Insurance
Focusing on emerging companies, particularly in the fintech and life sciences sectors, Latham & Watkins frequently advises start-up clients through their entire lifecycle, from initial company formation through to growth stages and exits. Chaired by the London-based trio of Mike Turner, Shing Lo, and Robbie McLaren , the firm’s capabilities extend to public offerings, sell-side transactions, and public company reporting. Turner is an expert in the software, media, and digital health industries, while Lo’s expertise lies in series financing rounds and venture debt matters, and McLaren is noted for his capabilities in seed financings. Samantha Si is well versed in general corporate matters, and Ryan Martin concentrates on growth equity investments.
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Profile
Position
Shing Lo is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Emerging Companies & Growth Practice.
An accomplished emerging companies lawyer, she has advised a number of iconic venture capital funds and tech companies in venture capital financings and M&A transactions. Shing’s practice encompasses series financing rounds (covering early stage, growth and pre-IPO rounds), bridge/convertible rounds, venture and growth debt, and M&A transactions. She has a hands-on approach and regularly counsels founders and investors on a wide range of issues, including early stage company formation, venture and growth financing strategy, global expansion, and general corporate counselling.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Exceptional team -- consummate attorneys of the highest order. Clear, succinct advice; agile and commercial. Importantly for me, there is clear respect between members of the team and that carries over to their treatment of counterparties.’
‘Mike Turner has advised on a range of M&A transactions over the last twelve months. He is highly attentive, commercial and pragmatic, and his associate team is bar none. He has won the respect of our investment team, who often want to know his thoughts on commercial terms and are impressed with his extremely creative legal and commercial solutions.'
- 'Ryan Martin is exceptional - responsive, proactive and capable. Consummate attorney.’
‘We have worked with the Latham team for the last four years and with the partner, Mike Turner, for the last 15 years. Their deep knowledge of tech M&A, founder friendly deal structure and always having the latest insights on what the market is willing to accept with the latest terms is something we do not find with other firms and has quite literally saved/made my shareholders and I more than £100m in additional return across the last three transactions we have worked on together.’
‘Mike Turner is my main point of contact - highly experienced, incredibly personable and consummately professional. Mike makes his work look easy by putting in the hard yards when most aren't watching. He has an entirely global client base and instead of conducting his business over video calls, he is on a plane and in the boardrooms of his clients every single week. Mike recently made an introduction for me to speak with one of his clients in Saudi Arabia, resulting in our second largest contract win in the history of our company, much of this was due to the quality of introduction and that the inherent trust and respect that comes from a connection made by Mike Turner.’
‘The Latham & Watkins team work on leading deals across the UK, Europe and the US and so we go to them to get an indication on what is market and those market insights have been very valuable to us, especially in the current challenging climate.'
- 'Their efficiency is absolutely outstanding which helps them quote very competitively, stick to budget and flag potential issues upfront. They do not under or over service. We have never, in years of working with them, had difficult billing discussions at the end of a deal.'
‘Robbie McLaren is absolutely outstanding - very knowledgeable, helpful with providing market guidance, is an excellent negotiator, and is a lovely person.’
Key clients
- Plum Fintech Limited
- Fomtech Limited t/a Floww
- Peptone Ltd
- Atomico
- Plastic Energy
- Digital Moneybox Limited
- Carbon Clean Solutions Limited
- Octopus Ventures
- Bessemer Venture Partners
- A16z
- Farallon Capital
- L Catterton
- Patient Square Capital
- Burda Principal Investments
- Index Ventures
- IMCO
- Novo Holdings
- Robin AI
- DNS Capital
- 8VC
- Signal Ocean
- ATAI Life Sciences
- Altruistiq
- Bloom & Wild
- BenevolentAI
- Bidnamic
- B-Flexion
- Citi Ventures
- Comply Advantage
- Elwood Technologies Services
- Euler
- Exscientia
- Hoxton Ventures
- HSBC Financial Technology Venture Capital Fund
- HSBC Investment Bank Holdings Limited
- JustWontDie Limited
- Kingsway Capital
- KKR
- LifeScore
- Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund
- Notion Capital
- Oman Investment Authority
- Ometria Limited
- Osler Diagnostics
- OTPP
- Permira
- Rimac Group
- Sea Ventures
- Toqio
- Trade Republic
- TQ Ventures
- Union Square Ventures
- VEON Ventures
- SoftBank
- Spilsbusy Holdings (t/a Aztec)
- Vertical Aerospace
- Zencargo
Work highlights
Advised Plum Fintech Limited (Plum), an innovative money-saving mobile app and money management platform, on its strategic partnership with Eurobank S.A.
Advised atai Life Sciences N.V. on its Series C investment into Beckley Psytech Limited (BPL) – a biotechnology company with a focus on using psychedelic medicines to treat mental health and other neurological conditions.
Advised Plastic Energy on its 9-figure venture debt financing.