Corporate - London
“Clients praised this commercial team.”
“A respected force in London, this growing team is dedicated to providing advice on M&A, the equity capital markets and private equity transactions” (Chambers).
Our corporate practice in London includes all aspects of doing business across Europe. We advise FTSE 100/FTSE 250 and Fortune 500 companies, multinationals, investment banks and financial institutions, small and medium sized businesses and private-equity houses on a variety of transactions.
Clients include:
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The practice encompasses
- international mergers and acquisitions (including UK and cross-border M&A, taking companies private, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and public-private partnerships). For more information on our M&A capabilities, please click here
- capital markets (including primary and secondary international equity offerings)
- private equity
- leveraged finance
- restructuring and insolvency (including corporate restructurings)
We also advise on the full range of securities law issues in the UK, US or in cross-border contexts.
We have a team of US qualified lawyers in our London office, which enables us to advise on a wide range of US securities matters, including public and private offerings of equity, high-yield debt and investment-grade debt. In addition, the team also advises on the US law aspects of cross-border public and private M&A, including equity and debt tender offers.
Corporate finance
We provide effective management of corporate finance transactions for local and international issuers, investors, and financial intermediaries including co-ordinators, lead managers, underwriters and financiers. With practical integrated legal advice using corporate and finance lawyers across our network of offices, our team has advised on:
- All aspects of equity offerings (acting for both the issuer and the underwriters)
- Secondary offerings in the UK and internationally
- Spinning off subsidiaries and divisions to shareholders
- Privatisations
- Debt restructuring
- Corporate governance
- Dual listed company structures
- Management buy outs and buy ins
- Venture capital
- Debt issues
- Investment funds transactions
Our expertise also includes advising on a wide variety of equity securities, eurobonds, MTN's, CP programmes, high yield bonds, convertibles and other hybrid securities, project bonds and asset backed securities, warrant programmes, derivatives and structured products.
We are recognised as leaders in our field by the investment banking and broking communities in London and New York, with whom we enjoy strong relationships and regularly advise on transactions and issues specific to their practice and reputation in the market. Our solid corporate and AIM work in London is acknowledged by leading market commentators and directories.
Our experience includes:
- Advising Arbuthnot Securities as underwriter of a rights issue by Umeco plc to raise £22m to part fund its proposed acquisition of Advanced Composites Group Holdings Ltd
- Advising Arden Partners as nominated adviser and broker on the admission to AIM of Hardy Oil & Gas, raising £15m
- Advising Collins Stewart, as broker and nominated advisor, in connection with Cyberscan Technology Inc’s £91.3m flotation on AIM
- Advising Collins Stewart as nominated adviser and broker on the admission of Promethean plc to AIM, raising £50m. Promethean plc is a new private equity investment management company, chaired by Sir Peter Burt, former CEO of the Bank of Scotland and current non-executive Chairman of ITV plc
- Advising Collins Stewart, the nominated adviser to the PFI Infrastructure Company plc on its launch on AIM
- Advising Numis Securities and Cenkos Securities as brokers and nominated advisers on admission to AIM of Trading Emissions PLC, raising £135m
- Advising Numis Securities, as sole underwriter and financial adviser, on the £43m placing and open offer of shares in Chaucer Holdings
- Advising a leisure company on its issue of £60m senior second secured floating rate notes due in 2012. The notes and the subsidiary guarantees were governed by New York law, while the inter-creditor and collateral arrangements were subject to English law. The notes were listed on the London Stock Exchange
Private Equity
Our global practice advises both sources of capital - private equity funds and investment banks - and companies on their financing activities. We work with emerging growth companies in sectors such as software, telecoms, e-business, internet, retail and service enterprises on virtually all of their day-to-day needs. We advise leading private equity firms on fund formations, early and later stage investments, buy-outs and recapitalisations. The group has significant experience of assisting clients on exit events, including IPOs and the related public company reporting and securities trading issues. We also act for both buyers and sellers in M&A transactions in this sector.
The practice benefits from regular and coordinated interaction with leading capital markets specialists, providing practical, integrated legal advice on:
- Large and complex debt, equity and convertible securities
- Other equity-linked, asset-linked and asset-backed financings and derivatives
- High yield, mezzanine and other leveraged financings
We provide our clients with advice on innovative products in this field as well as general day-to-day business and regulatory advice. Our capabilities are recognised by leading market commentators and directories.
Our extensive experience of private equity spans most sectors including:
- Advising Aldersgate Investments Limited (a company owned by the Reuben brothers), one of the leading investors in Duelguide plc, on a recommended offer for Chelsfield plc
- Acting for Amadeus Capital Partners in its exit from a portfolio investment
- Advising Britannia Living and Graphite Capital in their recommended cash offer for The Range Cooker Company PLC
- Acting for Carlyle Europe Venture Partners in various follow on investments
- Acting for Carlyle Europe Venture Partners in its exits from portfolio investments
- Acting for DB Ventures in its exit from a portfolio investment
- Advising Prestbury Investment Holdings on various investments in emerging companies
- Acting for the management of Principal Hotels, on the £255m acquisition of the company by Nomura International’s Principal Finance Group
- Advising a major US Private Equity Fund on various investments in the UK and Europe
- Advising a major European fund on its limited partner investments in a number of private equity funds
Contacts
- Hugh Nineham
+44 20 7570 1425
Send E-mail
London Client Services
- Banking and Finance - London
- Corporate - London
- Employment - London
- Energy - London
- EU Competition
- European Telecom, Media & Technology
