The ‘commercially sensible’ corporate team at Osborne Clarke LLP is regularly instructed by notable names from the financial services, advertising and marketing, and media and entertainment sectors to advise on public and private M&A, disposals, and joint ventures at both domestic and cross-border levels. At the helm of the practice is Alistair Francis who stands out for his expertise in acting on both the buy- and sell-side of transactions within regulated sectors including healthcare and consumer. The group also benefits from the aptitude of Ken Wilkinson who is sought after by media and entertainment and technology businesses to assist with US-UK M&A and joint ventures. On the private acquisition and disposal front, Edward Persse is the name to note, while Mathias Loertscher concentrates on multijurisdictional deals. Matthew Edwards left the firm in January 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘In addition to being highly skilled and professional, the team led, by Edward Persse, was extremely pleasant to work with. They came with solutions to remove legal obstacles and were commercially minded.’
‘Edward Persse is not only highly skilled when it comes to M&A and corporate deals in general, but he is also a brilliant relationship partner. Edward has introduced me to many of his partners and associates across geographies, and I have never been disappointed.’
‘Edward perfectly understands his clients needs, even when dealing with matters that are outside of his usual remit. He also has the ability to explain complex legal concepts with simple words that everyone, regardless of their level of seniority and expertise, can understand.’
‘Commercially sensible.’
‘Ken Wikinson is a lovely guy and always on hand.’
‘Alistair Francis and the team provide an excellent, responsive, and highly skilled service.’
‘Response and advice provided across my team is excellent.’
‘The degree of understanding and knowledge of the client is the stand-out feature.’
'The stand-out quality of this firm compared to others is responsiveness and partner involvement.'
'Coverage of different jurisdictions with strong senior individuals in each practice, and well coordinated when looking at cross-border and multi-jurisdictional advice.'
Key clients
- Wilmington
- Octopus Investments
- ITV
- Paul Smith
- Bestway
- La Francaise des Jeux
- MediaSense
- Medivet
- Gravita
- Compass Group
- Unlimited Marketing Group
- Stark Software
- Lucid Group
- Focus 4 U
- Payroll Software & Services Group
Work highlights
Advised vendors on the sale of a minority interest in Stark Software to Macquarie.
Advised the shareholders of Unlimited Marketing Group on its sale to Accenture Song.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Alistair Francis
Other key lawyers
Ken Wilkinson; Edward Persse; Mathias Loertscher; Jonathan Crowley