Brown Rudnick LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Brown Rudnick LLP
8 CLIFFORD STREET
LONDON
W1S 2LQ
England

Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m Tier 1

Drawing considerable praise from clients, the ‘partner-led, highly pragmatic and commercial’ team at Brown Rudnick LLP is well regarded for its work in innovative fields such as technology, advanced life-sciences and climate tech. With a distinct emphasis on venture capital, the team adeptly handles complex cross-border matters for a diverse roster of clients. The team is jointly led by international corporate practice head Tom Braiden and the ‘pragmatic’ Mark Dorff, who specialisises in early-stage investments in deep tech. Steering the equity capital markets (ECM) team is the accomplished Lena Hodge, whose vast experience encompasses advising public and private companies on IPOs, M&A and public company takeovers. The team’s strength has been fortified by a number of arrivals in 2022, which include Paul Doris from Dentons, David Knight from Fieldfisher, James Douglass from K&L Gates LLP and associate Stephen Wallace from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP.

Practice head(s):

Tom Braiden; Mark Dorff

Other key lawyers:

Lena Hodge; Neil Foster; Tracy Fisher; Tim Davison; David Knight; Paul Doris; Sage Revell; Nick Davies

Testimonials

‘Partner led, highly pragmatic and commercial team driven by results.’

‘Sage Revell – relentless drive,  focused and ambitious.’

‘Mark Dorff – safe pair of hands, problem solver, pragmatic.’

‘Tracy Fisher – easily the most accessible and pragmatic tax lawyer I have worked with.’

‘Our partners, Neil Foster and Tim Davison have a wealth of experience in deals in our sector, from both sides of the table. This means that we can be sure we know what is market for terms and negotiate more effectively.’

‘Both Neil and Tim are always available and a pleasure to speak with. They understand that for a growing start-up that legal costs can be expensive, and are always looking for ways to work together and minimise costs to help us grow and create a profitable future for all of us.’

Key clients

Caelum Capital

Victoria Plc

Midatech Pharma Plc

Queensgate Investments LLP

EDX Medical Limited

BioGaia

Real VNC

Orion Systems Integrators, LLC

Work highlights

  • Represented BioGaia in the USD 30 million acquisition of its St. Louis-based distributor in a move that strengthens the Swedish biotech company’s market position in the U.S.
  • Completed Victoria Plc’s cross-border acquisition of B3 Ceramics Danismanlik (trading as Graniser), a mid-market manufacturer and exporter of ceramic tiles based in Turkey, which has an enterprise value of approx. EUR 50m.
  • Closed transaction for our AIM-listed client Victoria Plc in respect of its purchase of IWT Holdings, LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiary, International Wholesale Tile, LLC (collectively referred to as “IWT”).

Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil Tier 2

Often active on matters with an international component, US law firm Brown Rudnick LLP is home to civil fraud, criminal and regulatory law expertise. The practice, which is headed by SFO and NCA investigations veteran, Neill Shrimpton , is distinctly well-versed in asset tracing and recovery, in addition to cases where fraudulent misrepresentations have incurred share prices losses. Jane Colston  is often active on forensic investigations involving freezing, search, trace and freeze assets and proprietary elements, among others, meanwhile Jessica Lee is a more junior partner who is forging a prominent reputation for cases within the financial services sector.

Practice head(s):

Neill Shrimpton

Other key lawyers:

Jane Colston; Jessica Lee

Testimonials

‘Utterly committed to clients – a laser-focus on their needs. Where I would go if I were in trouble.’

‘Jane Colston – one of the very best litigators in the market. Hugely effective, efficient, great use of tech and a warmth and an unequalled compassion for clients.’

Jessica Lee – new partner – one to watch – particularly strong in the tech and cyber sectors.’

‘Brown Rudnick’s civil fraud expertise is, in my view, exceptional.’

Jessica Lee: I consider that Jessica is a rising star. Her experience in the field of crypto-currency is well-known but she deserves equal commendation for her expertise in general fraud litigation.’

‘A wonderful team led by Jane Colston who I rate as one of the best fraud litigators in London. Calm, measured, legally and strategically astute, allied to being incredibly approachable and commercial. I also use their New York team spearheaded by the brilliant David Molton and Cameron Moxley – my go-to US litigators!’

‘Jessica Lee, who is forging a reputation in digital assets disputes, is someone who I really rate.’

Key clients

Recovery Partners G.P. Limited and Revoker LLP

Various Investors v RSA Insurance Group Limited

Mr Gilles Guerin

Group of Shareholders v Barclays Plc

Group of Shareholders v Standard Chartered Plc

Mikail Shishkhanov

Work highlights

  • Acted for the claimants in this matter which concerns the unlawful diversion of a business opportunity to provide services to members of the surviving family of the deceased Georgian billionaire Arkadi Patarkatsishvili, whose estate came under attack in the period following his unexpected death in 2008 from various individuals including Boris Berezovsky and Joseph Kay and from the Georgian government.|
  • Acted for a group of 72 institutional investors against RSA Insurance Group Limited (“RSA”) in claims under section 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The group claims damages in excess of £150 million arising from their reliance on alleged untrue and misleading statements and omissions in the defendant’s published information, alternatively alleged dishonest delay in publishing relevant information.
  • Acted for an individual defendant accused of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering in the context of a grand corruption case concerning the Kuwaiti state pension fund. The underlying facts are the subject of criminal and civil investigations and proceedings in Switzerland, Kuwait and England.

Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap Tier 3

Brown Rudnick LLP has significant experience representing AIM-listed companies, advising on takeover code matters and acting on both issuer and underwriter-side mandates. IPOs, secondary fundraisings and public M&A transactions are core specialisms of the practice, which is headed by Lena Hodge, who is particularly recommended for her work with US sponsors. Neil Foster is well known for his expertise in technology sector transactions.  

Practice head(s):

Lena Hodge

Other key lawyers:

Neil Foster; Tom Braiden

Key clients

WANdisco Plc

Victoria Plc

Singer Capital Markets

Midatech Pharma Plc

Arix Bioscience Plc

Cenkos Securities Plc

Somero Enterprises Inc

Libertine Holdings Plc

Arix Bioscience Plc

Work highlights

  • Advised Victoria Plc in respect of a £150m follow-on preferred equity investment  by KED Victoria Investments LLC by way of convertible preferred shares – bringing KED Victoria Investments LLC’s total preferred equity investment in Victoria Plc to a total of £225m.
  • Advised WANdisco Plc in respect of their fundraise of GBP 16.4 million  via a private placement of 5,857,862 ordinary shares in the capital of the company.
  • Advised Singer Capital Markets in relation to their role as the sole bookrunner, corporate broker and nominated advisor for Verici Dx Plc’s GBP 10 million fundraising by way of a subscription of shares and a placing conducted via an accelerated bookbuild on AIM.

Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious Tier 3

Brown Rudnick LLP is best known for its representation of senior individuals facing regulatory investigations, and is valued by such clients for its ‘outstanding commitment to professional service‘. The practice is headed up by Peter Bibby, who brings his previous experience as head of enforcement at the FCA to the role, and is described as ‘a details man, so perfect for complicated cases on.Chloe Pawson-Pounds and Ian Weinstein are the other key names within the group.

Practice head(s):

Peter Bibby

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Stong contentious team with lots of experience.’

‘Peter Bibby: hugely experienced; a details man, so perfect for complicated cases on the facts; good strategist.’

‘The team we worked with was exceptional, they were collaborative and attentive to our needs and very demanding timescales, at every engagement we were met with professionalism and a superb service was provided. We felt confident in the team’s ability to support us through a very serious and challenging time.’

‘The attention to detail and the personal element of the engagement resulted in a seamless process. The level of service was significantly higher than that experienced with competitors, from drafting of documentation, to expert knowledge and insight into the contentious aspects of the case.’

‘The stand-out contentious regulatory lawyer at Brown Rudnick is Peter Bibby. He knows the contentious financial services world inside out, is easy to deal with and fights hard for his clients. I would certainly recommend him to potential clients in trouble, and have done so. I would be confident that he would look after them well.’

‘Outstanding commitment to professional service and meticulous attention to detail.’

‘Peter Bibby is the most outstanding regulatory lawyer I have ever worked with. He is thorough, knowledgeable, hugely committed and has total integrity.’

‘Chloe Lawson-Pounds provided outstanding support.’

Corporate and commercial > Venture capital Tier 3

Often working closely with the firm’s IP and commercial offerings, and also able to leverage the US network, Brown Rudnick LLP‘s venture team provides ‘sensible and measured solutions’ to investors and investees in domestic and cross-border transactions at every stage of the corporate life cycle. Team head Neil Fostervalues simplicity over making things overly complex’ and is a popular choice among funders and start-ups in the technology and media spaces, as well as more recently a growing amount of energy transition matters. As part of his broad corporate and capital markets offering, UK and US-qualified partner Mark Dorff  regularly handles tech and life sciences-related venture matters and has particular expertise advising European clients on US investments. Sage Revell, who was promoted to partner in February 2023, is also key member of the team, particularly in the context of life sciences venture mandates.

Practice head(s):

Neil Foster

Other key lawyers:

Mark Dorff; Tom Braiden; Tim Davison; Sage Revell

Testimonials

The team provides sensible and measured solutions.’

‘Neil Foster and Tim Davison are outstanding.’

‘Neil Foster values simplicity over making things overly complex.’

‘They know our business and the industries we work in well and are able to tailor their responses appropriately for us. Their knowledge of and expertise in their respective fields is exemplary. Perhaps best of all, they are easy to deal with and have become welcome extensions to our team.’

‘The Brown Rudnick London office understand what businesses want from their legal advisers: high quality advice that is framed in a commercial context that is not simply a description of the legislation itself but is delivered so that informed decisions can be taken quickly and accurately.’

‘They want to get deals done, not find barriers to prevent them.’

Key clients

GB News

mOm Incubators

Capricorn Sustainable Chemistry Fund

Caelum Capital

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc

IONATE Limited

Coinfirm

Dermaliq

Highland Europe (UK) LLP (“Highland Capital”)

Pimentae

Japan Energy Fund

Deepbridge Capital

Chlesfield

ABB Technology Ventures

Sasol Chemicals

Iceotope Group Ltd

Work highlights

  • Closed a £50m Series B funding round for All Perspectives Limited (trading as “GB News”).
  • Acted as corporate legal counsel for Highland Capital in respect of their role as lead investor for the £40m Series B fundraise by RedSift Limited.
  • Represented Dermaliq Therapeutics, Inc., an independent private pharmaceutical company that was spun out from Novaliq GmbH in Germany, in connection with its $15m Series A round financing.

Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 4

First rate litigator’ Neill Shrimpton leads a team at Brown Rudnick LLP that acts on complex, high-value disputes against financial institutions and sovereigns. S90 and S90A FSMA claims are a key strength of the practice that is ‘utterly committed to its clients’. Jane Colston is ‘one of the very best litigators in the market‘, with specific experience in company, shareholders, and partnership disputes. Other noted practitioners include Jessica Lee and at associate level, Razzaq Ahmed.

Practice head(s):

Neill Shrimpton

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Utterly committed to clients – a laser-focus on their needs. Where I would go if I were in trouble.’

‘Jane Colston is one of the very best litigators in the market. Hugely effective, efficient, great use of tech and a warmth and an unequalled compassion for clients.’

‘Jess Lee is particularly strong in the tech and cyber sectors.’

‘A well-resourced team with great strength in depth. Fantastic partner engagement. Efficient and effective.’

‘Neill Shrimpton is a calm head that inspires confidence. Experienced and highly capable he is a first rate litigator. Razz Ahmed is an energetic and effective team member who takes the initiative. A rising star and one to watch.’

‘Brown Rudnick’s London litigation team is very good. They regularly act on high value cases with magic circle opponents.’

‘Neill Shrimpton is a highly experienced and clever litigator, with good client relationship skills.’

Key clients

Investors in Barclays Shares v Barclays PLC

Various Investors v RSA Insurance Group Limited

Group of Shareholders v Standard Chartered Plc

 

Work highlights

  • Acting for a group of around 200 institutional investors against “Barclays in claims under sections 90 and 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
  • Acting for a group of 72 institutional investors against RSA Insurance Group Limited in claims under section 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
  • Acting for a group of around 230 institutional investors against Standard Chartered in claims under sections 90 and 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Industry focus > TMT Tier 4

Brown Rudnick LLP has particular expertise in tech and creative industries with experience acting for content media, blue chip investors and digital commerce businesses. Neil Foster heads the practice and has particular experience in the areas of technology and telecoms. Tim Davison handles cross-border commercial matters including manufacturing and licensing agreements.

Practice head(s):

Neil Foster

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

Tim Davison is an outstanding lawyer. His clear insight and no-nonsense approach gets agreements closed and matters resolved quickly, fairly and cost effectively.

Key clients

Japan Energy Fund

Libertine Holdings PLC

WANdisco Plc

Capricorn Sustainable Chemistry Fund

Coinfirm

IONATE Limited

Real VNC

Somero Enterprises Inc

Work highlights

  • Advised Libertine on its GBP 9 million initial public offering (IPO).
  • Advised WANdisco Plc in respect of their fundraise of GBP 16.4 million.
  • Closed a GBP 3.23 million seed round funding on behalf of IONATE Limited.

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium Tier 6

Ultra-high net worth individuals, multinationals, and major financial institutions all turn to Brown Rudnick LLP to handle multi-jurisdictional, complex disputes. The London litigation and arbitration practice group is co-led by Neill Shrimpton and Jane Colston; other key names include Jessica Lee, who was recently promoted to partnership.

Practice head(s):

Neill Shrimpton

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Specialist team with a deep understanding of the area of law. Very well respected in the industry.’

‘The demonstrate strategic thinking and understanding of all parties’ requirements and constraints.’

‘Jane Colston and Jessica Lee both have exceptional knowledge and are able to understand that for the client the case is personal, therefore they are able to deliver a even better service.’

Key clients

Recovery Partners G.P. Limited and Revoker LLP

Various Investors v RSA Insurance Group Limited (formerly RSA Insurance Group PLC)

Group of Shareholders v Barclays Plc

Group of Shareholders v Standard Chartered Plc

Ballinger & Co Ltd

Francois Cordier, Leko France, Leko Ventures, Leko ESOP

Work highlights

  • Acts for the Claimants in this matter which concerns the unlawful diversion of a business opportunity to provide services to members of the surviving family of the deceased Georgian billionaire Arkadi Patarkatsishvili, whose estate came under attack in the period following his unexpected death in 2008 from various individuals including Boris Berezovsky and Joseph Kay and from the Georgian government.
  • acted for a group of 72 institutional investors against RSA Insurance Group Limited (“RSA”) in claims under section 90A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The group claims damages in excess of £150 million arising from their reliance on alleged untrue and misleading statements and omissions in the defendant’s published information, alternatively alleged dishonest delay in publishing relevant information.
  • Acts for an individual defendant accused of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering in the context of a grand corruption case concerning the Kuwaiti state pension fund.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management

Brown Rudnick LLP recruited Charlotte Harris in June 2023; formerly practice head at Kingsley Napley LLP, she acts for a wide range of prominent individuals and household name companies on all aspects of media law.

Brown Rudnick is an international law firm that serves clients around the world from offices in key financial centers across the United States and the United Kingdom. We combine ingenuity with experience to achieve great outcomes for our clients in high-stakes litigation and complex business transactions. We deliver partner-driven service; we incentivize our lawyers to collaborate in the client’s best interest; and we put excellence before scale, focusing on industry-driven, client-facing practices where we are recognized leaders.

Department Name Email Telephone
CEO & Chairman Vincent Guglielmotti vguglielmotti@brownrudnick.com 212.209.4880
Managing Director, Corporate & Capital Markets Department Mark Dorff mdorff@brownrudnick.com 44.20.7851.6005
Managing Director, Dispute Resolution & Restructuring Department Steve Wasserman swasserman@brownrudnick.com 212.209.4999