Victoria MacDuff > Slaughter and May > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Reputed for its high-end corporate expertise, Slaughter and May continues to advise on marquee transactions for leading industry players active across the energy, digital and social infrastructure arenas. The energy transition space is a particularly lively area of activity for the group, which frequently handles novel and complex transactions relating to hydrogen, CCUS and battery storage. Team heads Michael Corbett and Hywel Davies are noted for their far-reaching practices, working with a range of energy producers, infra funds, and government bodies on public and private M&A and joint ventures. Equally well versed in equity and debt financing arrangements, Azadeh Nassiri‘s recent workload includes conventional and renewable energy transactions, while Robin Ogle is chiefly engaged with M&A and PE deals, working with major asset managers as well as various subsidiary funds. Victoria MacDuff is the chief point of contact for Vodaphone, guiding the corporation through deals in Italy and Spain as part of its portfolio right-sizing efforts. The ‘exceptional‘ Oly Moir is also recommended.

Slaughter and May retains a prominent position in the London market, advising a prolific roster of listed companies on M&A, with one client declaring the practice ‘market-leading in terms of public company work.’ Praised for its ‘great depth and experience‘, the practice operates across a host of sectors including TMT, healthcare, construction, oil and gas, and insurance on domestic and cross-border matters. The practice is jointly steered by public and private M&A partners Richard Smith, who continues to lead on high-profile transactions, and Simon Nicholls, who is lauded for his ability to combine ‘deep technical knowledge and expertise with pragmatic judgment. Roland Turnill regularly assists clients on  public and private M&A, joint ventures, activism defence, governance and crisis management matters, while Rebecca Cousin stands out for her experience in the tech and IP sectors. Both Robert Innes and David Johnson are noted for for their broad corporate practices, handling public takeovers, joint ventures and equity financings. Described as ‘very responsive and pragmatic’, James Cook has particular expertise in advising large listed and private companies on corporate governance matters, and Paul Dickson continues to act on market leading public M&A transactions. A mix of UK and US-listed and large private corporates, PE houses and hedge funds turn to Sally Wokes, while Victoria MacDuff is recommended for her experience in the financial services and telecoms sectors. Steve Cooke has left the firm.

Working with major British companies and blue-chip tech multinationals alike, Slaughter and May regularly advises on a host of major corporate, commercial, and regulatory mandates, including big-ticket cross-border transactions, sourcings and procurements, product launches, and licensing strategies. The group is also experienced in disputes. The team is jointly led by three partners: telecoms head Victoria MacDuff; tech head Rob Sumroy; and Paul Dickson, who heads up the media desk.