Arbor Law

Dan Adams, co-founder of Arbor Law, has over two decades of experience in advising media and technology companies. With a background in both legal practice and business development, Dan brings a unique perspective to supporting startups from inception to exit, as well as advising large corporates. His expertise includes corporate investment deals, commercial contract negotiation, data protection, and intellectual property, making him a trusted partner for founders scaling their businesses. Dan's practical experience as an entrepreneur informs his pragmatic, focused advice to clients.

Kate Bennett, a co-founder of Arbor Law, brings over two decades of expertise in corporate and securities law, regulatory compliance, and governance. Having started her career at Baker McKenzie in Chicago before moving to London, she later served as UK General Counsel for two FTSE 250 companies. Kate offers extensive experience in advising international clients on corporate transactions, capital raising, M&A, and has a keen interest in the financial services sector, providing strategic regulatory compliance and governance advice. She's noted for her unique commercial perspective, exceptional quality of pragmatic advice, and a commitment to pro bono work. Kate was recently awarded 'Law Firm Leader of the Year - Boutique or Chambers' award for building a firm with DE&I at the centre of its philosophy by The Women and Diversity in Law Awards.

Mary is a commercial lawyer with over 13 years' experience advising multinational businesses across a wide range of matters in the UK and globally. With a particular focus on commercial and contractual, product counselling and compliance work, Mary also has extensive experience within e-commerce, as well as social media, FMCG and global sports marketing. Having worked in-house since 2009 for some of the world’s largest brands, Mary's experience includes supporting with day-to-day queries, as well as advising on long-term strategic projects across a number of areas, such as procurement, product development, marketing, regulatory and compliance. Mary drafts, reviews and negotiates a broad range of commercial contracts, including services, sponsorship, advertising, outsourcing, data licensing, technology and supplier agreements. Mary loves building strong relationships with her clients, ensuring she understands the business context and her client’s needs in order to provide cost-effective and timely advice, helping clients navigate legal ambiguity and taking a pragmatic, risk-based approach to deliver on outcomes.

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Fabienne d\'Adhemar

Fabienne is a senior a litigator working with companies across a wide range of industries to resolve their commercial disputes. Also representing individuals – founders, directors, entrepreneurs, PEPs and HNW individuals - Fabienne guides them through their contentious issues to obtain a speedy and successful outcome. Fabienne's experience is broad and varied, including breach of contract claims, shareholder disputes, multi jurisdiction investigations, injunctive relief and enforcing foreign judgments. Fabienne also has significant Court experience in terms of conducting trials and applying for interim relief. Fabienne thrives off the variety and challenge of contentious work – she is currently advising a client in relation to a dispute over real estate in the metaverse; which has required some creative thinking! Fabienne really cares about achieving the best outcome for her clients and their businesses.

Eve is a dual qualified (UK and New Zealand) lawyer with over 20 years’ experience helping clients achieve their corporate goals. With experience in commercial real estate and general commercial deals and contracts in the media, oil, telecommunications, technology and fitness and franchising sectors, Eve now works as a specialist generalist for her clients, adding value through her experience as General Counsel and Head of Legal. Eve's specialities include Commercial real estate, commercial negotiations, corporate governance, technology, franchising, licensing deals - as well as disputes, Intellectual Property, general terms and conditions. Eve gets her clients to where they want to be in a commercially balanced and sensible way, negotiating a win-win position as far as possible while balancing risk.

Nick is a former General Counsel and senior commercial and corporate lawyer specialising in the energy sector. He advises on all aspects of large-scale energy and infrastructure projects in the UK and internationally. Nick advises clients on all stages of the acquisition, development, construction, operation and ultimate exit. This includes working with them to understand the regulatory landscape for individual projects, debt and equity financings, joint ventures, fuel supply and off-take arrangements. Nick has specialised expertise advising clients on complex IT outsourcing agreements, and is particularly interested in the transformation and digitisation of the energy sector having worked for Smart DCC on the roll out of the UK’s smart metering programme. Nick combines his wealth of knowledge with the ability to distil complex, technical issues into understandable and practical advice for clients. An energy sector enthusiast, Nick is committed to helping clients of all size in the sector work towards their targets.

Naomi Little-Smith

Naomi is a commercial lawyer and mediator, with over 20 years' experience specialising in telecoms and IT. Naomi's particular expertise is in drafting and negotiating complex IT and telecoms services and infrastructure agreements. As an IMI certified mediator, she specialises in a transformative approach to conflict resolution, helping parties search for ways not only to resolve their dispute but to transform their relationships. Clients appreciate her broad experience and collaborative style in both mediation and negotiations.

Pregeshni Maduramuthu

Pregeshni is a senior compliance, risk, and governance professional with more than 15 years' experience working within the financial services industry. Working with banks and investment firms regulated by the FCA and PRA, Pregeshni advises on regulatory authorisation, regulatory change, conflict management, governance frameworks, compliance controls and market abuse frameworks as well as providing outsourced compliance services to financial services clients.

Fiona is a senior employment lawyer with over 17 years’ experience advising a diverse range of corporate clients on a wide spectrum of employment law matters, including drafting and negotiating employment contracts, policies and procedures, and settlement agreements. As well as advising on day-to-day employment law queries, Fiona also provides strategic support on long-term projects and corporate transactions, conducts employment litigation before the employment tribunals and civil courts, and provides training to clients on employment law issues.

Dave Morrison is a commercial solicitor with over 20 years’ experience advising on a wide range of non-contentious commercial contracts. Dave advises on all aspects of general commercial contracts, from drafting and negotiating complex commercial projects to preparing simple contracts and templates. This includes supply and procurement contracts for goods and services, distribution, agency, outsourcing and even toll manufacturing.

Adam Moy is a General Counsel helping clients navigate their various banking and financial services legal needs, including debt finance, investments, regulatory/compliance and governance. Adam's experience includes working in large banks, start-ups and scale up organisations, including most recently with an asset manager in social impact investment, delivering transactional support, legal advice and implementing projects, policies and governance. Adam has gained invaluable experience as a non-executive Trustee with charity boards. Adam takes the time to understand your business and your people and fosters a collegiate approach with all stakeholders.

Ed Rea is a distinguished commercial technology lawyer recognised for his extensive expertise in technology-related transactions and relationships. Specialising in major IT and Telecoms infrastructure and construction projects, as well as digital distribution and connectivity matters, Ed's profound understanding of these sectors enables him to offer invaluable advice to telecoms and technology businesses. His proficiency in handling complex transactions has earned him accolades in the Legal 500 TMT-IT/Telecoms, where he is celebrated for his adept negotiation skills and expertise in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating technology-related contracts. Ed is also a co-founder of Arbor Law.

James is a senior commercial contracts lawyer of more than 20 years standing. He has considerable experience in the FMCG, tech/telco, payment and online gaming industries and a long-standing track record in IT/Tech, cloud services, as well as BPO. Since 2007, James has developed a particular specialism as a payment processing lawyer, supporting both large and small online merchants as well as leading payment providers within the UK, EEA and beyond. He advises on merchant acquiring, alternative payments, open banking and some scheme work, including critical vendor and partnership arrangements, as well as certain compliance and operational issues.

Ben is a dual qualified senior solicitor (UK and Australia), with a broad range of in-house experience, ranging from the London Olympic Organising Committee (LOCOG), to a government sporting agency to more recently looking after UHNWI and their luxury assets. Ben is a generalist, advising private clients (UHNWI and their family offices, entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs) on their day-to-day commercial legal needs – from commercial negotiations (such as consultant appointments, service agreements), to corporate governance support, to luxury asset acquisition and disposal to general commercial real estate queries, leveraging the specialist expertise of colleagues within Arbor on complex transactions for the benefit of his clients. Ben understands his client's ultimate goals and how to achieve them, be that a pragmatic middle ground with their counterparty, or a tougher stance when the clients’ interests or reputation need firmer protection.

Martin negotiates complex commercial contracts using his 20 years+ legal and on the ground business management experience. Martin is a General Counsel with a background working in top law firms and with the highlights of UK business from the FTSE 100 through to disruptive start-ups. He has worked across a range of sectors covering technology, energy, projects and construction and insurance and has closed contracts in these sectors up to £1bn in value. Martin covers most forms of commercial contracts from outsourcing, technology, data protection, infrastructure projects and construction, renewable energy, nuclear, M&A or procurement.

With more than 20 years' experience of commercial and contentious practice, working within law firms and as an in-house counsel, Edward offers clients a depth of complex international experience covering intellectual property, film and television, tech, payments & finance and sustainability work. Edward's central specialty is combining core IP-driven commercial need with innovative strategic execution, such as: Leaning on international licensing expertise to accelerate value for patent- or fledgeling brand-driven businesses. Utilising multilingual abilities to harmonise a global legal framework for distribution or outsourcing. Adapting the best legal way to facilitate a highly functioning strategic partnership, enshrining value in the right places from the foundations through to the advanced evolution of the venture. This specialty has found extended homes in the rapidly developing sustainability legal field, as well as core tech, commercial, and payments & finance law.

Michelle Shamtally

Now specialising in data protection and privacy, Michelle has over 20 years’ in house experience, advising businesses on data protection, commercial contracts and consumer legal matters. As part of Arbor’s Data Privacy practice group, Michelle advises clients across a range of sectors including TMT and Financial Services, helping organisations implement appropriate data protection programmes, from policies and processes to building data protection teams. Michelle helps her clients identify and address risks and relevant areas within the business, communicating complex areas of data protection with clarity and meaningful advice and guidance relevant to their business objectives and compliance obligations. Covering a wide range of data protection activities including, audits, contract reviews, data sharing and international transfers, marketing compliance, product implementation, HR, data breach and data rights support, Michelle also advises clients on dealings with relevant regulators and data protection authorities.

Kenneth is an experienced corporate lawyer. Over the past 40 years, he has shepherded all kinds of companies through countless transactions, some routine, others transformational. Kenneth also has significant management experience in large law firms (including the negotiation of a merger with the world’s largest law firm). Over the years Kenneth has developed a great international network to support clients' growth plans. As well as advising clients on corporate matters at Arbor Law, he works with the co-founding team in a non-executive advisory role to help develop and implement strategic aims. Kenneth focuses on M&A, private equity/venture capital, joint venture and other commercial deals across a broad range of sectors. Having worked with start–ups to listed companies and various private entrepreneurs and PE backers, he has a thorough understanding of the needs and approaches of businesses large and small. His practice regularly involves the management and coordination of multi–disciplinary teams, interfacing with clients and other advisers. Kenneth is a measured, thoughtful and considered lawyer with a tactful, diplomatic style and strong interpersonal and relationship building skills which he uses to help clients achieve their objectives.

Iain is a senior commercial lawyer, with experience across multiple sectors and jurisdictions, specialising in technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and has held senior in-house, Head of Legal and General Counsel positions at a number of platform, technology and data businesses, from start-ups/scale-ups to multi-nationals. As an experienced commercial contracts lawyer and negotiator, Iain has helped both supplier and customer-side clients to achieve their business goals. He has advised start-up platform businesses on business-to-business SaaS agreements and SLAs, through to supporting household name corporates on their major multi-million pound outsourcing projects, including in heavily regulated sectors such as financial services, telecoms and utilities. Iain has a breadth of legal experience, including contract/consumer law, corporate law and governance, M&A, IP, AI/technology, Data Privacy/GDPR and dispute management & resolution. Iain has a good understanding of how to create and maintain business value, and how to balance this against managing legal risk and compliance, working with senior management, boards and key external stakeholders such as lenders, investors, shareholders and regulators.

Shaw provides pragmatic and commercial advice to technology companies on the end-to-end launch and delivery of products to market. Having worked with smaller companies in private practice as well as in-house in large corporates, Shaw advises on all areas of legal, regulatory and compliance. He has also helped take start-up businesses to scale and international expansion. With experience across all areas of commercial and consumer law, and spending several years as lead in-house counsel for a technology business supporting all areas of its strategy and day to day operations, Shaw has special expertise in consumer protection, customer segmentation and migrations, consumer credit, product liability, data protection and GDPR, cyber security, intellectual property, marketing and advertising and brand protection.

Alex heads up Arbor's Emerging Markets and Impact Investing Group. Alex is a versatile, corporate and commercial lawyer with over 25 years' experience advising private and public sector clients in technology, media, infrastructure, clean energy, real estate and healthcare sectors in the UK and internationally. Alex is a versatile, corporate and commercial lawyer with a wide range of experience advising international clients. I have a particular interest in impact investing and businesses focused on sub Saharan Africa. I specialise in managing complex cross-border transactions with multiple stakeholders.

Katherine Sweetnam

Katherine is a commercial lawyer with over 9 years’ experience advising across a wide range of matters but with a particular focus on commercial, corporate and employment. After working in-house for 8 years, Katherine's experience is broad and varied, advising companies and individuals on day-to-day commercial, corporate and employment queries as well as longer term strategic projects including fundraising, M&A, company secretarial support, corporate governance compliance, commercial contracts, consumer T&Cs, GDPR, employment (such as handling employee relations cases and compliant templates, policies and processes) and option scheme management and compliance. Katherine takes the time to get to know her clients and their businesses and to understand what they need from her. She gives practical, clear, actionable advice.

A commercial lawyer with 15 years’ experience advising technology and travel companies, Sarah has extensive experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts, as well as advising clients on consumer law, data privacy and regulatory matters.

Richard brings the experience gained over his lengthy career as a partner in a leading global law firm to his role as a legal consultant at Arbor Law. With over 40 years’ experience in corporate transactions and advisory work, and across a range of sectors in both regulated and non-regulated industries including telecommunications, media, industrials and financial services, Richard advises on public and private mergers and acquisitions, securities work, joint ventures and corporate governance.

Clara Westbrook

Clara is a senior Data Privacy lawyer with over 20 years' experience advising businesses on European and English Data Protection law. Clara heads up Arbor's Data Privacy practice group, helping clients to navigate this complex area of law in an accessible and commercial way, enabling them to achieve their business objectives in compliance with data protection law. Clara advises clients across a wide range of sectors including digital, media, travel, e-commerce, luxury goods, healthcare, FMCG, Financial Services and aerospace. At the strategic level, Clara helps organisations implement global data protection programmes from the development of global data protection policies and related processes and procedures to building data protection teams. The Data Privacy practice covers the full range of data protection issues including audits, data transfers, contract reviews, marketing compliance and supporting clients who have suffered data breaches or complaints from the regulator - Clara also advises clients on dealings with data protection authorities.