James Wootton > Linklaters LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Linklaters LLP is regarded by some clients as ‘the best team in the ECM markets globally’ and remains among the market leaders for ECM work. The team is equally adept on both bank and issuer-side mandates and boasts deep knowledge in primary and secondary offerings, ‘dual-track’ processes, direct listings, equity private placements, and governance and compliance advice – particularly across UK, US and EMEA markets. Leading US ECM lawyer Pam Shores and seasoned corporate practitioner James Wootton now lead the team as global co-heads of equities following John Lane‘s retirement in April 2023. Shores advises clients on the full lifecycle of their ECM transactions, from early stage fund raising through to IPOs and secondary market capital raisings, as well as on debt capital markets transactions. Wootton is a go-to name for the full range of corporate and ECM transactions, frequently advising global corporate and financial institutions. Elsewhere in the department, former practice co-head and renowned ECM lawyer Jason Manketo handles complex cross-border transactions in the space, whilst Tom Thorne comes recommended for both his listing rules driven transactions and general equity capital markets expertise.