Linklaters LLP‘s corporate team stands out for what clients describe as a ’deep transactional expertise with a genuinely trusted advisor approach, offering clear, unvarnished counsel.’ The team covers the full range of corporate work, handling buy-side, sell-side, and financial adviser mandates on public takeovers, carve-outs, joint ventures, and complex restructurings. With support from specialists in tax, competition, employment, and technology, the practice continues to enjoy a strong reputation for managing multi-billion-pound cross-border transactions. Simon Branigan leads the corporate division, regularly navigating deals across mining, retail and consumer goods, oil and gas, and financial sectors. James Inglis advises across public and private M&A, capital raisings, and governance advice, while Aisling Zarraga handles some of the market’s most significant M&A and joint ventures. The ‘truly exceptional’ Iain Fenn leads the firm’s public M&A team and regularly gives boardroom advice on strategic, crisis and governance issues. Senior partner and chair Aedamar Comiskey remains a steady force on headline public and private M&A. The team also includes fintech specialist Fionnghuala Griggs; UK Takeover Code expert Ian Hunter; Derek Tong, who heads the global technology practice; Namrata Shah , who is described as an ’an absolute star’; and technology sector specialist Lisa Chang.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Strong, versatile team who work well with others and seek to avoid drama. Commercially aware and proactive.’
‘Tracey Lochhead absolutely outstanding. Hard worker who leads by example.’
‘As a Board, we faced a complex and existential crisis - and right from the beginning, we knew that the Linklater's team was with us all the way. They gave us substantive advice, confidence that they had covered all the bases, always delivered what and when they said they would, and importantly, worked incredibly well with other advisers, which made it easy to work with them. The Board felt exceptionally confident having the Linklaters' team on our side.'
‘Iain Fenn was truly exceptional. He was always a step ahead, he was calm and reassuring - but he didn't sugarcoat the issues and risks. He was the essence of a great advisor - but never too grand to be there every step of the way. It was a privilege to work with him.’
‘Combined deep transactional expertise with a genuinely trusted advisor approach, offering clear, unvarnished counsel. Operated as a steadying hand between M&A advisors, helping drive alignment without creating unnecessary friction. Offered flexible, value-aligned billing models, including success-based elements and stage-based pricing, allowing us to better manage costs without sacrificing quality or resources.’
‘Iain Fenn was exceptional. We relied on him to test our thinking, push back where needed, and provide an honest view of risk and reward, particularly when emotions or internal dynamics cloud decision-making. Always available at any time and never afraid to give us an opinion or advice on the spot. Seen by both the Board and Executive Directors as a true sparring partner, offering calm, commercially anchored advice, particularly at the most sensitive or high-stakes moments. ’
‘Incredibly responsive and client-focused. Know the market inside-out, know the law inside-out and know how to manage relationships. The creme de la creme of corporate law firms.’
‘Namrata Shah - an absolute star. I have not had client service quite like what she provides.'
'We found the who team excellent throughout. 1. Extremely pleasant to deal with, very responsive and available. 2. High quality support - with ability to pull in all relevant expertise as required 3. Technically excellent output, delivered in very digestible format, with the right mix of legal and commercially driven advice. Impressive turnaround. 4. Generally, went the extra mile in terms of support provided.'
'The Linklaters team provided outstanding advice and support on the sell-downs, demerger and share consolidation. The team's pro-active approach in identifying, highlighting and proposing solutions for key issues across a complex project was invaluable, and the way in which they engaged with multiple other internal and external advisors and experts removed a significant burden and gave immense comfort to the project team, executives and board.'
Key clients
- Tate & Lyle
- Mondi
- KPMG
- CK Hutchison
- Thermo Fisher
- Unilever
- National Grid
- AXA
- Phoenix
- Greene King
- HSBC
- PWC
- Sainsburys
- Vodafone
- Jardine Matheson
- Sony
- Macquarie
- Diageo
- Capita
- Cerberus
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.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Lisa Chang
Derek Tong
Practice head
Simon Branigan
Other key lawyers
Aedamar Comiskey; Aisling Zarraga; David Martin; Tracey Lochhead; Ian Hunter; James Inglis; Derek Tong; Fionnghuala Griggs; Michael Honan; Charles Turner; Namrata Shah; Iain Fenn; Jane Cai