Michael Jacobs > Herbert Smith Freehills LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP Offices
EXCHANGE HOUSE
PRIMROSE STREET
LONDON
EC2A 2EG
England
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Michael Jacobs
Work Department
Equity Capital Markets & VC and Growth Capital
Position
Michael is Co-Head of UK Equity Corporate Finance and Co-head of UK and EMEA VC and Growth Capital EMEA & Americas
Career
Michael is a corporate partner focusing on equity capital markets, growth capital and M&A, with a sector focus on private equity, tech and fintech. Michael has over 20 years’ experience across IPOs and other public and private primary and secondary offerings acting for issuers, selling shareholders and investment banks alike, as well as advising on public and private M&A and growth capital / PE transactions and cornerstone investments.
Michael joined the firm in September 2020 from A&O Shearman where he was a partner and a core member of its top-tier ECM and private equity practice. He has also previously spent time on secondment at the EMEA ECM legal team of Barclays.
Michael has been ranked in Chambers & Partners and as a key lawyer in Legal 500, with clients commenting in Chambers that “Michael is experienced, commercial, indefatigable and a pleasure to deal with.”
Lawyer Rankings
London > Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
Primarily operating across the TMT, fintech, and energy industries, the ‘impressive’ Herbert Smith Freehills LLP practice is heavily praised for its work in complex venture capital and growth equity transactions on behalf of both companies and investors. Michael Jacobs and Dylan Doran Kennett co-lead the outfit; the former is an expert on IPOs and M&A transactions, while the latter is particularly knowledgeable in the life sciences and sport sectors. Other key figures include Joseph Dennis, who represents financial investors and portfolio companies in fundraisings, and David D’Souza, a private equity M&A specialist.
London > Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets: mid-large cap
A key choice for a litany of UK-listed clients, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP advises issuers, banks, and sponsors on high-value and high-profile deals, including a number of Main Market IPOs on the London Stock Exchange. Recent engagements have seen the team include advising on the 3i Infrastructure placing, block sales for foreign issuers, SPAC IPOs, and emerging PIPE transactions. Practice co-heads Tom O’Neill and Michael Jacobs bring over 30 years of global experience, handling the full lifecycle of ECM transactions across private and public capital markets.
Lawyer Rankings
- Equity capital markets: mid-large cap London > Corporate and commercial
- Venture capital London > Corporate and commercial
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Risk advisory > Corporate governance
- Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Risk advisory > ESG
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Insurance > Insurance litigation: for policyholders
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Real estate > Planning
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity and nuclear)
- Insurance > Product liability: defendant
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- Transport > Rail
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Renewables
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Industry focus > TMT
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Water
Firm Rankings
- Transport > Aviation
- Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Finance > Debt capital markets
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets: mid-large cap
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Employment > Health and safety
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- Insurance > Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Digital content & social
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Film & TV
- Corporate and commercial > Partnership
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Insurance > Personal injury: defendant
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Real estate > Property finance
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Finance > Securitisation
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Real estate > Environment
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech: corporate and commercial
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Gaming and betting
- Insurance > Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech: regulatory
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £500m)
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Investment fund formation and management > Private funds
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital