Leading Associates

Firms To Watch: Corporate and commercial: Hampshire

The corporate and commercial department at Russell-Cooke LLP continues to deepen its team and client-base in Southampton, with team head Peter Jeffrey providing a particular focus on company-level M&A, share transactions, and investments across the tech sector.
Shakespeare Martineau LLP opened its doors in Southampton in April 24, with James Hawkeswood arriving from Blake Morgan LLP  to lead the team. Hawkeswood assists major domestic clients across company-level M&A, share transactions, restructurings, and commercial agreements.

Corporate and commercial: Hampshire in South East

Blake Morgan LLP

Standing out for its ‘good technical knowledge’, the corporate team at Blake Morgan LLP helps clients navigate complex issues across M&A and equity capital matters. A key contact is the ‘always professional’ Mathew Wilson, who assists marine companies, professional services businesses, and retail players across fundraisings, company-level M&A, and share acquisitions and disposals. Counting leading domestic technology and financial services companies among his clients, Stephen Archibald is an expert across M&A, IPOs, and institutional equity issuances. On private company acquisitions and disposals, particularly within the retail and franchise business segments, Gemma Spiceley is a highly sought-after advisor.

Weitere Kernanwälte:

Stephen Archibald; Gemma Spiceley; Mathew Wilson; Jasmin Taylor


Referenzen

‘Good technical knowledge, approachable, and able to offer solutions to complex issues.’

‘Our interactions with Mathew Wilson were always professional and his knowledge gave us confidence to move ahead with our deal.’

Kernmandanten

Hardide Plc


Compass Recruitment Solutions


Carrington West


RAD Propulsion Ltd


Applerigg


DEKRA


Judges Scientific Plc


Apollo Cleaning / FSJ Industries Ltd


Allenby Capital


Southern Co-operative Limited


Strutt & Parker Farms


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised AIM-listed Judges Scientific Plc on its £12.3m acquisition of Magsputter Limited and its trading subsidiary, Teer Coatings Limited.
  • Advised Compass Recruitment Solutions and its founders on a significant investment from Cow Corner Private Equity.
  • Advised Hardide on an institutional equity placing undertaken by way of a Jersey cashbox structure and on the listing of its newly-issued shares on the AIM market.

Paris Smith LLP

The ‘adaptable and commercial’ corporate, commercial and finance department at Paris Smith LLP acts for major domestic and international clients on high-value and complex transactions. Crispin Dick heads the commercial team, assisting standout clients on services, supply, and IT agreements, while Michael Moore leads the corporate department, acting for domestic and multi-national clients on acquisitions, disposals, and investments. Richard Atcherley boasts an acclaimed ‘commercial understanding and solutions-driven approach’, particularly in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors. Offering further corporate law expertise, Amanda Brockwell is a key contact on major and high-value acquisitions and exit scenarios, while Jonathon Roy brings a wealth of experience and commercial acumen across buy- and sell-side transactions.

Praxisleiter:

Michael Moore; Crispin Dick


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Amanda Brockwell; Jonathan Roy; Richard Atcherley; Claudia Mihai


Referenzen

‘Paris Smith supports us across a number of acquisitions and provides a consistent team, enabling a relationship and way of working together to be built. The team can draw upon other departments, each quickly grasping the fundamentals and nuances of the deal.‘

‚The team supports us in a way where we reach completion being satisfied we had the right level of protection built into the legal documents and process.’

‘Paris Smith tailors its work with us in a very effective manner.’

Kernmandanten

Churches Fire Security Ltd


Total Mobile Holdings Limited


Abingdon Health plc


Aspire Pharma Limited


La Martiniquaise-Bardinet SA


Southampton Sport & Leisure Holdings Limited


X-Tention Limited


Castle Trust Capital plc


Croma Security Solutions Group plc


GRG Waste UK Ltd


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised La Martiniquaise-Bardinet on its cross border multi-jurisdictional acquisition of the Cacique Venezuelan rum brand from Diageo Plc.
  • Advised the shareholders of Charters Estate Agents on its sale to Lomond Group.
  • Advised Abingdon Health on its multi-jurisdictional acquisition of medical device compliance specialist, the Compliance Solutions Group, and on its share placing to fund future product development.

Shoosmiths LLP

Through its corporate and commercial departments, Shoosmiths LLP offers notable expertise across venture capital, private equity, and mid-market M&A. Heading the Solent corporate team, Lisa Sigalet acts for a diversity of clients across the energy, resources, and technology sectors on investments, disposals, and complex acquisitions concerning public and private companies. Julia Ishak helms the Solent commercial team, assisting major multinational automotive companies on business expansions, sales models, and supply and development agreements. Stephen Porter leads the corporate division nationally, advising the firm’s key clients on acquisitions, management buyouts, and investments. Private equity expert Sean Wright is ‘meticulous on the detail’ and ‘a persuasive negotiator’, assisting equity providers, management teams, and financial sponsors on M&A within the media and telecoms spaces.

Praxisleiter:

Lisa Sigalet; Julia Ishak


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Stephen Porter; Sean Wright; Emma Livesey


Referenzen

‘Shoosmiths brings a refreshing combination of deep technical competence, commercial awareness, and approachability.‘

‘The team is extremely commercial, proactively looking for solutions to issues which are viable and workable solutions for all parties.‘

‘The whole team has strength in depth. Each member is consistently excellent and all are quick to grasp the issues at hand and deliver practical solutions.‘

Kernmandanten

Dukes Education


KBC Advanced Technologies Limited


BGF


Shareholders of Space & Time Group Limited


Mining, Minerals & Metals plc


The AA


Twenty7 tec


Rebalance Earth


TMA Group Holdings Limited


Honda


Peugeot Citroen Vauxhall


Platform Media Holdings Limited


Onecom Group


Mercedes Benz


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised Onecom on the acquisition of Excalibur Communications.
  • Advised KBC on the acquisition of Flaretot.
  • Advised BGF on its further investment into AD Williams.

Trethowans LLP

Trethowans LLP brings notable expertise concerning commercial agreements across the building, shipping, and retail sectors. The ‘extremely approachable, knowledgeable, and reliable’ Jon Stickland heads the commercial team, acting for major multinational clients on negotiating warehousing agreements, service agreements, and retail contracts. Louise Thompson,  a key advisor on complex contracts and services agreements in the building materials space, stands out for her ‘considered, thorough, and pragmatic’ approach. An expert in acquisitions and management buyouts, Lucy Gleisner heads the corporate team, while Nick Gent – a specialist in M&A and auction sales across industry sectors – leads the overall corporate group.

Praxisleiter:

Nick Gent; Lucy Gleisner; Jon Stickland


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Louise Thompson


Referenzen

‘Great client service and advice that is relevant to the circumstances of the contract. The practice offers a complete range of expertise.’

‘The commercial team at Trethowans is outstanding and highly skilled. The team’s commercial acumen is impressive, they are responsive, practical, and force in the legal market. For me, this has been a first-class collaboration.‘

‘While Trethowans has grown over the years, the service delivered, particularly by the partners, still looks and feels very personal. This is in no small part owing to the effort that the Trethowans team has invested in getting to know us as a client.’

Kernmandanten

Technics Group


Medhurst Communications Limited


Just Develop It / Total Security


Shareholders of Grassby & Sons


Shareholders of Just Kampers


Mark Allen Holdings Limited


Property Franchise Group


Elliotts Builders Merchants


Shareholders of Unity Farm Holiday Centre Limited


Britvic


Bacardi-Martini


Carnival


Jewson/STARK


Stannah Stairlifts


Caspian One Limited


Longleat Enterprises Limited


Technics Group


Medhurst Communications Limited


Just Develop It / Total Security


Shareholders of Grassby & Sons


Shareholders of Just Kampers


Mark Allen Holdings Limited


Property Franchise Group


Elliotts Builders Merchants


Shareholders of Unity Farm Holiday Centre Limited


Britvic


Bacardi-Martini


Carnival


Jewson/STARK


Stannah Stairlifts


Caspian One Limited


Longleat Enterprises Limited


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised Britvic on a long term, multi-million pound, warehousing agreement with Wincanton, involving the storage of goods, the picking of goods to order, and the onward distribution of the goods to large corporate customers.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

The ‘highly professional, rock-solid’ corporate finance and tax department at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP stands out for its strong relationships with major regional, national, and international corporates across the energy, retail, and financial sectors. An expert in corporate finance, M&A, as well as shareholder and joint venture agreements, team lead Ian Holden is a highly sought-after advisor among major multinational retail and financial services companies. Sebastian Briggs is ‘thoughtful, sensible, and commercial’ in his advice across the energy sector, acting for major developers and operators on the sale of renewable energy project SPVs at various stages of their lifecycles. Stephen Pierce heads the national corporate and commercial business group, serving as lead partner for the firm’s major clients in their repeat M&A activity, while Carly Holt is another key team member.

Praxisleiter:

Ian Holden


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Stephen Pierce; Sebastian Briggs; Carly Holt


Referenzen

‘A highly professional, rock-solid team which has helped us with all our acquisitions over the years. They are commercial, hardworking, and flexible. We would not work with anyone else.’

‘We get city-quality work at a regional level from the Womble Bond Dickinson team in Southampton.‘ 

‘The commercial team do a good job linking us with the appropriate teams elsewhere in the practice.

Kernmandanten

Renewable Energy Systems Limited


Quilter Plc


HydraB Group


Future Plc


Hollywood Bowl Group Plc


Halma Public Limited Company


Malteries Soufflet SAS


The Renewables Infrastructure Group


Niedax GmbH & Co. KG


Unicard Limited


Atlas Concrete Limited


D.J. Squire & Co. Limited


Artefact SAS


Motorcare (Kent) Limited


D.A. Harrison and Company Wigton


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised Halma plc on all aspects of its acquisition of Remlive Limited, a specialist supplier of electrical safety warning indicators.
  • Advised French sports retailer Decathlon in connection with its existing and future investment in Unmade Ltd, an English company specialising in on-demand apparel design and manufacturing software.
  • Advised REG Windpower on the sale of REG Abergorki Limited, the SPV that owns a pre-construction consented wind farm development located in Wales.

Herrington Carmichael LLP

The corporate and commercial department at Herrington Carmichael LLP offers leading domestic clients effective ‘technical and regulatory knowledge combined with pragmatism and responsiveness’. Bringing a ‘professional approach and wealth of knowledge’, team head and managing partner Yavan Brar demonstrates extensive experience across M&A, corporate restructuring, banking and finance, and fundraising matters. In the financial services sector, Alex Canham is a key contact, assisting on major and complex stock disposal matters, while Cesare McArdle advises on the negotiation of service, distribution, and other commercial agreements across the manufacturing, hospitality, and IT sectors.

Praxisleiter:

Yavan Brar


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Alex Canham; Mark Chapman; Cesare McArdle


Referenzen

‘Herrington Carmichael’s team has a great approach and mindset in how they are advising us as clients. They give easy-to-understand explanations on difficult subjects.’

‘Herrington Carmichael offers technical and regulatory knowledge combined with pragmatism and responsiveness.‘

‘The team consistently demonstrates an exceptional level of expertise, professionalism, and strategic insight. Their deep understanding of complex legal matters, combined with a proactive and solution-oriented approach, sets them apart.‘

Moore Barlow

The ‘diligent and hard-working’ corporate and commercial practice at Moore Barlow is geared to handle company-level mergers, acquisitions, and disposals. Adept at creating ‘innovative solutions’ corporate team head Jeremy Over is a trusted advisor on acquisitions and disposals for major regional clients. David Bright regularly acts for domestic and international clients on high-value acquisitions, Roger Bailey is well-regarded in the telecoms sector, and Kirsty Leary assists clients on acquisitions and disposals at all stages of their lifecycle.

Praxisleiter:

Jeremy Over


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Roger Bailey; David Bright; Kirsty Leary


Referenzen

‘The team has good knowledge, is diligent, and hard working. Very collaborative and willing to be pragmatic and find ways through issues.’

‘In business, you want partners to guide and support you, not just legal experts. Moore Barlow has always been available to provide support, discuss scenarios, and give guidance. This has built real trust and they are now our go-to legal team.

‘Jeremy Over has a very good ability to move between detailed legal points requiring specialist knowledge and higher-level discussions. Through experience of similar deals, he is able to provide insight when we are uncertain and find innovative solutions to challenges that arise.‘ 

Kernmandanten

Southern Communications Limited


Fastned UK Limited


E92 Plus Group Limited


4Com Technologies Limited


New Path Fire & Security Limited


Churchill Retirement plc


Excalibur Communications Group Limited


Elivia Homes Limited


Venture Engineering Group Limited


Darwin & Wallace


Aqua Cooling Limited


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised the shareholders of Excalibur Communications Group Limited on its sale to Onecom Group.
  • Advised New Path Fire and Security Limited (private equity backed by Duke Capital) on the acquisition of Electrifire Limited.
  • Advised the sole shareholder of Airsports Insurance Bureau on the sale of its entire issued share capital.

Broadfield Law UK LLP

Combining ‘legal acumen, efficiency, and a client-first ethos’, the corporate and commercial team at Broadfield Law UK LLP possesses core strength across the leisure, technology, and transport sectors. Practice head Oliver Kelly assists notable clients across acquisitions, disposals, and management buyouts, while Sean Kelly brings decades of experience in private equity and management incentivisation matters.

Praxisleiter:

Oliver Kelly


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Sean Kelly


Referenzen

‘Everyone went above and beyond to deliver on a very tight time frame and were clear and helpful in all discussions.’

‘The firm understands our business and has the expertise we need when we need it.’

‚Their combination of legal acumen, efficiency, and a client-first ethos makes them an outstanding choice for businesses seeking expert legal guidance in high-stakes matters.‘

Kernmandanten

The Artisan Travel Holding Limited


Distant Journeys Limited


Acorns (Southern) Limited


Aspidistra Holdings Limited


ITS Technology Limited


Premier Marinas Limited


Firebird Partnership


Panoramic Growth Equity


Red Funnel


Limestone Capital


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised the ultimate shareholders of GOb2b on its sale to ClearCourse.
  • Advised the shareholders and management team on the management buyout of Acorns (Southern) Limited, trading as Acorns Health Care, completing the sale before the Budget.
  • Advised Artisan Travel Holding Limited, trading as The Artisan Travel Company, on the acquisition of Travel Editions Group Ltd.

Phillips Law

The ‘proactive and knowledgeable’ corporate and commercial team at Phillips Law is well-versed in assisting owner-managed businesses across M&A, restructurings, and commercial agreements. Demonstrating a ‘genuine understanding’ of clients’ commercial positions, team head Jack Gardener acts for leading domestic companies on M&A, asset sales and acquisitions, corporate finance, and joint ventures. Bringing a background in IP, IT, and data protection, commercial law head Jacqueline Drury is a key contact across commercial agreements and data privacy.

Praxisleiter:

Jack Gardener


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Jacqueline Drury


Referenzen

‘The team are knowledgeable and professional as one might expect, but the combine this with an unusual level of practicality which is so very valuable to commercial customers. The high level of collaboration makes them an invaluable support during the real world dynamics of commercial negotiation.’

‘The whole team is proactive and knowledgeable. They are also good at looking at the bigger picture.‘

‘Personable, approachable whilst being very professional in the deal.‘

Kernmandanten

Crescent Pharma Limited


Savona Foodservice Limited


Supernatural Food Limited


UK Land


TrustMark (2005) Limited


Kingscastle Limited


Supernatural Food Limited


Interrupt Labs


Highlight-Mandate


  • Acted for UKL Hyperion Limited on the acquisition of the entire share capital of Helius Investments.
  • Advised TrustMark on all aspects of its operations including structure, data protection, intellectual property, and commercial contracts.
  • Advised Calleva on its merger with Wellma.