James Down > Hill Dickinson LLP > North West

Work Department

Corporate

Position

Partner

Career

James is a partner in the Manchester Corporate team at Hill Dickinson. James joined Hill Dickinson as a trainee in 2013 and followed an accelerated career path which saw him promoted to Partner (as one of the youngest partners in the firm) in 2022.

James specialises in private equity funded transactions, advising both private equity houses on a wide range of investments and bolt on acquisitions and management teams / investee companies on private equity investments. James has also advised a number of shareholders on private equity backed disposals. Notable transactions that James has led recently include:

• Acting for Fox Brothers Group and its management team on an investment from Stellex.

• Acting for Waterland Private Equity on its investment in Cumbria Waste Management.

• Acting for Cura Terrae (backed by Palatine Private Equity) on the acquisition of Enviro Technology Services.

• Acting for the shareholders of MBL Seminars on their sale to Law Business Research (backed by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners).

In addition to private equity, James also advises on mergers and acquisitions covering all forms of share and asset acquisitions and disposals, mergers, corporate joint ventures and investments. He has also acted on a number of corporate finance transactions for listed companies.

James offers pragmatic, commercial advice and unlocks "sticky" issues on transactions with innovative solutions. James prides himself on his 24/7 partner led approach to transactions.

James completed his law degree at the University of Nottingham (LLB hons) and went on to complete his LPC at Manchester College of Law.

Notable awards include:

- Deal of the Year (£10 – 50m) – North West Insider Dealmakers Awards 2024 for the Waterland Investment in Cumbria Waste Group Cumbria, which James led.

- Regional law firm of the Year – 2024 Rainmaker Awards

- Mid-Size Law Firm of the Year - 2020 (delayed until April 2021) and 2021 Insider Dealmakers Awards

James’ recent transactions include: • Acting for the shareholders of Doff Portland on their sale to Pamplona Capital Management backed Pelsis Group.

• Acting for Fox Brothers Group and its management team on an investment from Stellex.

• Advising on the MBO of infrastructure project consultancy group D2 Global.

• Acting for Perwyn on its investment in Datatonic.

• Acting for Waterland Private Equity on its investment in Cumbria Waste Management and Cawood Scientific.

• Acting for Palatine Private Equity on its investments in Redmoor Health and Cura Terrae group.

• Acting for NorthEdge on its investment in Antibody Analytics.

• Acting for BGF on its investments in ITD Global and A Wilderness Way.

• Acting for Seneca Partners on various EIS and VCT investments including HubBox SilkFred and Geomiq.

• Acting for NQ64 Arcade Bars and its management team on an investment from Imbiba (and Imbiba’s subsequent exit).

• Acting for MSS Group and its management team on an investment from Stellex.

• Acting for Leonard Curtis and its management team on an investment from Arete and Svella.

• Acting for Digital Rewards Group and its management team on an investment from Maven.

• Acting for So Purple Group and its management team on an investment from BGF.

• Acting for the shareholders of The Gate Films on their sale to Tag (part of Dentsu).

• Acting for the shareholders of MBL Seminars on their sale to Law Business Research (backed by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners).

• Acting for the shareholders of City Pantry on their sale to main market listed Just Eat.

• Advising on the MBO of e-commerce group Gudrum Classics Ltd.

Languages

English (fluent)

Memberships

Member of the law society

Education

• School name: University of Nottingham • Degree: Law (LLB) • From year (start year): 2019 • To year (graduation year): 2012

• School name: College of Law (Manchester) • Degree: LPC • From year (start year): 2012 • To year (graduation year): 2013

Personal