Rebecca Cousin > Slaughter and May > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Slaughter and May‘s preeminent reputation in the UK public M&A space continues to be backed up by the data. The firm advised on nearly a third of the  highest value UK deals in 2020 and still has one of the largest rosters of FTSE 100 and 250 clients of any law firm. Its commitment to long-term relationships with clients means some 200 of its clients have worked with the firm for more than 20 years. The highly acclaimed group is jointly led by Andy Ryde and Roland Turnill, who head up the firm’s corporate and M&A offerings respectively. David Johnson boasts extensive public and private M&A experience, with recent highlights including major acquisitions and joint ventures for blue-chip clients in the leisure sector. In addition to co-heading the firm’s data protection and privacy practice, Rebecca Cousin handles corporate and commercial instructions from a broad range of high-profile entities. The highly regarded Sally Wokes is recommended for her experience leading big-ticket, international deals, most recently for multinational retailers, whileVictoria MacDuff  is described by  one client as ‘the best lawyer I have ever worked with’. Other key names to note in the practice include Simon Nicholls ; Paul Dickson ; Robert Innes  and Richard Smith . However the firm has seen several  departures in today’s increasingly global marketplace. Up and coming M&A and private equity partner Murray Cox  left for Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP , while Susannah Macknay moved to Gilbert & Tobin in Melbourne.

Slaughter and May , which is well-known for its issuer-side focus, is a first port of call among many FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies for advice on complex and business-critical fundraising requirements. Led by Rebecca Cousin, the department handles London Stock Exchange IPOs, rights issuances, placings and issuances of convertible/exchangeable securities, among other matters. In 2020, highlights included advising Ocado Group Plc on a concurrent three-legged £1bn capital raise and acting for SEGRO Plc on a £680m placing. Richard Smith and David Johnson are among other active practitioners. In recent developments, former practice head Nilufer von Bismarck joined Legal & General as a non-executive director, and Susannah Macknay moved to Gilbert + Tobin in 2020.