John is a Partner in the Corporate team.
John looks after the transactional and governance needs of family businesses and private wealth funds, bringing together the appropriate team of legal experts and managing strategic projects relating to funding, monitoring investments, mergers and acquisitions, and succession planning in the UK and internationally.
John’s clients are ultra and -high-net-worth entrepreneurs and families with extensive and diverse investment portfolios comprising a variety of financial, property and business interests. He acts for UK and international companies and family offices. Having spent 10 years in the Gulf, John regularly works with a number of Middle Eastern businesses and investors.
Recent examples of how John has supported clients include:
- advising the fifth generation of a UK family business in relation to their significant investments in East Africa, including the potential disposal of an agribusiness in Kenya;
- representing Martin St Quinton, the owner of Gloucester Rugby Club, regarding issues of ownership matters and disposal of shares;
- raising capital for the UK promoters of a minerals reclamation company for a gold tailings project in Oregon;
- acquiring a £4 million manufacturing business in the Solent on behalf of a Swedish company with a UK subsidiary;
- advising Microgem International plc, which has subsidiaries in New Zealand, China and the US, in relation to governance and the exploitation of leading scientific research on DNA testing;
- project leader a £100+ million land acquisition in London on behalf of a Dubai investor to create an iconic tower;
- advising two high profile Bahrain -based investors on the corporate aspects of a multi-million-pound property disposal in central London;
- advising on structuring of a strategic oil storage point in the English Channel for Portland Bunkers Ltd, including negotiating with various port and shipping authorities;
- Advising Proximity Data Centres Ltd on the acquisition of 3 data centres for an undisclosed sum and the raising of a £25m facility to cover the cost of the acquisition and to finance further expansion;
- Acting on a share re-organisation of London Lions Basket team prior to its sale to a US consortium; and
- Working for Topcon Medical Europe BV on the acquisition of the Henson 9000 and 7000 business’ from Electronic Eye Technology Ltd a subsidiary of Checkit plc (AIM listed).