Corporate

We are proud to be consistently recognized among the top-ranked practices for local and multijurisdictional M&A transactions. Our team provides proactive, comprehensive and commercial advice, supported by specialists in all relevant practice areas and industry sectors who are ready to help achieve your objectives.

More than 370 corporate lawyers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific providing in-depth knowledge of local law and local transaction practices.

Through this depth of coverage, we are able to provide fully integrated, coordinated and cost-effective management of all aspects of a transaction – regardless of the deal location.

Our global team of M&A lawyers is supported by our colleagues specializing in every relevant practice area, from taxation and benefits and intellectual property, to regulatory, restructuring and insolvency, competition, antitrust and public policy, to real estate, environmental, pensions and labor and employment.

The deep expertise of our multidisciplinary industry groups in sectors such as chemicals, diversified industrials, financial services, retail, technology, healthcare, life sciences, and food and drink, gives us insight and understanding into the business drivers you face throughout each transaction and the issues that are critical to completing your transaction.

Our capabilities

Extensive experience on all types of local and cross-border transactions including:

• Mergers and acquisitions

• Divestitures

• Joint ventures

• Strategic alliances

• Leveraged buy outs

• Tender offers

• Public takeover offers

• Controlled auctions

• Corporate governance

• Equity investments

We advise public and private company clients, including numerous Fortune 500 and FTSE 250 companies, as well as financial institutions, private equity and venture capital firms, emerging companies and entrepreneurs.

You will benefit from our strong track record in local and multi-jurisdictional mid-market M&A transactions, with the quality of advice that can only be found in a top-tier global practice.

Our recognitions

• Consistently recognized for Corporate/M&A in Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Chambers UK and Chambers USA, Legal 500 US, Legal 500 EMEA, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers

• Regularly among the top-ranked legal M&A practices for multijurisdictional merger and acquisition transactions by Mergermarket, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg and Experian

• Ranked top 25 by volume of Global M&A deals (up to US$500 million) – Mergermarket Global M&A Legal Advisors 2018

• Ranked top 5 by volume of UK M&A deals (up to US$500 million) – Mergermarket Global M&A Legal Advisors 2018

• Ranked top 20 by volume of European M&A deals (up to US$500 million) – Mergermarket Global M&A Legal Advisors 2018

• Ranked for mid-market M&A (up to US$500 million) – Legal 500 US 2018

• Ranked for M&A in Japan and South Korea – Asian Legal Business 2018

• Ranked for M&A in Australia, China and Japan – Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018

• Ranked for Corporate/M&A: Ohio (Band 1), Arizona (Band 2) and Georgia (Noted firm) – Chambers USA 2018

• Ranked for Corporate/M&A: West Midlands (Band 2), Yorkshire (Band 2), London (Band 3) and North West (Band 3) – Chambers UK 2018

• Ranked National Tier 1 Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law – U.S. News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms 2019

• Ranked Regional Tier 1 Corporate Law in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Phoenix and West Palm Beach – U.S. News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms 2019

• Ranked Regional Tier 1 Mergers and Acquisitions Law in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Phoenix – U.S. News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms 2019

• Ranked top 5 for announced deals by deal count for UK mid-market (up to US$500 million) – Bloomberg Global Mid-Market M&A Legal Rankings FY 2018

• Ranked top 5 for announced deals by deal count for UK mid-market (up to US$250 million) – Bloomberg Global Mid-Market M&A Legal Rankings FY 2018

• Ranked top 10 M&A legal adviser by volume of deals for UK and London – Experian 2018 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland M&A Review

We are leading global legal advisers to fund sponsors and institutional investors investing worldwide across the range of private investment funds and separate account platforms. With a robust practice spanning the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and emerging markets, we bring you access to a distinguished team – many of whom are recognized as leaders in the field.

Our global practice advises funds and investors focused in virtually every corner of the world. We have offices in key financial and governmental centers, including New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Brussels, London, Frankfurt, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo.

Through this network, we have local insight into the formation and operation of, as well as investment into, investment funds. This is backed by a wealth of knowledge in the commercial, legal and regulatory matters pertinent to the investment management industry.

Why choose us?

We have vast experience in all types of fund structures.

With our team approach, we draw upon the skills of specialists in complimentary areas such as tax, securities, employee benefits, compensation, banking and financial services and anti-money laundering laws.

This cross-practice collaboration ensures we can give you the highest-quality representation, with all the benefits only an influential global law firm can provide.

With a robust global venture capital practice, we offer clients access to a dedicated team of venture capital lawyers.

Our lawyers have completed numerous expansion and venture capital deals. We are close to current market standards and emerging trends in venture transactions. Our deals reflect the broad industry expertise of our lawyers, including extensive experience in AI technologies, e-sports, smart energy technologies, SaaS, fintech, biotech and life sciences sectors, including med-tech and health-tech.

With global reach and dedicated specialists, we are positioned to support clients in all aspects of their growth journey.

Our specialist lawyers, working across venture capital, private equity, capital markets, intellectual property, employment and incentives, data protection, commercial and regulatory are able to support all stages of growth and support successful decision making at every step. Our knowledge of issues at later stages of funding and exits and complex cross border transactions help to frame the structure that should be built from the start and pre-empt due diligence processes. We have global offices with international reach including London, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Sydney, Dubai and across many European jurisdictions; like technology we work without boundaries.

Growth journey

The journey from start-up can be bewildering and daunting with many obstacles to be successfully navigated. None more so than when sourcing debt, raising equity capital, steering through the maze of regulatory compliance, and ensuring the protection of key assets.

The varying expectations of founders and investors, the complexity and volume of documents and the perceived prohibitive costs of securing the best advice, leave many young companies exposed. In the absence of experienced team members or advisors, key assets can be easily and unwittingly put at risk and contractual or legal liability may leave the business vulnerable, which can in turn thwart attempts to raise much needed funding.

Why choose our venture capital lawyers?

Our specialist lawyers, working across venture capital, private equity, capital markets, intellectual property, employment and incentives, data protection, commercial and regulatory are able to support all stages of growth and support successful decision making at every step. Our knowledge of issues at later stages of funding and exits and complex cross border transactions help to frame the structure that should be built from the start and pre-empt due diligence processes. We have global offices with international reach; like technology we work without boundaries.

We understand the nuances of starting, running, and investing in early-stage companies. We have significant experience in advising on transactions within the technology sector and have a proven track record of advising companies from formation to exit. We will use our understanding of current market standards and emerging trends, gained from advising both companies and investors, to ensure your goals are met.

We have a technology focus across our global footprint and have worked with many emerging growth companies. Our full-service team regularly advises on strategic transactions, employment/service agreements, IP protection, licence agreements, facilities leases, and option schemes, among others. We work across the full spectrum to help our clients reach their business goals.

Our capabilities

• We have a dedicated team that understands the venture capital market – Your partner-led team places an emphasis on teamwork and client service, and will be available to support you around the clock. We understand the nuances of investing in early stage companies. We have significant experience in advising on venture capital and early stage transactions and have a proven track record. We will use our understanding of current market standards and emerging trends, gained from advising both companies seeking investment and venture capital investors, to help the transaction to progress efficiently.

• Global offering – We have over 40 offices across four continents, including 16 offices in the US with New York, San Francisco and Palo Alto among them. We are, therefore, able to help growing companies to expand into new territories or raise capital in new markets and/or help growing companies and their investors achieve an exit via acquisition or an IPO in the UK, the US or elsewhere.

• Subject matter experts – We are a full-service international law firm and we have subject matter experts in all relevant areas of law to assist with a fundraise or the growth of the company following a fundraise, including experts in the areas of intellectual property, technology transactions, data regulation, commercial contracts and employment law.

• We offer a cost-efficient solution – We strive to be the best value for money by combining an exceptional level of service with a fair, transparent and reasonable cost.

• We get the deal done – We are pragmatic, responsive and we will always take into account your goals when providing our legal counsel. By understanding what will ultimately work best for you, we know when to push in negotiations and the sensitivities to contemplate in documents. We are here to provide legal solutions to get the deal done.

• We will deliver – Our advice is focused on closing transactions efficiently and with minimal hassle. We have a depth of resource to ensure seamless support and can be nimble in providing whatever is needed.

Our experience

• Agri AI – advising a London based VC fund on its investment in an AI agri - business; integrating farm data and offering agricultural solutions

• Aptamer Group PLC – Advising this biotech company from inception on its initial seed funding rounds and on subsequent investment rounds, including advising on its placing and AIM IPO, raising circa £11 million.

• Asahi Group Holdings – Advising in relation to its venture capital investment in Sliabh Liag Distillers, an Irish gin and whiskey producer.

• Cable Coatings – Advising on first and second funding rounds with investment from NPIF and Kero.

• Carbon Collect – Advising this venture capital-funded startup on an international crowd-funded financing.

• Connecterra – Acting for the AI company on the sale of its sensor business to Datamars.

• Cushon Group – Advising on its £5 million Series A investment led by Augentum Fintech.

• FaceTheory – Advising on its £8 million Series A investment led by Active Partners.

• Global Investment Bank – Advising a global investment bank on numerous investments in various technology and fintech companies.

• GP Bullhound – Advising on various investments in companies in the technology sector for this investor, including on their investments in Whoop! and Lendinvest.

• Habitat Energy – Advising on two rounds of financing, which preceded its successful exit via sale to Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners.

• Horizons Ventures – Advising on its Series A investment in Kuato Studios, the learning and games developer.

• Lumina Health – Advising on its first round funding.

• Memgraph Ltd – Advising on its £5 million equity fundraising led by M12.

• Mindtrace – Advising on a series of investment rounds in this AI company, including on its Series A funding round led by Skylake Ventures.

• Neptune Networks – Advising on its US$15 million funding round from a series of international investment banks.

• New Your Fund – Acting for a New Your VC and three other funds on the secondary sales of interests in an AI video generator.

• Perwyn Growth Capital – Advising on its US$30 million Series C funding round in Lookiero, an online personal shopping service based in Spain, valuing the company at US$130 million.

• Pivigo – Advising this AI service company on an investment by NPIF.

• Restitution Impact – Advising on its first round funding, including its HMRC ESI application.

• Seaya Ventures – Advising Seaya Ventures (as lead investor) on the €8 million seed round investment from Seaya Ventures, Speedinvest and SIX FinTech Ventures in Toqio.

• Seechange Technologies – Advising this health and safety AI company on its investment by Crane Venture Partners.

• Sunswap – Advising on the £3 million investment by Barclays and Clean Growth Fund.

• Tech AI Company – Advising on its £14.5 million Series A investment by a US fund alongside existing fund investors, including NPIF.

• Tribosonics Ltd. – Advising this provider of technology designed to measure and monitor a wide range of factors that affect energy loss in the energy, manufacturing and agriculture industries on several investment rounds.

Our recognitions

• Ranked third for volume of UK M&A deals (up to US$500 million) during 2023, by Mergermarket

• Ranked Top 10 for Global Private Equity and Venture Capital, Refinitiv VC and PE Legal Analysis 2023

• Ranked eighth for European Private Equity Deals (volume), Global M&A Legal Advisers Review, Mergermarket 2023

• Highly ranked (consistently Top 5 by volume of UK M&A transactions) by Mergermarket, Refinitiv, Experian and other league tables during 2023

• Ranked Top 10 by Bloomberg Global M&A Mid-Market Review Legal Rankings 2023 (up to US$500 million)

Our legal guides

Download our short guide to commonly used terms in venture capital transactions together with a checklist (with explanation) and an example heads of agreement letter for an early stage venture capital equity investment.

• Download our Glossary of Commonly Used Terms in VC Transactions

• Download a Terms for Equity Investment Checklist

• Download an Example Heads of Agreement for Seed Investment

Download our capability statement in relation to Emerging Technology and Growth Companies.

• Download our Emerging Technology Growth Companies Capability Statement

All our documents are guide/example documents and may not suit or apply to a particular set of circumstances. No advice is given, or intended to be given, by reason of making this document available to any person or entity. No reliance should be placed on this document, as it is provided by way of example only. Appropriate legal, financial and tax advice should be sought in respect of any transaction. This document is not a substitute for taking such advice.

Our video series

Watch our team provide strategic insights for emerging technology companies in the following episodes:

• Navigating AI's Role in Corporate Environments

• Mastering IP Protection: Strategies for SafeGuarding Your Company's Creative Assets

• Essential Tips for Making Your Website Investor-Ready

• Mastering Venture Capital: Key Insights for Startups in Funding, Valuation, and Strategic Growth

• Drag-along and Tag-along Rights: Navigating Stakeholder Protections in Business Transactions

• Compulsory Transfer Provisions: Leaver Scenarios and Vesting Schedules Explained

• Equity Negotiations: Strategies for Founders in Compulsory Transfer Provisions

• Common Pitfalls in Corporate Investments: A Discussion on Due Diligence and Legal Considerations