Goodwin > Cambridge, England > Firm Profile

‘The team is well respected in the market and has extensive knowledge of VC, which means they deliver an excellent product and deal experience.’

‘Adam Thatcher has excellent experience on both company and investor side and is able to cut through key issues quickly. ’

‘The Goodwin corporate team in Cambridge are my firm’s preferred corporate counsel on our venture capital investment and M&A transactions.’

‘Adam Thatcher, David Mardle and Elizabeth Rhodes are all highly regarded, with excellent incite into the venture capital market.’

‘Diverse team with truly collaborative approach to working.’

‘David Mardle is one of the leading VC lawyers in the UK and is vastly experienced in the VC sector. Elizabeth Rhodes offers a precise and detailed approach and is particularly impressive in negotiation of difficult points – she is assertive without being in nay way aggressive.’

‘I like the combo with the US Goodwin office, it is all under one roof, short communication lines. Excellent team members for our regional and global legal needs’

‘The Goodwin corporate and commercial teams are exceptional. They are knowledgeable, responsive and commercial in their advice. I consider them to be true business partners.’

‘Goodwin have been following our business journey almost since inception and be part of our expanded team. They are both very knowledgeable, committed to help the client and always available to prioritise work to get things over the line quickly.’

‘They know the sector well and have undertaken numerous similar transactions and know the major players in the field.’

‘David Mardle and Malcolm Bates are exceptional partners. They have been following our business journey almost since inception and be part of our expanded team. They are both very knowledgeable, committed to helping the client and always available to prioritise work to get things over the line quickly.’

‘Very capable and diligent. A wide range of experience that they bring to engaged matters. ’

‘Tim Worden is excellent and meticulous. Very responsive and thorough with reviews and advice.’

‘We have a longstanding relationship going back many years with Malcolm Bates which means he knows our company. His science background enables him to see potential issues and provide solutions.’

‘The team has a really good understanding of things that need to be considered in relation to IP licensing. Extensive experience of the biotech space as well as issues relating to JVs, acquisitions and establishment of new companies. They have coverage in jurisdictions other than England and Wales (eg US), which is helpful. They recognise the importance of a pragmatic, commercial approach to contracting.’

‘Exceptional – they understand our business and are a truly integral part of the team.’

‘The diversity of the team ensures that breadth of opinion and advice is of the highest quality.’

‘The Goodwin practice has a broad coverage of specialities with regional and global coverage. I appreciate we can work mainly with one firm to cover nearly all the work.’

‘The broad high quality of the practice, team members will be invited if certain expertise is required like regulatory or IP. ’

‘Excellent knowledge.’

‘Very responsive and knowledgeable – Tim Worden is very insightful and helpful.’

‘Strong, knowledgeable, always available and good depth of team. Ability to draw resource from other teams (e.g. funds, tax, regulatory) to offer holistic, seamless service.

“Very diverse talent pool.’

‘Gemma Roberts was outstanding.’

‘For me it is the people; the excellent fit with the managing partner and how the support team from the firm is built around having the right skillset and the right personality to mesh with our team. They are quick to respond, efficient and provide clear legal advice and guidance.’

‘Gemma Roberts is excellent; she is friendly, approachable and utterly no nonsense when it comes to getting the deal done.’

‘Market leaders in terms of experience and clients.’

‘Adam Thatcher has built an excellent practice and has great VC experience.’

‘Goodwin have strong market knowledge across the sectors we invest in as a corporate venture capital fund – in particular in the technology and life sciences space. Their expertise and support trumps other firms we work with in the market.’

‘Goodwin and the team we work with have a unique ability to make us feel like the only client they have. They’re quick to respond, thoughtful and generally a pleasure to work with. I feel like I get substantially more attention and responsiveness with Goodwin than any other firm I’ve worked with.’

‘Ali, Lucy and the other members of the team that we’ve worked with are exceptional at what they do. As with the rest of the team and our general impressions of Goodwin, they’re quick to respond, easy to book time with and fantastic to work with. On a number of sensitive matters this year, Ali’s support and guidance has been second to none. They help us to focus on the important things in our transactions, and the advice given has helped us navigate some sticky situations with difficult dynamics at play.’

‘Sophie McGrath is a trusted legal adviser with vast dealmaking experience across therapeutics and healthtech companies with an international perspective and the right level of advice both on commercial and business aspects of the deal.’

‘Reliable team with a good associate base. Commercially minded team that drives deals forward. Takes the time to understand your needs and position. Sensible with billings. Never any surprises.’

‘Sophie McGrath is very knowledgeable about market practices and provides really good guidance to her clients on alternatives and compromises when negotiating financing documentation.’

‘Very flexible, pragmatic and responsive; ownership of matter and relationship at all levels; lean structure.’

‘Justin Cornelius and Adnan Bhaiji are very responsive and commercial.’

‘Goodwin, as a firm, has a broad reach in the real estate fund area. This provides a good insight into the industry and its evolution, which can be very helpful. ’

‘Our key relationship is Justin Cornelius, who we value greatly and have worked with for over 15 years. He understands our business, our team and our challenges and has been a wise and pragmatic support throughout this time.’ 

‘An outstanding team filled with technically strong individuals who are enjoyable to work with. They understand and try to address client needs as effectively as possible.’

‘The team are thoughtful, pragmatic, and careful when navigating complex conversations. They ensure the requisite level of trust between attorney and client.’

‘Andrew Harrow is a stand-out. He is an exceptional professional and exhibits exemplary behaviour. He is always available and always pleasant.’

‘Highly knowledgeable, thorough, and commercial.’

‘The Goodwin team is incredibly business focused, making sure to align themselves with their client’s business goals. This leads to excellent communication and billing efficiency.’

‘Andrew Davis and Lucy Thomas show business acumen, attention to detail, and common sense.’

‘They are excellent, knowledgeable and hard-working. Despite the fact we had very unusual geography combinations to deal with, they were able to source local expertise and navigate very tricky cross-jurisdiction negotiations.’

‘Adam Thatcher is incredible – probably the best tech transaction lawyer in Europe.’

‘Very knowledgeable about the private funds market and coverage across types of transactions affecting private funds. Good peer group client base ’

‘Team at partner and associate level are all knowledgeable, commercial, and responsive.’ 

‘My main contact for Goodwin UK team is Matthew Pohlman. I only can share great feedback. Concerning communication, everything is clear and well-explained since the beginning.’

‘It is a true pleasure working with Matthew Pohlman. Always polite and available, he will find solutions to your problems. He has massive knowledge in the Hospitality industry and in difficult situation, he does not hesitate to support you and open doors. Secondly, I do value his transparency and clarity in communication ; a thing said is always a thing done and before taking action, strategy and actions to be taken will always be discussed first.’

‘As soon as you work with Matthew, you will find him becoming a key partner to secure your deal.’

‘Matt Pohlman. Extremely capable and professional. ’

‘Great team, who are proactive responsive, knowledgeable, and professional.’

‘Matt Pohlman, one of the, if not the best hotel lawyer in the business. ’

‘Matt Pohlman in the UK office is a star.’

‘Ability to break down complex issues in an easy to digest and actionable manner.’

‘Specifically to investments and medtech – as the depth of the roster crosses all side of transactions, they are confident in their advice and are sure that one of their team will have been through the specific situation being faced. Everyone on the team is an A* player.’

‘Sophie McGrath stands out as she is calming and well-experienced. Her skill is in assembling a group of the right people for each case and remaining in the detail to be sure there is nothing missed.’

‘Professional, great attention to detail, commerical acumen and busines practiciality. Take time to get a deep understanding of our business and requirements over the next few years.’

‘The team has a wide knowledge of the space and can provide reasonable benchmarks for start-up companies to help guide to positive outcomes. Their services provide great range – corporate matters, HR/ equity issues, in/out licensing which means the advice is quite coordinated and efficient.’

‘The lawyers at Goodwin seem to listen to the questions, ask clarifying questions and then provide advice. I feel like I get a tailored answer to the question instead of giving advice that doesn’t quite fit or is off the shelf. ’

‘Detailed and pragmatic experience in the industry bring details and pragmatic advice on how to tackle issues within licensing globally including a good understanding of what is ‘market’.’

‘Some of the best lawyers across the US, UK and FR for life sciences and healthcare deals.’

‘Sophie McGrath is a trusted legal advisor with vast deal-making experience across therapeutics and healthtech companies with an international perspective and the right level of advice both on commercial and business aspects of the deal.’

‘Goodwin is a very reliable and constant partner. They provide high-quality legal advice on real estate transactions and related legal corporate structuring.’

‘James Spence is a true business partner. He will make sure the people with the right expertise get involved.’

‘The Goodwin real estate team is our go-to advisor for complex real estate matters and, notably, hospitality investments. We highly appreciate their ability to drive complex negotiations, their responsiveness and the fact that we always feel partner involvement.’

‘They have strong commercial transaction knowledge, and they have bolted on the relevant members to assist with more specialist areas.’

‘A global footprint and expertise across all of the areas we need make Goodwin our go-to legal firm. Everything just works.’

‘The addition of Arvin Abraham further strengthened the team’s VC chops.’

‘I trust Goodwin more than any other firm I have used in my current role. They give good, clear advice that I feel is tailored to our specific situation.’

‘The team communicate clearly, and are one of the few law firms I know to keep communications short, sharp and focused, without losing the key details.’

‘When working with Goodwin they feel like part of our team and I do not feel like they are constantly on the clock.’

‘I worked very closely with Andrew Davis who I think is an exceptional partner. He is clear in communication and gives careful considered advice that reflects the size and scale of our operation.’

‘Experienced team with deep expertise. Have worked with them over many years and have always found their advice is dependable – you can always act on it safely.’

‘Highly knowledgable. Incredibly detail-oriented. Combine a sensibility for the commercial reality of each deal/transaction with a strong sense of advocacy in negotiating for advantageous legal outcomes. Personable and incredibly easy to work with.’

‘David Irvine is notable as a stand-out partner, knowledgeable, practical, and commercial in his analysis and advice.’

‘The team have great technical experience and collaborate on tax technical issues in a way that is open and inclusive for all. They take very complex areas of tax, apply a commercial mindset and debate uncertain areas in an excellent way.’

‘Laura Charkin and Matthew Birchall are stand-out performers. Laura has vast amounts of experience, technically excellent and approachable. Matthew is a future tax partner in the making.’

‘They know the market well and are commercial in their advice. The team also have a range of capabilities from fund structuring matters to general ad hoc advisory. The team very much work as one firm with other lines of service to deliver more comprehensively.’

‘The team are very personable, very much so over other firms, which make for pleasant interactions. I see a lot of investment in the more junior team members and their development.’

‘Laura Charkin is considered a trusted tax advisor for our business, she can advise on a breath of topics and in a commercial manner, which is practical.’

‘Strong diverse team, they have a depth of knowledge and are well resourced in all aspects to provide a holistic service.’

‘Laura Charkin, Charlotte Haywood, and Katie Leah are all outstanding lawyers.’

‘Simon Fulbrook is excellent to work with.’

‘I was especially pleased with the level of partner involvement on what would typically be perceived as vanilla financing. The internal stakeholders were happy with the level of support given that Goodwin assisted with implementing the first financing of this nature here.’

‘I would recommend Edward Saunders for the quality of service and level of commitment towards getting the deal done on a compressed timeline.’ 

‘By far the most capable law firm I’ve encountered in fund finance. The team are appropriately staffed with a diverse team and has unparalleled experience and knowledge of the market. Given the breadth of their practice, they also know ‘the other side’ in terms of both lenders and lawyers and their positions extremely well which makes for efficient negotiation.’

‘An exceptionally capable team with clever and constructive approaches to structuring and problem-solving, particularly under time pressure.’ 

‘The Goodwin fund finance team are fabulous to work with. In addition to providing clear and concise advice, they can take the stress out of execution by managing a lot of the work behind the scenes.’

‘Ed Saunders and Carl Windrup are extremely responsive and provide legal advice with a commercial mindset.’

‘A strong team with a good depth of knowledge. A well-resourced and diverse team.’

‘Gemma Roberts is an outstanding lawyer.’

‘The team is flexible, innovative and creative. The lawyers provide practical and very solutions-focused advice.’

‘Simon Thomas provides practical and very solutions-focused advice.’

‘Geoff O’Dea is hugely experienced across a broad range of situations, has represented a variety of stakeholders, and will be tough and tenacious in negotiations, but also creative in trying to find solutions.’

‘Geoff O’Dea is absolutely top of the market for complex restructuring transactions. He can “see around corners” and develop solutions before others have even spotted the problem.’

‘Emily Lockhart has strong restructuring and insolvency skills.’

‘The team was very helpful with explaining complex concepts to our internal stakeholders who had never worked on this type of transaction before, and also going above and beyond to help our stakeholders with a plethora of workstreams.’

‘I was pleased with Richard Semple who dealt with and addressed all of my concerns well, despite the complexities of the transaction alongside other numerous challenges which were presented by numerous other counterparties.’

‘Richard Semple managed all of our internal stakeholders well and provided support above and beyond where needed, and he is also very commercial and pragmatic with his approach towards driving forward a transaction.’

‘Goodwin are one of our preferred fund law firms. They have strength in depth.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable, pragmatic, professional, business minded. And also great to work with!’

‘The individuals I’ve worked with are able to understand the situation very fast, and provide a solution-orientated approach.’

‘The team led by Gretchen Scott work well together. Deal with instructions promptly and reliably.’

‘Gretchen Scott is extremely knowledgeable in this field and our go-to on GDPR. She is commercial and delivers advice in a manageable, succinct way. I highly recommend her.’

‘When you work with Gretchen Scott and her team you know you are going to get white glove service from highly intelligent professionals. They also understand that immediate response and turnaround are imperative to our business and act accordingly.’

‘Gretchen Scott is one of the best we have worked with globally. Always professional and provides excellent advice on all of our company’s options in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a dynamic field, ever changing and she stays on top of it.’

‘The growing commercial disputes team in the London office of one of the largest US law firms looks set to achieve even greater things over the coming years, bringing strength in depth and outstanding resources to a wide range of commercial disputes.’

‘Calm, clear and committed, Oliver-Glynn Jones is one of the standout commercial litigators in London, with huge experience and sound judgment. Sarah McAtominey is also very fine.’

‘The team are no nonsense. They know their area and get stuck in. Teams are partner-led and it doesn’t feel like they are throwing people at cases – just the right amount of people to get the job done while allowing you to feel in control of legal spend. ’

‘Sarah McAtominey is very good – a pleasure to work with. She blends her litigation expertise with a common sense approach. Alasdair McAlpine is a notable associate. He is capable of handling difficult claims and cuts though opponent’s cases. He works well with instructing solicitors. ’

‘Top notch for Grade A London work.’

‘Oliver Glynn-Jones is a heavyweight team leader for the biggest courtroom battles. Sarah McAtominey is razor sharp and very committed.’

‘Goodwin is a small team, with a wide variety of high-quality commercial work. The firm benefits from well-established relationships with private equity firms, which leads to a wide variety of work acting for the investment companies. Goodwin is particularly adept at managing this range of different commercial subject matters, with high levels of partner time and communication.’

‘Oliver Glynn-Jones and Rebecca Wardle stand out within the litigation team. Ollie is an extremely hands-on partner, including with counsel interactions, with deep litigation experience that means that his instincts are almost always correct, both in terms of legal outcome and client strategy. Becky is a particularly careful lawyer, with a keen eye for the detail, and who knows exactly what is required in order to support counsel on a case, and when to engage them.’

‘For a relatively new team, they handle some of the biggest and most interesting employment disputes currently around today. Alex Fisher is truly excellent – team spirited and a razor sharp lawyer.’

‘This team is particularly good at pragmatic and collaborative advice. Their understanding of the behaviours of people within a business based on culture creates advice that is protective and pragmatic. Ensuring a smooth navigation through issues.’

‘Exceptional pragmatism, understanding of my business and able to tailor advice to fit the culture and values of our business. Makes space for any urgent issues and ensures he’s available when tricky situations arise. ’

‘We are an international company, so it has been good to move to Goodwin and have reps in different countries support us.’

‘Alex Fisher leads a small but very focused team at Goodwin.’

‘Alex Fisher is excellent. Always commercial and practical in his approach, responsive and client focused. ’

‘The advice is extremely personalised and the partners take the time to fully understand the context and explain plans of action.’

‘I recently worked with Alex Fisher and Akshay Chauhan. I value their professionalism, responsiveness, and expertise.’