Stephen is a leading expert in corporate law and M&A with particular expertise in cross-border public and private M&A.
Stephen has over 25 years' experience of advising major listed and other international companies on M&A and other corporate transactions including joint ventures and demergers and wider governance issues.
An acknowledged expert in public takeovers and private acquisitions and disposals, Stephen has worked with clients in a range of sectors to execute their most significant transactions across the world, including many ground breaking deals.
Stephen works with clients on multi-jurisdictional cross-border deals and across a range of sectors including banking, consumer products, energy, leisure and sport, manufacturing, and TMT.
He works with the boards of FTSE100 and other listed companies to help them meet their governance and related obligations and to navigate through sensitive issues of risk, disclosure and compliance.
His expertise in M&A and corporate law is recognised by his listings in Legal 500 and Chambers as a leading corporate/M&A lawyer, and he is identified in Who's Who Legal as a leading practitioner in the field of international mergers and acquisitions.
Chambers quotes clients and market commentators as describing him as "someone everyone has trust in" is "sensible and easy to deal with" and who finds "pragmatic, commercial solutions".
He is General Editor of the leading Butterworths text "Takeovers – Law and Practice" and has written widely on M&A matters.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Sky on various matters including:
- its £30 billion contested takeover by Comcast
- the £7.4 billion offer for Sky Deutschland and acquisition of Sky Italia
- the proposed £7.8 billion offer from News Corporation
- Severn Trent
- on its contested and ground-breaking takeover bid for Dee Valley Group
- on its joint venture with United Utilities to combine their non-household water and wastewater retail businesses
- on the defence of a £5.3 billion unsolicited proposed offer by an international consortium
- Lonmin on its recommended takeover by Sibanye-Stillwater
- Polyus Gold on its £9 billion hostile takeover by Sacturino
- Yokogawa on its takeover of KBC Advanced Technologies
- AbbVie on its proposed £32 billion takeover offer for Shire Pharmaceuticals
- Taylor Nelson Sofres on the defence of the £1.2 billion hostile takeover by advertising and public relations multinational WPP
- G4S on its proposed acquisition of ISS A/S for a total consideration of £5.2 billion and related £2 billion rights issue
- BevCo on the £68 billion takeover offer for SABMiller by AB InBev.
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