‘Thorough, calm, and comprehensive’, the equity capital markets team at Addleshaw Goddard combines deep regulatory expertise with broad geographic coverage, advising issuers, NOMADs and brokers across the UK on AIM and Main Market transactions. Known for its strong track record in IPOs, secondary offerings and public M&A, the team is particularly adept at handling cross-border takeovers governed by the UK Takeover Code, especially in the tech, financial services and gaming sectors. The practice is jointly steered by Giles Distin and Simon Wood, the latter praised for his ’great attention to detail’; both regularly advise public companies on the full spectrum of corporate finance matters. Distin, along with Julian Stanier, the latter of whom joined the firm from Pinsent Masons in 2025, bolstering the team’s expertise in Main Market and AIM transactions. Stanier specialises in advising UK and international issuers and investment banks on IPOs and equity fundraisings in London and abroad. Gareth Jones has extensive experience of various corporate finance transactions including IPO’s and secondary offerings, both on the Main Market and AIM, and public takeovers.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘I had two excellent experiences with the AG corporate finance team on transactions for two listed companies, in each case quite complex and under a great deal of time pressure. Thorough, calm, and comprehensive.'
‘I particularly rate Lucy Robson - she can handle huge pressure and workload calmly and is an excellent and clear communicator of all the key legal decisions and concepts that Board members must grasp. She has a sunny personality and nothing is too much trouble. Simon Wood also highly regarded and they make a very good team.'
‘Highly professional, very knowledgeable and approach the transaction in a collaborative way.’
‘Giles Distin shows great attention to detail and is very supportive in guiding his clients through the legal process of a transaction. You feel as if he really cares about achieving a successful outcome for you as his client.’
'What stood out for us was the level of emphasis that the partner placed on ensuring AG is serving the clients needs in the best possible way. We truly felt that AG had our back and was constantly fighting to get us the best outcome. The team itself came across very motivated and communication was clear and responsive at all times. AG often went above and beyond their scope to help with limitations experienced from the local (foreign) counsels.'
‘Giles Distin and Kyle Johnson were in my opinion stand out individuals in this transaction. They both demonstrated extreme competence, attention to detail and drive for achieving optimum results for us. I honestly can't fault them and would highly recommend them to others without any doubt.’
‘Excellent team and service, delivered by an exception partner.’
‘Anna Brown executes flawless legal advice, delivered with a calming demeanour – a real joy to work with, always available, quick turnaround times, offering seamless navigation through complex, fast moving legal issues. Always delivered to impeccable standards, on time and within budget.'
'High degree of experience and technical knowledge throughout the team.'
'Extremely pragmatic with a can do attitude.'
Key clients
- Abrdn Property Income Trust Limited
- Accrol Group Holdings plc
- Advanced Medical Solutions Group Plc
- Allenby Capital
- Alpha Financial Markets Consulting plc (recently taken over)
- Applied Nutrition plc
- Belvoir Group PLC (recently taken over)
- Berenberg (Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG, London branch)
- Boohoo Group plc
- B.P. Marsh & Partners plc
- Brand Architekts Group plc
- Brickability Group plc
- Cavendish Capital Markets
- Churchill China plc
- City Pub Group plc (recently taken over)
- DX (Group) plc (recently taken over)
- Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP
- Frontier IP Group plc
- genedrive plc
- GENinCode plc
Work highlights
Advised Applied Nutrition Limited (now plc) on its Main Market IPO. This was the second largest IPO of 2024 in the UK and the largest consumer IPO since 2021.
Advised Marwyn Acquisition Company II Limited (now known as InvestAcc Group Limited) on its Main Market placing and subsequent reverse takeover of a UK-leading SIPP and SSASS business.
Advised AIM quoted Belvoir Group PLC on its £104m all-share merger with another AIM quoted company, The Property Franchise Group PLC.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Gareth Jones
Julian Stanier
Practice head
Giles Distin; Simon Wood
Other key lawyers
Louise Pritchard; Anna Brown; Julian Stanier; Gareth Jones