&A and capital markets in relation to technology, life sciences and emerging companies; James Spence, who is a specialist in domestic and cross-border real estate M&A and investment transactions; and the ‘remarkable’ Andrew Davis, who attracts praise from large corporates and venture capital investors in the life sciences, technology and media sectors. Other key figures include Ali Ramadan, Adam Thatcher, Raymond Fang and Kenny Walker-Durrant. Venture capital, M&A and private equity practitioner, Richard Bloomfield, is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Graham Defries; David Mardle; James Spence; Andrew Davis


Other key lawyers:

Ali Ramadan; Adam Thatcher; Raymond Fang; Kenny Walker-Durrant; Richard Bloomfield


Testimonials

‘Highest caliber people with a very sophisticated approach to transactions.’

‘Graham Defries is simply the best. He is sharp, reads the room well, hugely experienced and advises clients on all aspects of the transaction.’

‘Having worked with Goodwin for a number of years they demonstrated a strong understanding of our business combined with a depth of M&A experience.’

‘Adam Thatcher is a very strong technical lawyer and understanding, giving confidence in terms of process and execution. Richard Bloomfield also has a good technical understanding and good project management abilities to ensure delivery of collateral to schedule.’

‘Goodwin have an outstanding M&A team with global experience and reach. They are particularly strong on UK-US transactions. They are fast, efficient and available whenever needed and they find solutions to even the most intractable-seeming problems. They are superb.’

‘Andrew Davis is just remarkable. He has a huge amount of expertise and is a joy to work with. In any transaction 101 different issues are going to emerge and he just steers you through them all with confidence, charm and humour.’

‘The team led by David Mardle is extremely competent and made the entire process much easier for us. David Mardle had been highly recommended by our M&A advisory team. We found the legal advice on aspects of long-standing contracts to be of high quality. It was reassuring to have the assistance of a great legal team behind us during the transaction, covering all aspects fast and diligently. We felt that with David Mardle, Adam Thatcher and their team, we were very well looked after. We would have no hesitation in recommending their services or indeed, using them again.’

‘Deep sector knowledge and a large, experienced team that know the market and market norms.’

Key clients

Biocon Biologics Ltd


Ducentis BioTherapeutics Ltd


DJS Antibodies Ltd


MiroBio Ltd


ReViral Limited


Play Ventures Pte Limited


Backed 2 GP Limited


Codeplay Software Limited


Symphonic Solutions Limited


Profile FSH Limited


FARO Technologies, Inc


Knowledgemotion Limited


Future Health Works Ltd


Frogmore


Kennedy Wilson


Citymapper


OKRA.ai


Mayfair Equity Partners


HUMA Therapeutics


Work highlights


  • Advised Biocon Biologics Ltd. on its US$3.335 billion acquisition of the global biosimilars business of its partner Viatris Inc.
  • Advised Citymapper Ltd on the sale of its entire issued share capital to Via Transportation, Inc.
  • Advised global real estate investment manager Kennedy Wilson on the acquisition of a portfolio of logistics assets located in the United Kingdom from Leftfield Advisors for a purchase price of c.£228 million.

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

The ‘highly skilled and diverse’ Greenberg Traurig, LLP is praised for its ability to manage and negotiate a range of transactions, including M&A, joint ventures and reorganisations. Drawing on a robust global network, the team also offers experience in a multitude of sectors including industrials, insurance, real estate, digital payments finance and life sciences. The group is co-headed by Paul Maher, global vice chair, who draws superlative praise for his capabilities in public and private M&A; the ‘great M&A lawyer’ Fiona Adams, who is noted as ‘extremely hardworking and responsive’; and whose work spans the financial institutions, media, retail and pharmaceuticals industries, and the ‘incredibly bright’ Henrietta Walker, who offers transactional and commercial advice. Other names to note include Sarah Moyles, who is described by one client as a ‘stellar legal partner and insightful business partner,’ working with her domestic and international client base on public and private M&A, joint ventures and corporate finance.

Practice head(s):

Paul Maher; Fiona Adams; Henrietta Walker


Other key lawyers:

Sarah Moyles; Joel Wheeler


Testimonials

‘We work extensively with the GT M&A team in London. The team is very responsive, highly skilled, have extensive experience and are very efficient. They always have the client’s best in front. The project management of M&A project are also very good and efficient, which is very helpful when you don’t have an extensive in-house M&A team. Lastly GT are great negotiators.’

‘Paul Maher is the best negotiator I have ever met, very smart and solutions oriented. Fiona Adams is a great M&A lawyer, both holistic and with an eye on all the details, she would never miss anything. Henrietta Walker is a great M&A lawyer, that is efficient and with extremely high capacity, only spending time on relevant topics.’

‘A highly skilled and diverse team that is always good value and makes use of different levels of seniority as appropriate.’

‘Very experienced professionals with deep knowledge of our business/needs, adapting their work accordingly. Overall balanced and reasonable approach with fit for purpose advice even in highly complex matters.’

‘GT’s team, led by Sarah Moyles, provided answers that were thoughtful and sought to solve the problem at hand. We were very impressed at the white glove service, and were pleasantly surprised at the value we received for the work. It is people like Sarah Moyles who keep us with GT. It is her leadership, intelligence, and collegial demeanor that make working with this law firm beneficial for us.’

‘Sarah Moyles is a stellar legal partner and insightful business partner. She is very attuned with the global fintech ecosystem and provided us with world class advice on a wide breadth of novel legal issues. She is extremely thoughtful, diligent, and astute in her legal commentary, providing practical advice for the real-world business applications.’

‘The GT M&A team are the most responsive external lawyers I have experienced. They relay technical advice but in a very commercial manner. They know how we want our advice and provide us with calm and considered views without caveat. We have always seen a very diverse team, especially with the number of females, even at the senior level. In terms of added value, I regularly ask about various specialist areas and GT is quick to work with us collaboratively.’

‘Paul Maher is simply the person who gives you a workable answer to any legal issues that have arisen. He can distill facts very quickly and get to the core of the matter. He is always available and responsive and can read a room to determine the most effective negotiation technique/approach. Fiona Adams is extremely hard working and responsive. She calmly manages significant transactions, whatever the pace, moving it along despite what roadblocks hit. She has a vast amount of experience to tap into and does so quickly and succinctly. She is also fun to work with. Henrietta Walker is also incredibly bright and responsive. She is very good at public company matters in particular.’

Key clients

Cartesian Growth Corporation


Crosstree Partners


AstraZeneca PLC


Rentokil Initial PLC


Smiths Group PLC


Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC


Bracco Imaging SpA


Vista Equity Partners


Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB


Api Group Corporation


SBA Telecommunications


Stubben Edge Group Limited


Stemcor


Papaya Global


Work highlights


  • Advised on Papaya Global’s acquisition of the Azimo Group of companies.
  • Assisted with Cartesian Growth Corporation’s business combination with UK-based Alvarium Investments and Tiedemann Group.
  • Advised on Crosstree’s acquisition of The Collective, Canary Wharf.

McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP

Praised for its global network and inter-office collaboration which spans 20 offices across Europe and the US, the corporate M&A practice at McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP is well-versed in acting on high profile mid-market transactions for start-ups, companies, private equity firms, family offices and fund services providers. Supplementing its ability to assist with a full range of corporate matters, the firm can draw on its tax practice and its distinctive sector focus covering life sciences and healthcare, technology, consumer and retail and energy and natural resources. Advising both public and privately owned clients in the commodities, life sciences and energy space is Nicholas Azis. Calum Thom has a broad practice and possesses a wealth of experience in buy-outs, strategic M&A, co-investments, and joint venture transactions. Leading on several cross-border transactions in the past year is Eleanor West , who acts for management teams and high net worth family offices in private equity buy-out transactions and direct investments. Chris Marshall’s client roster features large corporates, high-net-worth individuals and SME’s and new arrival who joined the team from Paul Hastings LLP in October 2022, Garrett Hayes, has significant expertise in the telecoms industry. Stuart Mathews left the firm in March 2023 to join Keystone Law, and former practice head Tom Whelan departed to Reed Smith LLP in February 2024.

Other key lawyers:

Eleanor West; Nicholas Azis; Chris Marshall; Garrett Hayes; Calum Thom


Key clients

Ampersand Capital Partners


Maitland International Holdings plc


Atalaya Capital


Akari Therapeutics, Plc


BehaVR, Inc.


Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc.


Fortius Clinic


Unigestion


ReNew Energy Global Plc


Zura Bio Limited


Sirius Petroleum Plc


Summit Partners


Auctus Capital Partners


Naxicap Partners and Eqwal Group


HIG Capital


SilverTree Equity


Work highlights


  • Advised Fortius Clinic, a single orthopaedic musculoskeletal group in the UK, on its transaction to acquire Schoen Clinic London, an orthopaedic and spinal hospital in London, from Schoen Clinic Group, a German hospital group.
  • Provide ongoing corporate and securities law advice for ReNew Energy Global Plc, a renewable energy independent power producers in India and globally.
  • Advised Auctus Capital Partners, a German private equity sponsor, and its portfolio company, PharmaLex Group, on their continued expansion into the UK market.

Reed Smith LLP

Led by Delphine Currie, who is well-versed in IPO listings on the main market of the LSE and on AIM, the lawyers at Reed Smith LLP have been described by clients as being ‘professional, thorough and supportive’ and of the ‘highest quality and calibre.’ The London hub works on various international mid-market transactions, including acquisitions, business combinations and share purchases, advising across the technology, entertainment and media sectors, in particular. The highly experienced partner Philip Taylor - who regularly handles ‘sizeable deals' - is engaged by financial institutions, public and private companies and state owned entities on M&A, fundraisings, private equity and securities work. Michael Young, EMEA vice-chair of the firms’ global M&A group, has a broad practice spanning corporate, commercial and finance matters. Stephen Mooney is noted for his experience acting for fast growth and early-stage companies and other clients in the real estate, manufacturing, media and entertainment and technology arenas. Other key figures include M&A and private equity specialist Sam Webster and Victoria Bryden, both of whom have been noted as ‘exceptional, highly experienced and experts' while Ravi Pattani is recommended for his wide-ranging and cross-border corporate practice. The ‘sharp and creatively minded lawyer’ Milan Thakker also receives considerable praise from clients.

Practice head(s):

Delphine Currie


Other key lawyers:

Philip Taylor; Michael Young; Stephen Mooney; Sam Webster; Ravi Pattani; Daryl Cue; Victoria Bryden; Milan Thakker; Roxana Burghel


Testimonials

‘I find the Reed Smith team in general has very high standards and have not encountered a lawyer there at any level that I did not feel comfortable working with. Able to immediately ramp up resources to support transactions. The last transaction I worked on suddenly moved at significant pace, with arguably impossible timescales set by the principals on the transaction. Reed Smith were up to the challenge and immediately diverted a significant amount of internal resource to meet the needs of the client and hit the deadlines set. It’s very comforting knowing that they are able to do this.’

‘I have known and worked with Philip for over a decade, he is the person I always go to for sizeable deals. He is very easy and straight forward to work with, I trust his judgement completely throughout the transaction process. Milan Thakker is a very sharp and creatively minded lawyer. Whenever issues arise, he always has innovative solutions to the problems. He and Philip work very well together.

‘This was my first experience with corporate lawyers as we were selling our family business and I found Mike Young and his entire team professional, thorough and supportive in every aspect of our sale. This was an entirely new environment and very daunting but with Mike and his team around us we felt in very safe hands.’

Work highlights


Simmons & Simmons

A host of asset managers, financial institutions, and clients in the regulated healthcare, life sciences and TMT sectors turn to Simmons & Simmons for support with joint ventures, public takeovers, corporate restructurings, acquisitions, divestments and general corporate advice. Co-heading the practice with asset management expert Ania Rontaler, Arthur Stewart also leads the firms private equity practice and specialises in M&A, joint ventures, commercial agreements, securities offerings and restructurings. Principally focusing on real asset band investments, Isabella Roberts offers expertise in fundraisings and M&A. With broad ranging experience in corporate law, the highly experienced partner Mark Carroll advises on UK listing rules, disclosure requirements and transparency rules, working with market-leading financial institutions and asset managers. Working between London and Bristol, TMT specialist Stephanie Featherstone handles domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, fundraisings and reorganisations. Jason Daniel is also noted. David Hicks, an expert in financial services M&A, fundraising and governance, and Alexander Keepin, who offers significant experience in listings on the main market and AIM, M&A and takeovers, and the natural resources sector, joined the team from Charles Russell Speechlys LLP and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in January 2023 and February 2023, respectively.

Practice head(s):

Arthur Stewart; Ania Rontaler


Other key lawyers:

Jason Daniel; Mark Carroll; Isabella Roberts; Steph Featherstone; David Parkes; Gideon Sharp


Key clients

APG Asset Management N.V.


Chelsea FC


The Ministry of Defence


Mako Group


BP plc


Goldman Sachs International


Shiseido


Moog Inc.


Vigie SA (formerly Suez SA)


Liontrust Asset Management PLC


Work highlights


  • Advised long-standing client, APG Asset Management N.V., on the successful £969 million consortium recommended break-up bid for GCP Student Living plc, APG’s first UK takeover transaction.
  • Acted in the sale of Chelsea Football Club to a group led by American businessman Todd Boehly and investment firm Clearlake Capital.
  • Advised The Ministry of Defence on its acquisition of Sheffield Forgemasters International Limited.

Squire Patton Boggs

Standing out for its sector strength, international network, and diverse client roster, the ‘commercially astute and hardworking team’ at Squire Patton Boggs is regularly engaged on the full range of mid-market transactions across multiple sectors.  The team is led by Paris-based Tony Reed and Mark Yeo, the EMEA-lead for the firm’s healthcare group and the global sports M&A practice, whose practice covers joint ventures, M&A, VC, and private equity matters. , James McKay, head of the industrials M&A team, works closely with corporate finance firms, public and private companies and investment banks on M&A deals. Tim Stead specialises in buy-side transactions, while Jane Haxby is a ‘hugely experienced’ adviser to both public and private companies on corporate finance matters, namely concerning M&A and takeovers. Jonathan Jones  is European managing partner, and Charles Leeming – an expert in private capital corporate work – advises on joint ventures, carve-outs and M&A, working with a host of both owner-managers and PLCs.

Practice head(s):

Tony Reed; Mark Yeo


Other key lawyers:

James McKay; Tim Stead; Jane Haxby; Charles Leeming; James Pascoe; Ben Squires; Paul Mann; Jonathan Jones


Testimonials

‘Deep understanding of different sectors and live intel on what else is going on in the space.’

‘Ben Squires stays closer to the detail than partners at most legal firms. He is extremely commercial and has a superior ability to delineate between what is and isn’t important on a transaction and focuses resource accordingly to drive value. He is highly responsive and attentive to client needs.’

‘Compared to other firms and teams I have worked with I have found SPB as much of a partner in the transaction as an advisor. They were more responsive and agile in their support and had a deep knowledge of the sector and took the time to research.’

‘Tim Stead more than worked on the transaction, he was determined to make it a success. We quickly felt we were in capable hands and were able to trust him to negotiate on the shareholder’s behalf. We have no hesitation in recommending him to other management teams and have done many times. James Pascoe constantly surprised us with his capability although it was early in his career. We were happy to follow his advice and he was always reliable to deliver to our demanding timescales. He received many compliments from our internal counsel and members of the management team.’

‘A very commercially astute and hardworking team.’

‘Ben Squires is exceptional; very calm and composed. He is commercial and hardworking.’

‘The UK team we have engaged has been extremely capable, offers great global reach and the ability to leverage resources and special skills. They also have great negotiation skills. Jane Haxby is excellent. She is hugely experienced, knowledgeable, professional and client focused.’

‘The team is responsive and highly commercial. It feels like we get good engagement at all levels of seniority. Paul Mann and Ben Squires remain engaged and available throughout our engagements. They are pragmatic and commercial individuals as well as being well plugged into the market.’

Key clients

Inflexion Private Equity Partners Llp


Live Nation Entertainment


Coats Group Plc


Cazoo


Synthomer Plc


Edf Energy Renewables


Homeserve Plc


Grafton Group Plc


Lucite International


Polypipe Group Plc


Work highlights


  • Advising AnyVan, alongside GP Bullhound as exclusive financial advisor, on its buy-out by Vitruvian private equity.
  • Advising management shareholders on the £365,000,000 buy-out of the Six Nations backed by CVC private equity.
  • Advising the shareholders of Cashel Compliance, holding company of Waystone Governance, formerly DMS Governance, on the sale to Montagu private equity.

Taylor Wessing LLP

The team at Taylor Wessing LLP is particularly noted for its calibre of M&A deals, working with leading clients in the technology, life sciences and healthcare sectors. Recent highlights have involved high value and industry leading, mergers and acquisitions, divestments, sales, exits and takeovers. The team is jointly led by several partners: the head of the private equity team, Emma Danks, who offers experience in cross-border M&A transactions for US acquirers, as well as healthcare, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies; Russell Holden, who acts on a range of transactions and has a strong network in and understanding of the Indian market; Angus Miln, who specialises in M&A, venture capital and private equity transactions; and Michael Goldberg, who concentrates on large transactions in the real estate sector. Howard Palmer advises technology companies through the lifecycle from venture financing to exits via M&A, while Mark Barron acts for both technology and life sciences clients seeking international expansion and M&A opportunities. Tandeep Minhas manages the corporate finance and M&A activity of a range of clients including entrepreneurs and startups to blue chip corporates. Veteran M&A and equity capital markets practitioners Andrew Edge offers significant experience in IPOs, public and private M&A, joint ventures and financing rounds. A notable addition to the team is Dublin-based corporate finance specialist Patrick Quinlan, who joined in December 2022 from Maples Group.

Practice head(s):

Emma Danks; Russell Holden; Angus Miln; Michael Goldberg


Other key lawyers:

Howard Palmer; Mark Barron; Tandeep Minhas; Andrew Edge; Paul Thorpe; Patrick Quinlan


Key clients

Mitel


Interactive investor (shareholders)


Azenta, Inc.


AMCS


Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA)


Andrew Gerrie and Alison Hawksley (shareholders of Lush)


Eurochange/Corsair Capital


TodayTix


Kantox


FORA Holdings Limited


Five.AI


Crimson Hotels


Infinity SDC


Engine Group


Cognism Limited


Trustology


Bolero.net


Graig


Attraqt Group plc


AJ Gallagher


Work highlights


  • Advised Mitel, a global business communications company, on its exclusive negotiations with Atos to acquire Unify, the Unified Communications and Collaboration and Communication and Collaboration Services Business of the Atos Group.
  • Advised the shareholders of Interactive Investor, a subscription-based direct investing platform in the UK, on its £1.5bn sale to abrdn plc.
  • Advised Azenta, Inc., a provider of life sciences solutions worldwide, on the acquisition of B Medical Systems for an initial purchase price of €410m.

Cooley (UK) LLP

Led by the highly experienced Stephen Rosen, the ‘knowledgeable, intelligent’ team at Cooley (UK) LLP is well-versed in all manner of transactions, working with buyers, sellers, shareholders, financial advisers and private equity funds. The practice regularly handles cross-border matters in the technology and life sciences sectors, and is noted for its expertise in the startup and venture capital space. Ben Shribman specialises in advising venture capital backed clients in a range of transactions, while managing partner Justin Stock, and senior partner David Bresnick are further key names to note. Life sciences expert Simon Amies joined the team in May 2023 from Covington & Burling LLP, strengthening the team’s sector-specific offering in M&A, IPOs, capital raisings and venture and growth capital investments. Michal Berkner  has left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Rosen


Other key lawyers:

Ben Shribman; Justin Stock; David Bresnick; Simon Amies; Laurence Harris


Testimonials

‘The team’s particular strengths are knowledge of the life sciences market and client management. They are knowledgeable, intelligent and easy to work with.’

‘Laurence Harris is a very experienced and intelligent lawyer.’

Key clients

Amryt Pharma Plc


Biote


Chegg, Inc.


ICS Learn


Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


Kpler


Quantifeed


Snyk


Battery Ventures and its portfolio company ResourceWise


Nasuni Corporation


UiPath Inc.


DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc (DigitalOcean)


Digital Shadows Ltd


Bavarian Nordic


SuperGroup


Work highlights


  • Advised Amryt Pharma in its US$1.48 billion acquisition by Chiesi Farmaceutici  S.p.A., an international, research-focused biopharmaceuticals and healthcare group.
  • Assisted Redx Pharma, a UK clinical-stage biotechnology company, on its all share merger with Jounce Therapeutics, a US clinical-stage immunotherapy company, in a $425 million and contingent value right transaction.
  • Advised Biote in connection with its merger with SPAC Haymaker Acquisition Corp. III and subsequent US listing.

Covington & Burling LLP

With strong capabilities in both US and UK law, the ‘very commercial and extremely responsive’ corporate team at Covington & Burling LLP is well-regarded for its capabilities across energy, technology, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences M&A. The team is led by Gregor Frizzell, who regularly handles strategic collaborations, venture capital transactions and cross-border M&A. The ‘exceptional’ Louise Nash counsels multinational companies on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and licensing transactions. Other key names include managing partner James Halstead, who focuses on transactions relating to new technologies, complex M&A and fundraisings, as well as Paul Claydon and James Gubbins, who specialise in M&A, IPOs and securities issues. Simon Amies left the team in May 2023 to join Cooley (UK) LLP.

Practice head(s):

Gregor Frizzell


Other key lawyers:

Louise Nash; James Halstead; Paul Claydon; James Gubbins; Luciana Griebel


Testimonials

‘Deep knowledge of the life sciences industry.’

‘Very commercial and extremely responsive.’

‘Louise Nash and Luciana Griebel are both exceptional, very client focused, always retain a commercial perspective and have an unrelenting focus on the bigger picture.’

Key clients

AbbVie, Inc.


Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.


Arecor Therapeutics PLC


AstraZeneca


Eaton Corporation


Equinor ASA


Merck & Co., Inc. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada)


Odyssey Therapeutics Limited


Oxford Biomedica PLC


Reliance New Energy Limited


Work highlights


  • Advised Arecor Therapeutics PLC, a globally focused biopharmaceutical company, in its acquisition of Tetris Pharma Limited.
  • Advised GammaDelta Therapeutics Ltd on its sale to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.
  • Advised Norwegian company Equinor ASA in its efforts to divest its assets in Russia in light of international sanctions in relation to Russia.

Fieldfisher

The ‘adaptable and commercially focused’ Fieldfisher is widely recognised for its reputation and deep sector expertise in technology deals. The growing practice offers its service across multiple geographies such as Europe, the US and the CIS. Recent engagements have involved sales of businesses, divestments and joint ventures. Practice head Neil Matthews is highly experienced in public and private M&A. Manchester based David Bowcock‘s clients include AIM listed business services companies, while Thomas Colmer specialises in M&A and growth equity transactions. The ‘valued and trusted’ Nodir Sidikov advises energy and natural resources sector clients in the CIS region, while the ‘approachable, pragmatic and balanced’ Tim Bird advises technology and fintech companies on M&A transactions. Melanie Talbot – who joined from Memery Crystal LLP Dublin in September 2022 – specialises in flotations, takeovers and fundraisings.

Practice head(s):

Neil Matthews


Other key lawyers:

David Bowcock; Thomas Colmer; Janita Good; Nodir Sidikov; Keith Woodhouse; Natalia Schuster; Tim Bird; Carlton Durrant; Melanie Talbot; Kuanysh Sarsenbayev; Galina Rivkina; Anastasiya Kapustina; Irina Mikhnova; Tamara Vasiljeva


Testimonials

‘A very adaptable and commercially focused team with an eye on deal execution. Tim Bird is particularly approachable, pragmatic and balanced in his approach to deal execution on transactions. He effectively becomes a part of our team in a seamless fashion. The Fieldfisher team and particularly Tim Bird are always prepared to go the extra mile to help get the deal over the line.’

‘David Wilkinson has outstanding knowledge of financial matters impacting transactions, making him extremely valuable in negotiations.’

‘For more than a decade, Fieldfisher has been our trusted legal counsel. Nodir Sidikov has emerged as an invaluable advisor, consistently offering practical solutions and expert advice to our group on M&A deals, which often include complex, politically charged, and sensitive matters. The team he leads has consistently displayed a diverse range of exceptional skills across different team members, demonstrating a profound understanding of our legal needs and commercial realities, as well as an ability to smoothly conduct M&A transactions to closing.’

‘Tamara Vasiljeva’s remarkable commercial insight and profound comprehension of our business requirements are truly commendable. Tamara is very professional, demonstrates a strong business orientation, and fosters a pleasant working environment.’

‘Irina Mikhnova possesses extensive knowledge and sound expertise in her field. She is highly approachable and has earned our team’s trust through her reliable professionalism and advice.’

‘Anastasiya Kapustina is a true champion, consistently leaving a lasting impression on us. She exhibits a remarkable combination of composure and passion when it comes to addressing our needs and following instructions, particularly in the realm of highly political and sensitive transactions.’

‘Galina Rivkina’s reliability and extensive experience in various corporate transactions, coupled with a profound understanding of our group’s objectives, make her an invaluable and effortlessly collaborative advisor.’

‘Kuanysh Sarsenbayev is highly valued by us as he possesses a unique blend of expertise in local law and culture, along with his English law specialisation. This exceptional combination enables him to offer tailored guidance that aligns with our commercial and cultural realities, while also providing invaluable support in arbitration matters.’

Key clients

Management Team of Student Roost


Olympus Corporation (Japan)


JSC “National Company “KazMunayGas”


Iponweb Holding Limited


Glen Dimplex


JSC “National Company “KazMunayGas” and Cooperatieve KMG EP U.A.


Growth Catalyst Partners


Marlowe plc


SymphonyAI LLC


Haulfryn Group Limited


IX Wireless Limited


Restore plc


Amur Minerals Corporation


Phides Holding Limited


Adaptive Financial Consulting Ltd


MBI Group Holdings Limited


Marubeni


Bristow Helicopters


Together Group Holdings plc


Harbour Energy


William Reed Group


InnovaDerma plc


Work highlights


  • Advising the management team on Brookfield’s auction sale of its purpose built student accommodation business, which was acquired by GIC (Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund) and Greystar.
  • Advising Olympus Corporation on its sale of its scientific solutions business, ‘Evident’, to Bain Capital.
  • Advising the sellers of Iponweb Holding Limited, a large global adtech company providing targeted adverts for customers, on the sale of all subsidiaries and assets to Nasdaq listed Criteo S.A.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

A diverse lineup of investment banks, asset managers, private equity houses and public and private companies turn to Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP for its ‘excellent market knowledge, insightful advice' and ability to 'execute matters to perfection.’ Team leader Ian Lopez is known for advising clients on M&A, joint ventures, restructurings, and ECM transactions across numerous industries including healthcare, telecoms, insurance, media, consumer and retail and financial services. Noteworthy arrivals include three new private equity partners, James Renahan, Rachel Wolfenden and Andrew Rearick, who joined from Travers Smith LLP, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, respectively.

Practice head(s):

Ian Lopez


Other key lawyers:

Claire Zhu; James Renahan; Rachel Wolfenden; Andrew Rearick


Testimonials

‘Fried Frank’s M&A team is the best in the business. They provide excellent market knowledge, insightful advice and execute matters to perfection. They take care of all the big and small stuff in a deal and make sure that nothing is dropped or goes wrong.’

Key clients

Catalent, Inc.


LumiraDx


Mayo Clinic


AEA Investors


Permira


Cambridge Information Group


Houlihan Lokey


Luxfer plc


Jacobs Engineering Group


Domino’s Pizza Group (DPG)


Guardian Media Group


Future Plc


Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing Group


Coller Capital


Liberty Global plc


Management of IMServ


Work highlights


  • Advised Catalent, Inc. on its acquisition of the business and assets of Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre UK Limited, including a biologics development and manufacturing facility currently under construction at the renowned Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.
  • Advised global investment firm, Permira on the acquisition and take Mimecast Limited, a NASDAQ-listed company specialising in email security and cyber resilience, for approximately $5.8 billion or $80.00 per share in cash.
  • Advised Mayo Clinic, an international not-for-profit research and care organisation, which serves 1.3 million patients across 130 countries each year, on its minority investment in, and strategic collaboration with, Karkinos Healthcare Private Limited, a technology-driven, oncology-focused managed healthcare company based in India.

King & Spalding LLP

Instructed by global corporations and private equity firms, the corporate, finance and investments team at King & Spalding LLP offer extensive experience in technology, financial services, real estate and energy M&A. The team is headed up by the veteran corporate practitioner William Charnley, who steers the team across public and private M&A, securities matters, flotations and private equity transactions. 'Very good and commercially minded', Marcus Young is recommended for his experience in the structuring and negotiating of M&A, joint ventures and regulatory and compliance issues across the oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, transport and payments sectors. The team has recently been bolstered by the arrivals of Amit Kataria, former corporate practice head at Morrison Foerster. Kataria - who works between London and New York - is sought out by financial sponsors and corporations for assistance in cross-border transactions and corporate advisory work. Paul Barron, who also serves as a member of the firm’s private equity team, joined from Dickson Minto WS in October 2022.

Practice head(s):

William Charnley


Other key lawyers:

Amit Kataria; Marcus Young; Paul Barron; Martin J. Hunt; Derek Meilman


Testimonials

‘The team stand out for their knowledge of clients’ businesses, quick response times and senior engagement in all instances.’

‘William Charnley and Marcus Young are good lawyers.’

‘Marcus Young is a very good and commercially minded partner in the London office. He runs a lean team, always delivering good value.’

‘Marcus Young is always responsive and delivers very good work.’

Key clients

Axium Infrastructure, Inc.


Aldersgate Investments Ltd


Afendis Capital Management Limited


Anexo Group plc


Baker Hughes Company


Cerberus European Investments LLC


Cambria Investments Holdings Limited


Central Ridge Partners LLP


DBay Advisors, Ltd.


Equifax, Inc.


Global Switch Holdings, Ltd


Global Payments Inc.


Hurst Point Group


Interglobe Enterprises (UK) Limited


Kelix Bio Limited


Pizza Express Group


PQ Solutions Limited


Moody’s Analytics, Inc.


One Investment Management Group UK Ltd


SoftBank Vision Fund


Vision Nine Entertainment Holdings Plc


Work highlights


  • Advised Axium Infrastructure on a series of acquisitions into the UK as part of its growing portfolio of long-term care facilities.
  • Advised Baker Hughes on its acquisition of Norway-based, Altus Intervention and the divestment of its UK coil tubing and plumping business to Archer (UK) Limited.
  • Advised Afendis Capital Management on the acquisition of a 75% stake in Grupo Siro Corporativo, a Spanish cereals and baked goods and its co-investment to acquire the entirety of Gelato d’Italia, an Italian ice cream manufacturer.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP

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.

Practice head(s):

Tim Corbett


Other key lawyers:

Allison Soilihi; Mark Geday; Iain Wright; Oliver Chambord; Mike Pierides; Nick Moore; Tomasz Wozniak


Key clients

Selina


StoneCalibre


Brink’s


Takeda Phramaceutical


Shiseido America’s Corporation


KIRKBI


Frankie Health


Work highlights


  • Represented global hospitality brand Selina in its $1.2 billion merger with BOA Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company.
  • Advised Brink’s Limited, a subsidiary of Brink’s, the private security and protection company, in its $179 million acquisition of NoteMachine, an ATM network in the UK that manages more than 9,000 ATMs, expanding Brink’s ATM managed services business to approximately 130,000 ATMs globally.
  • Advised international private investment firm StoneCalibre in its acquisition of Agar Scientific, an international supplier of scientific instruments and accessories, from an investment fund and various management sellers.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP

Working with several leading companies and investors and widely lauded for its experience in cross-border technology M&A transactions across the UK, Europe and the US, the highly praised team of lawyers at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP is ‘incredibly knowledgeable, diligent and personable’ and always willing to ‘go the extra mile.’  The ‘outstanding’ Shawn Atkinson leads the team. Noted as ‘second to none’ and for her ‘attitude, demeanour and pragmatism,’ Katie Cotton - a specialist in the technology, energy and infrastructure sectors - regularly assists corporates and investors on an array of transactions. The ‘excellent’ James Connor regularly handles public company takeovers and private M&A, while Daniel Wayte has a breadth of experience in private equity transactions as well as M&A, joint ventures and corporate governance work. Other key lawyers include Katrina Walsingham and Charles Sheldon.

Practice head(s):

Shawn Atkinson


Other key lawyers:

Katie Cotton; James Connor; Daniel Wayte; Katrina Walsingham; Charles Sheldon


Testimonials

‘Orrick has handled multiple deals for us. What clearly differentiates this team from others is the collaboration within the firm and across different countries, the people, who are clearly competent, good with reacting to issues and time management, and their ability to apply international standards.’

‘The team are precise, competent and have the ability to understand the negotiation context and proceed with good negotiation techniques to achieve good results.’

‘A combination of deep market knowledge and experience, phenomenal client service and support and a willingness to always go the extra mile when required. I have worked with Katie Cotton for the last 11 years, sometimes through challenging times and I cannot fault her attitude, demeanour and pragmatism. She is one of the few people in this world that whom I trust completely.’

‘The Orrick team is very reputable and experienced in their field. They give prompt replies. Orrick’s team always acts fast and provides to-the-point detailed advice. Their UK/US footprint helps us with our international queries.’

‘An incredibly knowledgeable, diligent and personable team that are straight talking and great to have in your corner. Shawn Atkinson is simply outstanding. Katie Cotton is also good.’

‘Excellent and collaborative team with particular strength in technology sector transactions. They are very good at providing a seamless service on cross border transactions and take care to understand their client’s business needs and objectives. We have worked with James Connor. He is highly impressive with intellectual flair, excellent communication and dedication in taking transactions through to closing.’

‘Orrick provides a unique service compared to other law firms with detailed and fast replies when we require the assistance. They are both excellent at sell and buy side on M&A work. James Connor and Emma Cameron were both excellent on leading M&A projects and they are capable to lead a couple of projects at same time.’

‘This is a team of very strong negotiators with excellent client management. Katie Cotton, Kirsty Hart and Shaun Malone are second to none. They are absolutely great.’

Key clients

ABN AMRO Ventures (client since 2015)


Aptean, Inc. (global client since 2015)


Busuu Online SL (client since 2021)


Cuckoo Internet Ltd (client since 2021)


Finimize (client since 2021)


Gates Industrial Corporation plc (client since 2018)


Goldman Sachs


Greycroft Partners LLC (client since 2011)


Hadi Games (client since 2022)


Information Grid Ltd. (client since 2022)


Invisio AB (client since 2020)


Keyless Technologies Ltd


Kinnevik (client since 2018)


Kognitiv Corporation (client since 2021)


Lilium GmbH (client since 2019)


Magic Games (client since 2022)


Motork plc (client since 2022)


Pancreta Bank S.A. (client since 2022)


Phrasee Limited (client since 2021)


Property Partner (client since 2017)


Re:infer (client since 2015)


VEF (GREY: VKEMF) (client since 2015)


Vero Labs (client since 2022)


VNV Global (client since 2015)


Work highlights


  • Advised Re:Infer, a United Kingdom based communications intelligence platform, in its acquisition by UiPath, a New York based company that provides an end-to-end automation platform that offers a range of robotic process automation solutions.
  • Advised Phrasee Limited, a London based developer of a natural language generation system designed to generate optimised marketing copy, in its acquisition by Capital D Management LLP, a private equity firm based in London.
  • Advised Vitruvian, a UK private equity fund on its acquisition via a traditional private equity buyout structure of Twinkl Limited and related companies from their founders Jon and Susie Seaton.

Osborne Clarke LLP

The London hub at Osborne Clarke LLP is helmed by the Bristol-based David Ferris and Simon Smith, who leads the media group and offers significant experience in M&A, restructuring and private equity transactions for management teams, corporates, and banks. the team's recent workload includes acquisitions and sales of businesses in the healthcare, automotive retail, and energy space. The team also has a strong offering for clients in the marketing and real estate industries. Other key lawyers include M&A and venture capital expert Mathias Loertscher, who particularly focuses on the technology sector, and Edward Persse, who focuses on M&A and investments in a range of sectors. The team has been bolstered by the arrival of Matt Lewy from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP in September 2022, whose work is concentrated in the energy and infrastructure sector. Other new arrivals include the new head of corporate reorganisation and simplification Tom Lewis, who joined from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in November 2022. Former practice head Mark Spinner has left the firm.

Practice head(s):

David Ferris; Simon Smith


Other key lawyers:

Mathias Loertscher; Edward Persse; Matt Lewy; Tom Lewis


Key clients

BionTech SE


Grifols S.A.


Marshall Motors Group plc


The Research Partnership Limited


CapDesk


HumanState Limited


Queen’s Park Equity


EnergyDeck Limited


Zeus Enterprise Limited


Trinity Property


Work highlights


Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood's corporate offering covers M&A and complex transactions on both the buy and sell-side, particularly for clients in the insurance, financial services, transportation and trade and technology industries. Led by equity capital markets and M&A practitioner Tom Nicholls, the practice’s client roster features listed and private companies and private equity firms. Sam Gray, head of the firm’s corporate finance department, is well-positioned to advise on M&A transactions in the financial services sector, particularly relating to insurance broking clients. The ‘exceptional’ Duncan Stiles assists US and European clients in the manufacturing and technology spaces, while Ben Mercer handles public and private M&A, restructurings and joint ventures across the consumer goods, transportation and energy sectors, to name a few. Other names to note include private M&A specialist Jonathan Bridcut. Kristian Shearsby, who is well-versed in corporate matters relating to the life sciences and technology sectors, joined the team in June 2022 from Mills & Reeve LLP, where he previously headed the corporate team.

Practice head(s):

Tom Nicholls


Other key lawyers:

Sam Gray; Duncan Stiles; Ben Mercer; Jonathan Bridcut; Kristian Shearsby; Zoe Yuile


Testimonials

‘Duncan Stiles and Zoe Yuile led the deal team for Stephenson Harwood. They were exceptional in every way. They had great availability, were very smart, very experienced, and very pleasant to work with.’

Key clients

Windacre Partnership LLC


The Ardonagh Group Limited


LXI REIT plc


Abellio UK


Kroll LLC


Tristan Capital Partners


Bowmark


The “Sutton Group” – see matter 8


Elysian Capital


Trafalgar Entertainment Group Limited


BD Capital


Covanta Europe (Encyclis)


The Simpson Group


Lee Nash


Arthur J. Gallagher & Co


RELX Group Plc


Magnetar Capital


Longmead Capital


Shareholders of Inclusive Employers Limited


Work highlights


  • Advised WindAcre Partnership LLC on its participation in the $16 billion acquisition of Nielsen Holdings plc.
  • Advised LXi REIT plc on its merger with Secure Income REIT plc to create a combined group with assets of £3.9 billion.
  • Advised longstanding client Abellio on the management buyout of Abellio UK from the Dutch state-owned rail company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen.

Watson Farley & Williams LLP

Possessing a wealth of experience in a number of core sectors - including energy, transport and infrastructure - the team at Watson Farley & Williams LLP is praised for its high quality service, deep industrial knowledge and very pleasant cooperation’ particularly in relation to maritime matters. The team is able to draw on a wide network of offices outside of the UK and frequently works with business owners, private equity investors and funds on matters spanning the entire acquisition process. Practice head Chris Kilburn is noted for his expertise in energy M&A. The ‘highly committed’ Jan Mellmann specialises in M&A and corporate finance work. Described as ‘brilliant, both technically and commercially,’ Mark Tooke focuses on maritime, energy and infrastructure-driven work, regularly advising on acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, venture capital and commercial agreements. Daniel Saunders is praised by one client as ‘one of the best shipping and commercial legal experts’  in the market. Transport sector focused Christina Howard is also noted.

Practice head(s):

Chris Kilburn


Other key lawyers:

Jan Mellmann; Mark Tooke; Daniel Saunders; Christina Howard; Andy Savage; Nerina Erasmus


Testimonials

‘The team offers high quality service, deep industrial knowledge and very pleasant cooperation. Jan Mellmann and Nerina Erasmus are highly committed to achieve results with a practical and impressive approach.’

‘WFW has a strong corporate team combined with a deep understanding of shipping. They are the go-to law firm for shipping corporate matters. Mark Tooke is brilliant, both technically and commercially, user-friendly and responsive.’

‘The team develops an understanding of the commercial needs of the client and incorporate and document the needs in the most beneficial manner. They are always providing insights on a complicated transaction and finding solutions.’

‘Daniel Saunders stands out for the commercial knowledge of the industry and building a relationship based on trust. He always finds a way out of complicated and complex situations leaving all sides satisfied and more importantly in the most beneficial way for the client.’

‘A genuine full service law firm handling matters across shipping charters, shipbuilding contracts, JV agreements, merger control and competition issues, employment (ship related) and shipping disputes. Mark Tooke is very user friendly, hardworking and pragmatic.’

‘The team has in depth industry knowledge, commercial awareness and good responsiveness. Daniel Saunders is one of the best shipping and commercial legal experts on the field.’

‘The team gives very swift, practical and hands-on legal advice.’

‘High quality advice and strong transaction management is what we experienced with this team. The work was delivered on time and they had a pragmatic approach. Andy Savage is a standout partner. He is strong on corporate law matters and has strong energy and infrastructure and energy sector knowledge making him a go-to person for M&A deals in these areas.’

Key clients

Transitional Energy Group


Nala Renewables


CREDITAS Group


Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd


TEPCO Renewable Power


Green Investment Group / Macquarie Asset Management


Orsted


Trafigura


NYK Shipping


Beacon Energy plc


Celsius Resources Limited


InfraRed Capital Partners


United Oil & Gas plc


Work highlights


  • Advising the Republic of Guinea on the US$15bn Simandou project, a large mining and related rail and port infrastructure project.
  • Advising CREDITAS on its acquisition of InterGen Projects (UK) Limited, one the largest independent power producers in the UK and its UK business from InterGen’s parent company.
  • Advising Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investment Group on the sale of its 170 MW onshore windfarm portfolio held by Nordic Renewable Power Holding to Vauban Infrastructure Partners. The deal marks Vauban’s first investment in the wind power sector.

Arnold & Porter

With an extensive geographic reach spanning London, the US, Brussels and more recently Amsterdam, the ‘talented industry specialists’ at Arnold & Porter, whose expertise is most keenly concentrated in the life sciences and healthcare sector, are praised by clients for their ‘strong market knowledge’ and ‘commercial thinking.’ The team is well-versed on the full spectrum of corporate transactions and continues to build its reputation in the transport, healthcare and real estate space. Described as the ‘best corporate legal adviser' by some clients, Jeremy Willcocks is well-versed in a host of multi-jurisdictional matters. Private equity transactions expert Sean Scanlon  also handles various national and international corporate transactions. Marc Isaacs is active in both European and emerging markets, focusing on bilateral and syndicated lending transactions. Tom Wilson and Kardia Leung are further names to note.

Practice head(s):

Jeremy Willcocks


Other key lawyers:

Sean Scanlon; Marc Isaacs; Tom Wilson; Kardia Leung


Testimonials

‘Engaging, exceptional leadership and a deep bench of talented industry specialists. They are efficient and very productive.’

‘Perceptive and knowledgeable individuals that provide real time and accurate assessments of matters at hand and are very responsive with updates and recommendations.’

‘The team’s key strength is their understanding of their clients’ objectives and putting commercial thinking at the forefront of the legal advice.’

‘Jeremy Willcocks is the best corporate legal adviser I have come across in 35 years of running businesses. He manages to combine the necessary legal advice with a clear understanding of the commercial considerations of the client.’

‘They have strong market knowledge and are proactive. Sean Scanlon was the lawyer I dealt with.’

‘Jeremy Willcocks provides outstanding client service and pays attention to detail. Jeremy has excellent breadth of corporate knowledge and combines that with specific company knowledge to provide a tailored personal service.’

‘The team is fantastically led by Jeremy Willcocks, and ably supported by Tom Wilson. The team provides a consistently client focused and technically excellent level of support with a particular strength in the life science and technology sectors.’

‘As mentioned above, Jeremy Willcocks has been consistently excellent in terms of both providing legal and strategic counsel, together with delivering transactions against very tight timeframes. Tom Wilson provides a very reassuring level of commitment and excellence to any matters. In my view, they are the go-to team if you are looking for support on a business-critical transaction, where you not only want to deliver the deal but also enjoy the process!’

Key clients

Wheels Up Experience Inc.


Touchlight


USI Insurance Services


McArthurGlen Group


Amicus Therapeutics


GVS S.p.A.


Norgine


SimSpace Corporation


TELUS Corporation


Esteve Healthcare


Work highlights


  • Advised NYSE-listed company Wheels Up Experience Inc. on its takeover of London Stock Exchange-listed company, Air Partner plc, at a price of 125 pence per share, representing Wheels UP’s first acquisition outside the US.
  • Advised USI Insurance Services on all aspects of its disposal of its non-US operations to The Ardonagh Group, the UK’s largest independent insurance distribution platform.
  • Acted as lead counsel in the US and UK to the lenders of Cineworld Group plc.

Baker Botts (UK) LLP

Handling a significant volume of complex corporate transactions - with a strong focus in the energy and natural resources and technology sectors - the ‘fantastic’ team at Baker Botts (UK) LLP offers significant cross-border capabilities in the US and Middle East. Led by Derek Jones, who has ‘exceptional technical skills’ and a ‘commitment to clients,’ the team is growing its offering in the life sciences and media sector. Sian Williams regularly advises corporates and financial institutions, including private equity sponsors, on various transactions including M&A, joint ventures and takeovers. M&A expert David Marshall advises management teams, investors and family offices, particularly in the technology and energy sectors.

Practice head(s):

Derek Jones


Other key lawyers:

Sian Williams; David Marshall; Shashank Krishna; Paul Exley


Testimonials

‘I have been engaged with Baker Botts since 2021 on a number of deals, ranging from financing to public markets to defence contracts. The team is fantastic and covers all aspects of a plc. The levels of competence are very high and each member of the team conducts business in an extremely professional and timely fashion.’

‘Shashank Krishna is absolutely fantastic. His knowledge of infrastructure, energy, defence and financing structures is second to none. The work ethic and duty of care to clients is fantastic. What separates Shashank from other professionals is the very practical, commercial advice that he provides in order to see a deal to completion. Shashank gets along extremely well within the firm as well. Therefore, for him to pull in resources from other specialisations such as litigation and property is extremely easy. Suffice it to say, Shashank has been exceptional for the company.’

‘ The team stands out for its focus on customer care where you feel assured that you are a priority. They are always available for a call or meeting and the work produced is turned around quickly even on the smallest matters.’

‘The team is exceptionally strong in energy and natural resources sectors, as well as bank M&A (having completed many bank acquisitions and dispositions, in Central Europe in particular). It has a strong desk supporting international financial organisations (including developmental banks) in their dual-track transactions (i.e. combining debt and equity financings). Partners and senior lawyers do all the heavy lifting and are absolutely worth their salt.’

‘I would like to single out Derek Jones and Paul Exley for their exceptional technical skills, ability to think out-of-the-box and commitment to clients.’

Key clients

Seadrill Limited


Noble Corporation


BP p.l.c.


Azimo


ViraCorp


Harland & Wolff Group Holdings plc


Liberty Media Corporation


Work highlights


  • Advised Seadrill Limited on all aspects of the transaction, including negotiating the share purchase agreement and managing local counsel.
  • Represented Noble on its divestment of five jack-up rigs for US$375 million to a newly formed subsidiary (Buyer) of Shelf Drilling, the obligations of which were guaranteed by Shelf Drilling under the asset purchase agreement.
  • Advised BP Midstream Partners LP (BPMP), on its definitive agreement for a BP US affiliate to acquire all outstanding common units of BPMP not already owned directly or indirectly by BP (the Public Common Units), representing 47,837,828 common units, in an all-stock transaction whereby each unitholder of the Public Common Units would receive 0.575 of an American Depositary Share of bp in exchange for each Public Common Unit owned.

Burges Salmon LLP

The ‘extremely proactive’ and ‘competent’ practitioners at the Bristol-based corporate practice at Burges Salmon LLP are noted for their capabilities in energy and technology M&A. Beyond these sectors, the team is experienced in cross-border work in the hotels and leisure, education, healthcare and food and drink arenas. Practice co-chair Nick Graves – a key contact for the firm’s hotels and leisure work – is experienced in M&A, joint ventures, and corporate and regulatory advice pertaining to listing rules and takeover code. Fellow co-chair Rupert Weston is recommended for assistance with M&A, joint ventures, equity market transactions and regulatory issues. Richard Spink is highly praised for his ‘exceptional advice’ and ‘balanced and pragmatic advice.’ Other key figures include Dominic Davis, who specialises in corporate finance work; Mark Shepherd, who heads the private equity team and also advises public and private companies on various transactions; and Camilla Usher-Clark, who specialises in energy, power and utilities work. Chris Godfrey has now adopted a consultant role.

Practice head(s):

Rupert Weston; Nick Graves


Other key lawyers:

Richard Spink; Mark Shepherd; Camilla Usher-Clark; Dominic Davis; Jonathan Eves; Chris Godfrey; Julie Book


Testimonials

‘Richard Spink and his team are really responsive and competent. They act as deal makers and are very good at negotiation.’

‘A large team with a detailed understanding in dealing with complex elements of projects. They are extremely proactive and willing to go the extra mile to make transactions happen.’

‘All members of the team support our business like it’s their own. Honestly couldn’t mention a specific team member as they all contribute equally to supporting us.’

‘Their level of understanding, legal capabilities, communication and in particular, attention to the file, was unparalleled. Communication with all parties involved was also exceptional. I am happy to name Dominic Davis and Julie Book as extremely dedicated, bright, knowledgeable and trustworthy.’

‘The team have completed many deals in our industry and have great knowledge of the challenges of these transactions, hence they make sure things don’t get missed that would cause any delays to the deal. All colleagues that I have worked with are also exceptional at protecting their clients whilst being pragmatic where appropriate to ensure the deal gets completed without risk to the client.’

‘Richard Spink has worked on a number of deals for me over the last 15 years. He has provided exceptional advice, ensured my interests are protected whilst ensuring every single transaction reached a successful conclusion and did not fall over.’

Key clients

Octopus


Virgin Group


Zetland Capital LLP


Bluefield Solar


FirstGroup plc


Darwin Alternatives


Phillips 66


Atrato Partners


ITM Power plc


Trivela Group LLC


Progressive Energy


Work highlights


  • Advised Saltus on its acquisition by Preservation Capital Partners, a significant transaction in the wealth management sector.
  • Advised leading green hydrogen player, ITM Power PLC on a strategic partnership and joint venture with Vitol Holdings SARL in relation to Motive Fuels Limited.
  • Advised Bluefield Solar Income Fund on its innovative £112.4 million acquisition of a 93.2MWp UK-based solar and wind portfolio.

Gowling WLG

Noted for its significant international footprint, the corporate practice at Gowling WLG fields a cross-disciplinary team of ‘responsive’ lawyers that sit across the life sciences, real estate, healthcare, energy, and advanced engineering sectors. The team is led by and co-head of the firm’s India group, Sunil Kakkad, and the head of the London M&A and private equity team Gareth Baker, a specialist in corporate energy and infrastructure transactions who is described as ‘results driven, pragmatic and a shrewd negotiator. The ‘excellent’ Neil Hendron is praised for his ‘practical and pragmatic’ advice in high-value private company M&A transactions – particularly in the healthcare and life sciences industries. European PE head Ian Piggin regularly advises biotech companies, life sciences investors and mid-market private equity firms. Other key lawyers include Hugh Maule and Jeffrey Elway.

Practice head(s):

Sunil Kakkad; Gareth Baker


Other key lawyers:

Neil Hendron; Ian Piggin; Hugh Maule; Jeffrey Elway


Testimonials

‘I have always found that they consider the business as a whole when working on specific projects for us. They also think outside the box beyond the pure legal advice where they can add value.’

‘Gareth Baker is our partner, and he is the proponent of the holistic approach to advising on activities as they may impact the wider business so thinks outside the box and brings value added ideas to the table. He imparts this approach to his team and also maintains an active if watching brief to ensure consistency.’

‘Gowling’s practice acts in relation to a number of leading deals in the market and have good experience in a number of key sectors. The team are particularly responsive and go the extra mile to get deals done for clients.’

‘Gareth Baker is results driven, pragmatic and a shrewd negotiator. Neil Hendron is excellent. Roisin Bergin is an up-and-coming talent that is very dedicated and shows great client care.’

‘In my experience, Neil Hendron is first class for M&A. He is very responsive, displays great attention to detail, is pragmatic and practical.’

‘Neil Hendron is highly technical, but also user friendly. He is practical and pragmatic, whilst also using fact to argue his case well. He is always well prepared in his understanding of the transaction, the history and the detail, really sets him apart.’

Key clients

Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp.


Eelpower Limited


Shareholders of Gladman Development Limited


Island Green Power Limited


Reorg Research Inc.


Shareholders of FI1 Limited


Brockwell Energy Limited


AssetCo plc


Exagen Group Limited


Mobeus


Revolution Bars Group plc


Shareholders of PRIMA Regulated Markets Ltd


Odyssey Inns Ltd


Medux


Nedbank Private Wealth


Sceptre Hospitality Resources


The Independent Builders Merchant Group


Kelso Pharma


Work highlights


  • Supported Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Perkins Coie as co-lead counsel on the acquisition of Qenta Inc., a financial technology company created to digitize the world’s assets and transactions, for $622 million USD by Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company.
  • Advised long-standing client and UK specialist battery storage company, Eelpower, on its new £550 million GBP partnership with Renewable Power Capital, a pan-European renewable energy investment platform backed by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
  • Advised the shareholders of land promoter Gladman Developments Limited on its £250 million sale to national sustainable house-builder Barratt Developments.

HFW

The corporate team at HFW is jointly headed up by infrastructure specialist Alistair Mackie, who acts for private investors, operators and contractors, and Alex Kyriakoulis, an ‘excellent technical M&A lawyer’ who frequently assists listed and unlisted companies, PE houses, family offices and government bodies. The practice is reputed for its expertise in international trade and commodities-driven work, especially in the energy, shipping and mining sectors. The team is also well-versed in insurance M&A, a particular area of expertise for William Reddie and Ashwani Kochhar. The team has been bolstered by the arrival of Bob Haken in December 2022 from Norton Rose Fulbright, who is noted for his experience of advising on equity investments, M&A, joint ventures, reinsurance arrangements and restructurings. Audrey Hsieh - a member of the energy and resources group - is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Alistair Mackie; Alex Kyriakoulis


Other key lawyers:

Ashwani Kochhar; William Reddie; Bob Haken; Audrey Hsieh; Catherine Emsellem-Rope


Testimonials

‘Alex Kyriakoulis is an excellent technical M&A lawyer, responsive, pragmatic and inventive and calm in the heat of a difficult turn of events.’

‘Catherine Emsellem-Rope is hugely responsive, knows our sector back to front and a superb project manager, always going the extra mile in deals.’

Work highlights


  • Advised Al Seer Marine on a joint venture with DTec Industries Investments Pte. Ltd and Damen B.V. to develop and build vessels for export outside of Europe and to set up a local expertise centre for building and maintaining commercial and leisure vessels.
  • Advised the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on a joint venture with Primera Group Limited, to create two companies, Primera Gold DRC and Primera Metals DRC.
  • Advised Navigator Holdings Ltd, the owner and operator of the world’s largest fleet of handysize liquefied gas carriers on its joint venture with Greater Bay Gas Co, intending to acquire a total of five ethylene vessels which are currently commercially managed by the Luna Pool.

K&L Gates LLP

Working with local and US corporate clients on a host of cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, the ‘extremely commercial’ K&L Gates LLP offers a ‘brilliant’ service across a number of key sectors, including technology, industrials, real estate, energy, infrastructure and sport. Beyond his position as practice head, the ‘quick witted and personable’ Paul Tetlow maintains a diverse practice, covering public takeovers, main and AIM market flotations, M&A, and family office investments across a range of industries. Tom Wallace handles a broad range of transactions in the financial services and technology space, while automotive industry specialist Howard Kleiman is experienced in M&A, IPOs, reorganisations, fundraisings and private equity transactions. James Green - a specialist in mining, oil and gas and renewable energy work - is noted for his expertise in international public and private M&A, including in emerging markets, while James Cross is recommended for his focus on private equity transactions.

Practice head(s):

Paul Tetlow


Other key lawyers:

Tom Wallace; John Elgar; Howard Kleiman; James Green; James Cross; Richard Dollimore


Testimonials

‘The team are extremely commercial, very easy to work with and provide brilliant service.’

‘Paul Tetlow is a very human, quick witted and personable individual.’

‘Paul Tetlow was able to assemble a knowledgeable team that enabled us to navigate the various landscapes and jurisdictions to close the transaction at short notice.’

‘Paul Tetlow is a very commercially oriented and knowledgeable lawyer that helped us cross the finish line. Our executive team were delighted with his and his team’s exceptional support. This team was extremely helpful and the guidance they provided was key in getting the deal done.’

Key clients

Shelf Drilling Ltd.


Pearson Plc


Lesha Bank


Global Resale, LLC


Amaroq Minerals Limited


The Shareholders of Bilboes Gold Limited


CML Microsystems PLC


Orangewood Partners


Soho Square Capital


Sealaska Corporation


Confluence Technologies, Inc.


Axonics, Inc.


Fiserv, Inc.


D.D.Williamson & Co.


Go Instore


Brightstar Device Protection LLC


The Shareholders of The Segen Group Limited


Work highlights


  • Acted for Shelf Drilling, Ltd. on its acquisition to acquire five jack-up rigs from various subsidiaries of Noble Corporation.
  • Advised a U.S. subsidiary of Pearson PLC, a London-based leading global EdTech and workforce solutions provider, in connection with its acquisition of Personnel Decisions Research Institute, LLC, the market leader in talent management and workforce assessments.
  • Advised Lesha Bank (previously known as Qatar First Bank) on the acquisition by a consortium of Qatari investors of a minority interest in Ennismore, a global hotel management company.

Mishcon de Reya LLP

Praised for its ‘commercial, practical and results oriented’ offering, the corporate practice at Mishcon de Reya LLP focuses chiefly on private company M&A, particularly acting for entrepreneurs, business owners, family offices, private equity firms and high-net-worth individuals. Led by M&A and private equity lawyer Kevin McCarthy, the team advises on the full range of mid-market transactions in the betting and gaming, technology, real estate, hotel and recruitment services space. Experienced in both public and private company work, Ross Bryson is particularly well-versed in matters relating to fintech and the hotel sector. Nick Davis - variously lauded as 'creative' and a 'great leader' - is reputed in the recruitment services sector. New arrival, Nigel Stacey, who joined from Baker Botts (UK) LLP in January 2023, brings public takeover, stock exchange work and equity capital market transaction experience to bear.

Practice head(s):

Kevin McCarthy


Other key lawyers:

Ross Bryson; Nick Davis; Nigel Stacey; James Paterson; Lydia Kellett


Testimonials

‘The team is commercial, practical and results oriented.’

‘Nick Davis is a great leader, always accessible and creative in his thinking.’

‘They are knowledgeable, experienced and forthright with both client and the other side. They really care about getting an optimal outcome for their client and their level of customer care and diligence is exceptional. I would not go into another M&A process without them in my corner.’

‘Nick Davis gave us exceptional customer care. He fought so hard to get the best outcome for us balancing a robust approach with a more conciliatory style where appropriate. His knowledge, experience, expertise and work ethic is second to none. Lydia Kellett, an associate, also took the time to fully understand what a good outcome would look like for us and her diligence and attention to detail was exceptional. I could not speak highly enough about each of them, and we would not have achieved our successful outcome without them.’

Key clients

Minor Hotel Group


Brookfield


Charles Cridland & others


Fusion Students


Primus Investment Management General Par


Elixir Distillers Ltd


Work highlights


  • Advised Fusion Students on a £1.5 billion joint venture with US investor Cain International.
  • Advised QSSA Bidco UK Logistics Limited, an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management Inc, on its acquisition of a UK logistics portfolio comprising of 10 industrial properties.
  • Advised Charles Cridland & others on the sale of Yourparkingspace Limited to a subsidiary of Flowbird.

RPC

With ‘super experience in M&A’ and a ‘great knowledge of industry,’ the team at RPC regularly works with a series of household names across various sectors, private equity and financial sponsors. Team leader Karen Hendy also co-leads the retail practice, handling listed company matters including takeovers, restructuring and M&A. The ‘client focused’ James Mee leads on insurance and financial services M&A mandates, while the highly experienced Neil Brown frequently handles large transactions in the insurance, technology and retail sectors. Senior corporate lawyer Nigel Collins has a growing Japanese client base and advises on a range of matters including investments, acquisitions, disposals and restructuring. Jeremy Cunningham is recommended for his work in the tech and media sectors. Other names to note include Ben Magahy, who acts as lead associate on M&A and corporate transactions involving private equity and financial sponsors.

Practice head(s):

Karen Hendy


Other key lawyers:

James Mee; Neil Brown; Nigel Collins; Jeremy Cunningham; Ben Magahy; Marsha Williamson


Testimonials

‘They are really happy to tackle problems head on and give very well-rounded advice. They have great knowledge of industry and always there to tackle troubles ahead. They have super experience in M&A and a real voice of reason!’

‘Neil Brown was the lead and brilliant at pulling in right people at the right time.’

‘The team has a very client focused and commercial approach.’

‘James Mee is very client focused and goes above and beyond. Marsha Williamson is a fantastic associate.’

‘They team has a very commercial, transparent and open approach. The lawyers are responsive.’

‘I value Jeremy Cunningham’s responsiveness and that he is always looking for solutions and helping me analyse risk in the right way. He is very good at unpicking what matters and what does not. He is also excellent at managing and weaving in interaction from other disciplines e.g. employment, tax etc.’

Key clients

Frasers Group


Howden Group


MS Amlin


Ernst & Young


Ebury


Shepherd Neame


Saracens Rugby Club


Triumph


Dellner Woodville


Ceres Power


Agribriefing


Berkshire Hathaway


Aviva


Mosaic Insurance


Assured Partners


DG Innovate


Milk Visual Effects


Work highlights


  • Advised global top ten insurer MS Amlin on a Lloyd’s insurance market deal valued at £1.2 billion.
  • Advised the management team of Agribriefing on the sale of Agribriefing to Five Arrows Principal Investments and Synova backed Mintec.
  • Advised Ebury Partners and acted on multiple matters worth $21 billion altogether in the last 12 months.

Winston & Strawn LLP

Regularly instructed by large international and US corporations, the M&A team at Winston & Strawn LLP is well-regarded for its role in M&A transactions, including reverse takeovers, SPACs and business combinations. The team's broad sector reach spans the technology, healthcare, aviation, media and gaming and financial services sectors. A go-to lawyer for transatlantic and European M&A deals, Nicholas Usher heads up the team. Paul Amiss is instructed by US and UK companies, family offices and private equity firms, and is well-known for his experience in SPAC IPOs and their mergers. The practice has recently grown its offering with the hire of Paul Fleming, formerly of Addleshaw Goddard until January 2023, who offers significant capabilities in distressed M&A. Zoë Ashcroft is no longer at the firm.

Practice head(s):

Nicholas Usher


Other key lawyers:

Paul Amiss; Paul Fleming; James Boulton


Key clients

Abercross Holdings Ltd.


Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.


Bregal Investments


Chart Industries, Inc.


Financial Acquisitions Corp.


Heads Up Technologies


Luby Capital Management


Mark R. Walter


May River Capital, LLC


Morningstar, Inc.


Motorola Solutions, Inc.


Multi-Color Corporation


Safeguard Medical


SunCap Limited


UL, LLC


Water Street Healthcare Partners


Work highlights


  • Represented Mark Walter in connection with the multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Fordstam Limited, the owner of Chelsea Football Club.
  • Represented Chart Industries in connection with its multi-billion-dollar acquisition of UK-based fan manufacturer Howden from KPS Capital Partners.
  • Represented Motorola Solutions, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Ava Security Limited and its subsidiaries.