Jo Hewitt > Baker McKenzie > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Baker McKenzie LLP is reputed for its depth of expertise in international business reorganisations projects and assists multi-national clients in post-acquisition integration, pre-transaction separation projects, legal entity rationalisation and group and supply chain reorganisations. The firm’s corporate reorganisations team in London is jointly led by Emily Carlisle, who advises on major reorganisation projects, including Brexit restructuring projects, and Jo Hewitt, who focuses on post-acquisition integration and subsidiary governance. The global head of the department, Kirsty Wilson, covers a range of projects and frequently leads significant post-acquisition integrations. With vast experience in the planning and implementation of cross-border business reorganizations and carve-out/spin off M&A transactions, the arrival of Richard Needham in December 2023 bolsters the firm’s offering. Rakesh Rathod is a key contact for various corporate transactions and reorganisations while Emma Smith has considerable experience navigating clients through the challenges that arise when coordinating cross-border reorganisations.

Baker McKenzie LLP counts PLCs, large privately held companies and global organisations among its clients. It makes complete use of its full-service structure to provide clients with expertise in the regulatory, compliance, corporate, remuneration, reputation protection, crisis management and disputes spheres. Sitting at the head of the practice are Jo Hewitt, who is skilled at advising on private company governance and business transformation projects; James Thompson, who regularly advises listed clients on regulatory compliance matters; and Nick Bryans, who is knowledgeable about governance issues in the renewable energy, infrastructure, consumer goods, healthcare, and oil and gas sectors. In addition, Tom Quincey is highlighted for his advice to PLCs.

Praised for its embrace of the ‘ intersectionality of inclusion, diversity and equity’, Baker McKenzie is equipped to assist a range of multinational clients with issues such as sustainable governance structures, ESG transactions, tax reporting requirements and commercially sensitive supply chain due diligence and investigations. The team is jointly overseen by corporate governance and reporting specialist Jo Hewitt and dispute resolution partner Francesca Richmond, who is equipped to assist major corporates with reputationally sensitive ESG investigations. Graham Stuart is well-placed to help clients to navigate regulatory enforcement risk and new UK climate reporting obligations. Sustainable energy procurement is a key area of activity for Andrew Hedges.