Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m) in London

‘Incredibly commercial, smart, very personable and pragmatic in working through solutions. I’ve met multiple members of the team and all have a consistency of being decent human beings.’

‘Marc Field is smart, commercial, and driven. You don’t need a corporate finance adviser with Marc as your lawyer; he can play both roles. Honest and very diligent in his work, we haven’t had mistakes under Marc’s care as we have had with many other law firms.’

‘Responsive and hard-working.’

‘The Ashurst team brings to due diligence and negotiations a good commercial understanding. The team’s work is thorough and rigorous, but is always informed by a sense of proportion.’

‘Excellent advice. Accessible, highly responsive and proactive. Commercial and strategic. We’ve worked primarily with Dave Carter’s team on a wide range of PE and corporate matters. ‘

‘Dave Carter makes the effort to know his clients well. He understands their strengths and weaknesses and is not afraid to step in when necessary. He is committed to the success not only of their individual investments but also of tbeir firm as a whole.’

‘Dave Carter is a superstar. ‘

‘The depth of expertise within the team is pretty much unrivalled . Clearly rising up amongst their most serious of competitors, and rightly so.’

‘Extremely experienced in commercial law and PE-backed M & A.’

‘Deep expertise, experience and resources in the sector linked with an engaging and rapid service.’

‘Tim Wright – excellent. Commercial, pragmatic and very experienced. Clearly one of the best; an excellent negotiator. Philip Allenby – up and coming. Technically excellent; clear, precise, always calm – even in the most tense of situations.’

‘Ed Griffiths is very committed and switched on and gives informed advice.’

‘David Raff is a corporate lawyer who is outstanding in negotiating and focussing on getting deals done. He’s a titanium fist in a velvet glove.’

‘A vastly experienced and knowledgeable PE transactional team, ably supported by Macfarlanes’ tax and private funds practices. Transactional expertise is bolstered by a deep understanding of corporate governance matters. The team is smart, responsive and sensitive to client needs.’

‘Stephen Pike is excellent. Stephen is always available, communicates complex points in a straightforward style and knows our key concerns well. Stephen has a great command of the details but is also capable of taking the 1,000 foot view and identifying what’s truly important.’

‘The Travers team are unique in their amiable, commercial approach to deals. They have real depth and a consistent culture from trainee to Partner. They are very good at working with non-legal business leaders, and this makes them well placed to work with founders and management teams to explain the transaction process in a way that makes sense and allows deals to happen quickly and without cutting corners.’

‘Ian Keefe and Lucie Cawood were a highly efficient double act, allowing them to scale and cover a lot of ground quickly and in an agile manner. They are particularly strong communicators, they don’t get emotional about points and focused on the overall goal of agreeing a deal that worked for us and the other side. They genuinely felt like advisers, not processors, which is critical for us.’

‘Highly personable. Highly commercial. Numerate. High standards of technical lawyering. Very good value for money. Relationship-driven.’

‘What I like about the Travers team is that they are joined up, thoughtful and focus on what’s important. More than that, when you work with them their attention to you is so high that you wonder if you are their only client. Obviously you aren’t but it’s great to feel you have 100% of someone’s attention – particularly a team of such calibre.’

‘Ian Shawyer and Adam Orr have been fantastic to work with, embodying all the points noted above. Ian feels like a natural leader of the business and has incorporated diversity in the way he runs it. Adam is accessible, professional, commercial in the way he brings his own skills, and those of his team, in to play.’

‘The team is smart, commercial, fair and enjoyable to work with. They aren’t seeking to point-score and are pragmatic when thinking about how the other side will engage in negotiation.’

‘Fantastic – truly collaborative.’

‘Extremely commercial and extraordinarily responsive. Akin Gump sources highly experienced solicitors from its network of associated legal firms in order to create M&A teams with complete and all-round expertise and support. This creates the certainty of top tier, sound legal support.’

‘Exceptional legal support, robust client service and business/ problem-solving approach.’

‘Akin is a terrific advisor. They provide excellent counsel for cross-border deals. Given the shifting sands of energy transition, their expertise across the energy value chain will be a blessing for their clients.’

‘Level of client coverage is excellent – there is clear collaboration amongst the partners. Ability to cover multiple topics for one firm and to tie them all together. Legal brilliance but with a commercial mind.’

‘Akin Gump’s team acts as our trusted partner on every transaction we contemplate. They have the depth of talent and resources to cover all aspects of an acquisition – they are responsive, understand the commercial imperatives and go beyond the interpretation of the law to provide options and solutions to solve issues faced during the structuring or negotiation.’

‘The team have a can-do attitude and are very entrepreneurial. They work with clients to overcome inevitable roadblocks in a commercial and mutually beneficial way, reducing transaction friction.’

‘The team is very responsive and has a “can-do” attitude. They were able to jump on a matter very quickly when another firm got tied up with internal process requirements.’

‘Pragmatic and hard working. Very responsive. Did a great job of coordinating counsel from various jurisdictions.’

‘Being commercial is an easy description that all lawyers like to label themselves as but the Eversheds team really do stand out. Consistently knowledgeable about the details of the transactions they are acting on, they bring a calmness and flexibilty in their approach to challenging issues.’

‘Strong leadership from partner-level down; team are highly commercial; they work highly effectively across borders and move seamlessly from corporate into specialisms that the situation requires.’

‘They are highly personable and make dealing with challenging situations and counterparties more manageable and far less stressful! They have an ability to simplify complex situations and distill it to key issues to focus on.’

‘James Trevis has led the relationship throughout our many years of working together; he always delivers a team to meet our requirements; he shows outstanding client service; he is pragmatic and commercial when it comes to fee discussions; he brings strong senior associates to support the service delivery.’

‘Good market intelligence, diverse teams, commercial and pragmatic.’

‘A very strong transactional team led by Ed Harris and Adam Brown. Driven, commercial, extremely responsive and with a client-first mindset. Use their people effectively and place a value on diversity and inclusion.  Focus on getting the deal done.’

‘Ed Harris – a critical relationship for us. Trusted advisor to the business, with deep transactional experience across a range of industries and sectors. Respected by counterparties and intermediaries. Leads the team very well. Adam Brown is calm, measured and highly responsive, works tirelessly to get the deal done. Spots and resolves issues effectively. Assertive with counterparties but with a collaborative attitude.’

‘We value the strong experience of Ed Harris and his team. Very good negotiator. Not details picky but more business oriented and efficient.’

‘Collaboration is exemplary – they really are like an outsourced extension of our investment team.’

‘All partners – both junior and senior – know the firm exceptionally well. We would particularly call out Laura Pembridge, Liam Bonamy, and Pat Stafford.’

‘Julian Runnicles is a stand out guy. Very pragmatic and commercial.’

‘They have the willingness to help facilitate the deal getting gone rather than over lawyering.’

‘They have a very long term view on client relationships. Willing to invest time and provide ad hoc advice to create a trusted relationship.’

‘Liam Bonamy is highly commercial and understands what matters to a private equity sponsor. He is very good at simplifying complex issues down to focus on the key commercial implications. Likewise Pat Stafford is very commercial. Hugely experienced and a calm and reassuring presence on a deal.’

‘Understand how to deliver a value driven proposal for clients in this space whilst still maintaining  the standards expected. Have access to the full international network and work it well.’

‘The partners lead from the front not only in negotiation but even in drafting. They are there with us, their client, throughout the negotiation. They are always well informed and right across the deal issues. Like us, they want to get deals done and enable us to be pragmatic with a thorough awareness of what we are giving up to reach agreement. They are good natured, great company, highly sophisticated and client-centric. Excellent knowledge across a broad range of functions and areas. A commercial understanding and approach to all situations and a very strong network to support it.’

‘Excellent knowledge across a broad range of functions and areas. A commercial understanding and approach to all situations and a very strong network to support it.’

‘Neil Evans  – great addition to the team, hit the ground running and delivers high quality work with a great personable approach. Very commercial, committed to delivering the result for clients and providing assistance above and beyond wherever he can.’

‘Neil Evans is an exceptional real estate and M&A partner whose opinion I always seek on legal matters. He has an impressive ability to deliver commercial solutions to complex problems, as well as a deep understanding of both real estate law and corporate M&A law. I seek Neil’s advice on everything from corporate matters to partnership agreements and transactional work. He is supported by a strong team around him.’

‘James West is an outstanding lawyer who has delivered for us time after time. No deal is too large or small.  James has built strong rapport with my European colleagues who have also come to admire his energy, tenacity, flexibility and diligence. He is very comfortable with numbers and financial concepts which means our contracts are very robust time and again.’

‘Perry Yam puts his clients first. By reminding us of how active MB is in its market place it makes it very hard to go anywhere else. Perry’s team are amongst the most active lawyers in the Private Equity market which has the advantage that they have seen it all before. Perry will also roll his sleeves up and get stuck in. He is a very strong advocate for his team and puts them front and centre.’

‘Very dynamic, commercial and happy to stand up for their clients and not take the nonsense of the profession – a breath of fresh air.’

‘Tom Cartwright is bright, energetic, full of good ideas and works very hard but without aloofness  –  he is the model of a City partner.’

‘Very commercial individuals who are always readily available and excellent at working with the other side.’

‘Real problem solvers with a low-key style. Low ego cuts through negotiations (and saves time and money!).’

‘They have a very collaborative and commercial approach to the legal elements of a transaction. They really understand what is important to us and what is worth fighting over and what isn’t.’

‘Very clear communicators. Strong process management/focus on key issues – drives efficiency.’

‘Tim Hewens is quite simply exceptional. He’s commercial, available, builds good teams and the epitome of a trusted advisor.’

‘Very good technically. Very sensible pragmatic advice. Always looked for solutions. Calm approach. Worked well with lawyers on the other side, non-adversarial.’

‘Highly commercial lawyers who understand their clients and their market as well as providing excellent legal advice.’

‘Collaboration amongst various service lines is incredibly strong i.e. corporate, banking, restructuring, property.’

‘The core team were excellent, all very pro-active, good allocation of work between them, technically very strong. Calm sensible approach to any issues, excellent planning of work streams to ensure efficient delivery of services.’

‘Paul Mann & Mae Salem – Paul as relationship partner and Mae as lead always have a considered, commercial and pragmatic view.’

‘Good skillset and clarity of process.’

‘Richard Coleman and Lydia Zakrzewski will always make time and give us good access to the rest of their organisation.’

‘We have worked with the team over several years. They are very professional, always available and quick to respond, stick to timetables and are very commercial in their approach.’

‘Very responsive and commercial.’

‘James Goold – good tone/manner and very commercial.’

‘We have found the TW team (Emma Danks and Alan Evans [real estate] as lead partners) to be great advisers, delivering technically astute and commercially-minded advice, successfully completing a complex deal within a tight timeframe.’

‘The quality of advice was exceptional.’

‘Ian Ivory was truly hands on and very much involved throughout the transaction.’

‘Highly responsive, immediate, available on call, proactive, hard working, willing to assist.’

‘Ian Ivory – Very hands on and involved. Deep experience from emerging markets and developed markets. Ability to think through difficult situations and come up with innovative solutions. His knowledge, practical advice and tenacity was invaluable and he did his work with good grace and class.’

‘Ben Shribman is super knowledgeable, calm in a storm and holds your hand through the whole process; in most cases winning over the client on the other side too. Because they have a brilliant VC practice they can straddle the track. They get growth style PE in a way that many without VC credentials don’t or can’t.’

‘Ben Shribman is the go to for me. Hard working, straight down the line dealmaker. He pays for his fees many times over with practical foresight of how the legals will affect our ability to manage the business post close.’

‘A huge amount of experience in the team in managing these type of transactions. They know and have worked with all of the PE companies, advisors, and private companies and as such have good working relationships and a great reputation. They are also very commercially focused and know when to push and when not to, what’s a risk and what’s not etc. To be honest there is no one else that comes close to Cooley.’

‘Stephen Rosen is honest, trustworthy and completely focused on getting the best result possible for you. He highlights risks ahead of time, ensures the wider team are all on the same page and aligned. He explains clauses in layman’s terms where necessary and will give his professional opinion as to whether it’s acceptable or not when asked. Nothing ever slips through the net and the end result is better than you’d otherwise get. He’s also a very genuine good guy and a pleasure to have on your side.’

‘Commercial lawyers who listen to what you want to achieve as a client and then go all out to deliver it. Great communication among the team meaning that all of them are aware of what is happening at any point. Able to call on a large team of specialists who communicate in plain English. They’re also just nice people to deal with!’

‘Chris Towle is an experienced partner who can rapidly assimilate information and advise you of the right course of action. He is a calm influence in the heat of a negotiation or whilst dealing with any challenging issues arising during a deal. I would highly recommend.’

‘Consistent, excellent client service is delivered throughout the Gowlings hierarchy.’

‘First-class customer service and high quality advice.’

‘Great knowledge of current market management positions and trends and ability to compare what is being offered to what is generally available in the market.’

‘The team is extremely commercial. I have also found their relationship building extremely effective – they do not interact at a transactional or task level, but at a human level.’

‘Years of working with our company gives them deep institutional knowledge. It’s amazing to have advisors who know when I’ll be stuck in the investment committee and can just got on with things.’

‘The team, overall, is very collegiate, helpful, engaging and friendly.’

‘The Sidley team is highly experienced and able to bring novel ideas to bear in complex transactions and negotiations. This experience runs deeper into the organisation than I would typically see at other law firms.’

‘ Fatema Orjela is a gifted and natural leader, as well as being a highly competent lawyer. What makes Fatema stand out is her ability to operate at 5mm and 30,000 feet – she has an extremely strong grasp of the detail but maintains a commercial perspective. As an advisor, while one would consider this a standard requisite, it is very rare. Fatema is also very effective at simplifying the complex and communicating very clearly. Her ability to build relationships and increase the value of the sum of the parts of her network is second to none.’

‘Eleanor Shanks gives full dedication to her clients. I fully trust her.’

‘Fatema Orjela has a fantastic approach to client service. She keeps in regular contact with her clients to ensure she can get ahead of issues, and provides and sources excellent support. She has an “ask me anything” approach that makes clients feel very comfortable with her and confident in her skills.’

‘Adam Runcorn is a fantastic rising star, great mastery of both the legal and commercial side.’

‘Strong process management, commercial understanding and ease of working.’

‘Very approachable and flexible. Excellent communication skills and hard-working to deliver value for the client.’

‘Bristol-based with local knowledge.’

‘Richard Spink – very commercial and easy to deal with. Good understanding of client needs.’

‘We valued their depth and breadth of experience.’

‘I found CRS easy to work with. Always approachable and personable. They were transparent and explained in detail all the necessary legals required for the transaction, while taking into account our needs. They went over and beyond what I would expect from any solicitors. They were solid in their approach, and understood that this deal was very personal to us. It was a pleasure to work with the CRS team.’

‘A very strong and entrepreneurial team.’

‘Experienced and knoweledgeable, very approachable, candid.’

‘Their approach was pragmatic and thorough, giving us confidence that we were covered the whole time, while not presenting unnecessary difficulty around red tape.’

‘They had great flexibility to focus on key commercial matters while providing excellent support on ad hoc issues.’

‘James Cross is excellent. Commercial, hard-working and has tremendous flexibility.’

‘James Cross has an excellent ability to respond quickly to requests and mobilise the organisation.’

‘The Winston team is both innovative and collaborative. They are at the forefront of developments such as the use of SPACs, have strength within the London market and have a very impressive team across the US.’

‘High technical capability, strong work ethic, very professional, great culture of problem solving and polite to deal with.’

‘Paul Amiss and Ian Borman are well-established partners with a great reputation. Nicholas Usher has a great deal of experience on public deals, which shows when you work with him.’