Mr Stephen Brown > Akin > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Akin
EIGHTH FLOOR
TEN BISHOPS SQUARE
LONDON
E1 6EG
England
Stephen Brown photo

Position

Stephen has substantial experience advising private equity sponsors and public companies on the taxation and structuring of management equity and share incentive arrangements, among many other types of matters. He is also an experienced employment lawyer.

Stephen leads on the negotiation, drafting and implementation of the management equity piece in private equity-backed acquisitions and focuses on aligning rewards for the leadership team with the creation of value for investors over a multi-year period. He develops innovative approaches to solve tax, legal and governance problems for leading funds and corporates.

With extensive experience advising U.S. investors investing in U.K. and European assets, Stephen combines a deep knowledge of employment law and the tax, corporate law and structuring aspects of management incentive arrangements and share inventive plans.

Stephen also has many years of experience guiding U.S.-based clients on the introduction of incentive arrangements in different jurisdictions including Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America and finding solutions to the tax, employment and regulatory issues that arise in these jurisdictions.

Lawyer Rankings

London > Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax

Akin fields an ‘exceptional’ team with key strength in the financial services sector. Team lead Stephen Brown has expertise in the private equity sector, and works with both domestic and international clients. Serena Lee covers a broad range of corporate and finance transactions, including reorganisations and restructurings. Matthew Durward-Thomas made partner in January 2023.

London > Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)

Noted for its broad coverage of emerging markets, Akin is engaged on a diverse range of both upper and middle-market work – particularly for clients (both sponsors and portfolio companies) involved in tech and natural resources. The practice is jointly chaired by a several partners: Shaun Lascelles, a prolific adviser who regularly handles PE transactions in the oil and gas sectors; Gavin Weir, whose focus includes tech and life sciences;  Stephen Brown, experienced in PE employment law and management equity matters; and Sebastian Rice, who oversees both the London and Hong Kong offices. Other names to note include David Sewell, whose recent engagements include acquisitions for sponsors engaged in the financial services sector. Weyinmi Popo left the firm to join Asafo & Co. in March 2023.