Herbert Smith Freehills LLP

Client Satisfaction

Adrianus (Tommy) Adritomo

Partner

Ajay Malhotra

Ajay is a Partner specialising in financial services litigation and investigations.

Alan Watts

Alan is a disputes partner and the firm’s Head of Global Class Actions, Head of Commercial Litigation UK and Co-Head of Partnerships.

Alexander Amato-Cravero

Alexander leads the firm’s Emerging Technology Group in the UK, US & EMEA. He specialises in helping businesses in all sectors navigate legal and regulatory challenges when developing, using and investing in advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, the metaverse, blockchain, and digital assets such as crypto and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Alexander is an experienced technology lawyer and head of Herbert Smith Freehills' Emerging Technology Group in the UK, US & EMEA. He is an advocate of digital change and provides commercially-focused legal advice on advanced technologies across the full spectrum of web3 and artificial intelligence. He advises the full breadth of businesses, from innovative start-ups to trailblazing incumbents, in all sectors including technology, consumer, and financial services. Alexander also co-heads of the firm's Digital Law Group, where he oversees a global team of technology skilled lawyers who drive the digital transformation of law, including through the development and use of cutting edge legal technologies such as smart legal contracts and generative artificial intelligence (GAI). Alexander is an active member of the emerging technology, legal technology, and start-up communities. He sits on the Steering Committee of Global Blockchain Convergence and is a member of the W3C group on rights automation for market data licences.

Alexander Oddy

Partner and head of the contentious Insurance & Professional Risks team in London

Alison Matthews

Alison is a consultant in the London office focusing on non-contentious work for clients in the insurance sector. Alison has specialised in insurance law and regulation for over 30 years, advising on all aspects of prudential and conduct of business regulation. Most recently, she has been working with clients on the introduction of the Consumer Duty and on the post-Brexit conduct of cross-border business. She frequently advises on the implications of group supervision for domestic and international groups, including in the context of M&A transactions. Other experience includes advice on the FSMA regulatory perimeter, FCA conduct of business rules, Solvency II, and the SMCR. Alison has worked with a number of mutual insurers on issues relating to the conduct of with-profits business. Alison is the joint consulting editor of “A Practitioner’s Guide to Solvency II” (Sweet & Maxwell, 2016).

Alison Brown

PartnerAlison is the Global Head of Employment, Pensions and Incentives

Amit Jois

Partner

Andrew Wells

Intellectual Property

Andrew Lidbetter

Partner

Andrew Cannon

Andrew is the Global Co-Head of our International Arbitration practice, and of our Public International Law practice. He is head of our India Disputes group and co-head of our Nordic group. He is also Deputy Chair of the firm's Global Pro Bono and Responsible Business Council.

Andrew Procter

Consultant

Andrew Cooke

Andrew is a Partner specialising in commercial, corporate and restructuring litigation.

Andrew Taggart

Partner Andrew heads our EMEA employment team

Anna Law

Senior Associate

Antonia Pegden

Partner

Anuradha Agnihotri

Anuradha is an Of Counsel based in London, specialising in International Arbitration.

Aurell Taussig

Partner

Barnaby Hinnigan

Barney focuses on non-contentious work for clients in the financial services sector. Barney works for clients in the financial services sector, providing advice in relation to general corporate and financial services regulatory matters, restructurings, business sales, capital raising and takeovers. He has extensive experience in advising on complex M&A and restructuring transactions for banks and asset managers and on a wide range of matters in the Fintech sector. Barney also has particular experience acting on transfers of insurance and banking business, cross border reinsurance arrangements and acquisitions in the insurance and insurance intermediary sector.

Bertrand Montembault

Bertrand Montembault is a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, based in the firm's Paris office. Bertrand is a French law qualified corporate and projects lawyer who has over 30 years of experience advising the firm's clients on their activities in the natural resources and energy sectors throughout Francophone Africa. Bertrand has an excellent knowledge of Francophone Africa's local and regional legal and regulatory frameworks, including OHADA and CEMAC/UEMOA, and a strong network of local contacts. He was ranked in the 6th position of Jeune Afrique's Top 100 Legal Powerlist of the most influential lawyers in French-speaking Africa in 2023. Although Bertrand has spent most of his professional life in Paris, he was also based in Africa for a number of years, including in South Africa where he headed-up the Francophone Africa team in the Herbert Smith Freehills Johannesburg office (from October 2016 to December 2018), but also Gabon where he was based for over two years in the early part of his career.

Brian Spiro

Partner

Brigette Baillie

Brigette is a partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group. Based in Johannesburg, Brigette focuses on project development and financing aspects of projects across Africa, having worked in jurisdictions such as Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho. Brigette also works with clients on transactions across the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors.

Busisiwe Sibeko

Busisiwe is a Senior Associate in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure department in the Johannesburg office. Busisiwe has assisted in advising both domestic and international clients in respect of the development and financing aspects projects across Africa. She also has worked with clients on transactions across the infrastructure and energy sectors and has vast experience in drafting finance documents and project documents. She has a keen interest in PPPs and renewable projects.

Cameron Dunstan-Smith

Cameron is a Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and heads the Corporate Crime and Investigations practice in the Johannesburg office. Cameron has specialized investigations and compliance for the past 17 years and his extensive experience covers the full suite of investigations issues (corruption, fraud, misconduct) as well as compliance (anti-bribery and corruption due diligence and advisory) and regulatory (sanctions, anti-money laundering and related offences) matters. Cameron has been involved in a wide range of regulatory matters, FCPA and UK Bribery Act investigations and compliance advice and due diligence, anti-money laundering compliance and representing clients facing government or regulatory enforcement action. He has worked in multiple African jurisdictions, the UK, East Asia, Europe and the United States on a variety of investigations and has provided advice to regulators in South Africa, the United States and the UK. Cameron's broad depth of experience in the South African and African market, coupled with his international exposure and experience, provides a unique service offering to clients seeking a local South African or global perspective concerning investigations and compliance issues. Supported by Herbert Smith Freehills' global Corporate Crime and Investigations practice, Cameron is well placed to provide clients with local expertise with added the benefit of drawing the expertise of lawyers in the firm's global offices. Due to the international nature of investigations, this is of great value to clients seeking seamless service in multiple jurisdictions as well as clients who appreciate the benefit of a firm with investigations experience and dealings with regulators the world over. Cameron is well regarded in the investigations market in South Africa and is ranked across multiple legal rankings directories in the field of investigations in South Africa.

Carey-Anne Jennings

Carey-Anne is a Director in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group, specialising in debt and equity aspects of project finance and public private partnerships. Carey-Anne has advised clients on several limited recourse project finance transactions (including across the energy, resources and infrastructure sectors), equity investments, partnerships and joint ventures as well as syndicated and term loans. She has also advised numerous clients in relation to accommodation, telecommunications, renewable energy, toll road and various road related infrastructure projects, as well as captive power projects and independent funding of renewable energy projects in Africa.

Caroline Hagg

Caroline advises her clients on the full spectrum of corporate governance issues, and regularly trains both public and private company boards and client teams on new and forthcoming legal developments. Her areas of focus includes: developments in public disclosures and corporate reporting, including in relation to annual reports and climate and sustainability reporting; annual general meetings and shareholder engagement strategies; directors' duties, liabilities and conflict issues and directors' indemnities; compliance with listed company continuing obligations, including the UK Market Abuse Regulation; corporate governance considerations, including approaches to and compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code; corporate governance advice in relation to strategic transactions; subsidiary and joint venture governance matters. Caroline provides commercial and pragmatic advice on governance and company secretarial issues, having spent more than two and a half years on client secondments over the course of her career at HSF.

Caroline Rae

Caroline is a partner in our corporate team specialising in cross border public and private M&A. Caroline advises leading corporates and financial institutions on private acquisitions and disposals, recommended and hostile public company takeovers, joint ventures and equity capital raisings. Caroline works with clients across a range of sectors, with a particular focus on the financial services. She has worked on a range of matters in the Fintech sector. Caroline also works with a number of our listed company clients on corporate governance and board advisory matters, listed company regulation and compliance. Caroline topped the UK M&A lawyer rankings by deal value in 2021, Mergerlinks. Caroline has been recognised in The Lawyer's 2019 Hot 100 for "her legal prowess in major public takeovers".

Casey Dalton

Partner

Catherine Howard

Partner, Head of Planning

Cellia Cognard

Senior International Counsel

Charlie Morgan

Charlie is an international arbitration lawyer specialising in energy and technology disputes. He helps clients to resolve complex international disputes across a range of jurisdictions.

Chris Ninan

Partner

Chris Bushell

Chris is a dispute resolution partner and solicitor advocate based in London.

Chris Parker KC

Chris is a partner specialising in international arbitration.

Christine Young

Partner Christine specialises in employment law, advising on contentious, transactional and advisory matters.

Clive Cunningham

Clive is a leading financial services law and regulation lawyer. With extensive City experience, including time as a banking regulator with the Bank of England and in-house, Clive advises banks, asset managers, insurers and other financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory and compliance matters across the financial services, banking and funds sectors. Areas of special sector expertise are banking, asset management (including private wealth management) and securities regulation.

Craig Tevendale

Craig is Head of our International Arbitration group in London and Head of Energy, UK.

Damien Byrne Hill

Damien is a partner in the dispute resolution practice.

Dan Saunders

Of Counsel

David Dawborn

Senior International Counsel

David Coulling

David is a Partner in Technology, Sourcing and Digital practice in the UK. David is a transactions lawyer who focusses on the technology and telecommunications sectors. David advises tech and telecoms corporates and investors on a wide range of transactions, including joint ventures and acquisitions, technology development and adoption projects, major systems and networks projects, business transformation projects, technology licensing, data licensing and complex commercial arrangements. David particularly enjoys transactions which aim to harness the transformational powers of technology in other sectors. With this in mind, he works closely with our clients in other sectors to help structure and implement their technology-driven strategies. Recognised by the UK directories, David has a leading technology and telecoms practice. David holds a first class MSC in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Oxford and was a Theodore Scholar at Balliol College. He enjoys the increasing overlap between technology-enabled businesses and his passion for science fiction.

David Bennett

Partner

David Nitek

David specialises in the resolution of infrastructure, construction and engineering disputes.

David Rosen

Partner

Dawen Gao

Senior Associate

Dinesh Banani

Dinesh is a Partner in our Equity Capital Markets team, and advises investment banks, investment funds and corporations on complex, cross-border capital markets transactions.

Donald Rowlands

Partner

Elizabeth Head

Of Counsel

Emily Bottle

Partner

Emma Sherratt

Senior Associate

Emma Deas

Partner

Emmanuel Ronco

Corporate TMT

Enrico Maria Mancuso

Enrico heads the Italian Corporate Crime & Investigations practice at Herbert Smith Freehills. As a litigator and trial lawyer with 20 years of experience, Enrico assists clients on all their white-collar crime matters, on both contentious and non-contentious issues. He has significant experience working with clients on criminal litigation, investigations, compliance, risk and crisis management. Enrico acts for domestic and international companies and their directors in connection with corporate and financial crimes including money laundering, corruption, fraud, market abuse and tax offences.

Ernst Muller

Ernst is a Director based in Johannesburg, South Africa reporting directly to the Global Head of ESG. He has been mandated within his role to be one of the main point persons responsible for ESG across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), supporting the strategic focus of both the Global and UK, and EMEA ESG leads. Ernst is a "Natural Scientist turned Regulatory Lawyer". The combination of his skills as an Environmental Scientist and Lawyer makes him the ideal ESG lawyer – bridging the gap between the ever-expanding universe of ESG rights and specific obligations, technical expertise, and in-depth industry knowledge. Owing to his background in Environmental Sciences (B.Sc. and B.Sc. HONS) and because he is based in Africa, Ernst’s practice focusses on clients within the extractives and natural resources sector. Liaising and advising clients on particularly pertinent issues within these sectors as they grapple with the evolving regulatory space and in many instances shifting business models. In addition to advising clients across hard and soft law issues, he is well-versed in negotiations, transactional work, judicial review proceedings, international arbitrations, and high-court litigation. Ernst’s clients include governments across Africa and the Middle East, indigenous and local communities, non-government organisations and multinational enterprises. His impact on, influence and level of access to clients across the spectrum is unique for a non-partner due to his position in the market as one of few solely focused ESG lawyers in the region. Since qualifying in 2016, Ernst has established himself as a leading ESG lawyer on the continent. His commitment to ESG and success in this field is illustrated by the fact that Ernst currently represents Africa on the International Bar Association's (IBA) Sustainable Development Goals and ESG working group, the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance's steering committee, and the Green Hydrogen Organisation's (GH2) standard committee. In addition, he is regularly invited to participate at conferences across Africa and the Middle East addressing senior stakeholders on ESG topics. Ernst regularly addresses postgraduate students and academic departments at universities as a guest lecturer on matters related to ESG, green hydrogen, mining, and sustainable development. He is also an ambassador for Cambridge University's Democratising Education for Global Sustainability and Justice programme. Ernst frequently publishes on ESG-related topics ranging from policies and global legal developments to local community engagement processes, mineral and sustainability law reform processes, and climate change policies (most of the articles are available here).

Fiona Treanor

Partner

Fiorella Noriega Del Valle

Fiorella Noriega Del Valle is a Director in the Johannesburg Dispute Resolution practice. Fiorella's practice focuses on commercial dispute resolution and corporate crime and investigations. She has worked on a wide range of complex investigations and commercial disputes for both local and international clients. Her experience includes dispute resolution through litigation in the South African courts, domestic arbitrations, and international arbitrations under the auspices of the ICC, LCIA, AFSA, HKIAC and ad hoc arbitrations. Fiorella holds an Advanced Certificate in International Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and is one of the inaugural co-chairs of the Young Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (Young AFSA).

Francesca Morra

Francesca leads the Italian energy and infrastructure practice at Herbert Smith Freehills. Her extensive knowledge of the energy and infrastructure sector is based on nearly 20 years of experience advising Italian and multinational energy companies, international sponsors, project developers, private equity funds and leading investment banks on some of the most innovative and complex transactions in the renewables space, conventional power, oil and gas (including LNG), energy efficiency, electric mobility and various types of infrastructure projects. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, the development of projects and infrastructures, industry contracts and regulatory matters, including ESG, MiFID, EMIR, MAR, REMIT, TPA exemptions. She also advises on competition, foreign direct investment and consumer protection issues. Recognised as one of Italy's energy & infra experts by the main legal directories, Francesca is a frequent speaker on various energy-related topics and a contributor to legal publications. She also lectures on energy and competition law.

Frédéric Chevallier

Partner

Gareth Sykes

Gareth is a Partner and UK Head of Corporate Governance Advisory Practice, helping listed and private companies navigate the increasingly challenging corporate law and governance framework. He leads the firm's Corporate Governance Advisory Team, advising clients on a range of governance and compliance issues. His expertise includes advising on corporate reporting requirements, the UK Corporate Governance Code, continuing obligations under the Listing Rules and Market Abuse Regulation, shareholder meetings and directors' duties. Gareth is a member of the FRC's inaugural Stakeholder Insights Group, the only lawyer to be appointed to this group which reflects his expertise and status in this area. Gareth speaks and writes widely on corporate governance matters and is regularly approached by leading governance bodies to speak or write on governance issues. He organises, and speaks at, the firm's Annual Update for Listed Companies seminar, the market-leading corporate governance event for FTSE general counsel and companies secretaries.

Gavin Davies

Gavin is Head of the Global M&A practice and supports clients on international M&A, investment and governance matters. Gavin has significant expertise in public takeovers, private capital, strategic board advice and shareholder engagement. Particular focus on TMT, financial services, and real estate sectors, and on advising our US and Japanese clients. Gavin was named in 2023 in The Financial News Fifty Most Influential Lawyers, and has twice led teams winning Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards. Gavin is a member of the governing Board of our firm, and is a member of the UK Government DIT Investment Trade Advisory Group (TAG). He led the private equity practice from 2006 to 2013. Gavin works with, and is a former Chair, of The International Lawyers Project, a leading international charitable organisation providing the skills of senior lawyers to promote human rights, sustainable economic development and the rule of law worldwide. Gavin also advises the Government of Sierra Leone on investment matters, having founded our "Fair Deal Sierra Leone" pro bono project which supports the Government of Sierra Leone on a pro bono basis.

Geoffrey Maddock

Geoffrey is a consultant in the London office focusing on non-contentious work for clients in the insurance sector. Geoffrey has experience of acquisitions, disposals, demutualisations, high value/longevity reinsurance, regulatory capital, securitisation and other transactions in the insurance sector, together with extensive experience of prudential and other regulatory advice to insurers and reinsurers. He has provided legal and regulatory advice on a broad range of issues arising from clients' with-profits business. He also has particular experience of transfers of insurance business, having led the firm's team advising on more than twenty five such transfers. He is the author of the chapter on Insurance Business Transfers in A Practitioner's Guide to the FSA Regulation of Insurance (5th edition, City & Financial Publishing, 2014) and joint Consulting Editor of "A Practitioner's Guide to Solvency II" (Sweet & Maxwell, 2016).

Giulia Maienza

Senior Associate

Grant Murtagh

Grant is a corporate lawyer who specialises in the insurance sector. Grant works on M&A and other corporate transactions (including Part VII transfers), and has extensive experience of large and complex (re)insurance transactions. He also has an in-depth knowledge of the regulatory regime that applies to (re)insurers and (re)insurance brokers. In addition, he is a member of the firm's fintech group, and has worked companies looking to develop businesses in that sector. He is qualified as a Chartered Tax Advisor (non-practising) with the Irish Tax Institute, and is an affiliate member of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. Prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills, Grant worked with a leading Irish law firm. Prior to that, he was an in-house lawyer working in the European headquarters of a leading American financial institution.

Greig Anderson

Partner

Hannah Ambrose

Hannah is a Partner and solicitor advocate in the international arbitration and public international law group.

Hannah White

Senior Associate

Harriet Forrest

Harriet is Of Counsel in the firm's corporate practice with a focus on public and private M&A. Harriet helps UK and international clients implement M&A and other transactions. Her experience includes recommended and hostile public company takeovers, private company acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, group reorganisations and listed company regulation and compliance.

Harry Edwards

Harry helps clients (primarily large investment and commercial banks) with heavyweight banking litigation matters and complex, strategically critical disputes. He is currently acting on two of the biggest financial cases progressing through the English courts. Harry acts for financial institutions in High Court litigation and arbitration proceedings as well as regulatory enforcement matters. Harry helps clients (primarily large investment and commercial banks) with heavyweight banking litigation matters and complex, strategically critical disputes. He is currently acting on two of the biggest financial cases progressing through the English courts. Harry acts for financial institutions in High Court litigation and arbitration proceedings as well as regulatory enforcement matters. He has written extensively on finance-related litigation, is co-author of the English law chapter of the Securities Law Review and is leading the firm’s efforts to talk to clients about securities class actions in England.

Hayley Brady

Hayley advises on media and entertainment, consumer and digital commercial, transactional and regulatory matters. Hayley heads our media and digital practice, in London, and assists clients on global strategic and innovative arrangements. Hayley has spent time in industry on secondment at Sky, acted as quasi-in house counsel at FilmFlex Movies for a number of years and undertook mini secondments at OSN in Dubai. Her practice is split into two: (i) advising both media companies and those in other sectors on media and entertainment matters including significant content licensing, partnering, joint ventures, regulation and marketing, sponsorship and advertising; and (ii) advising growing digital companies on partnering and product/geographical expansion and traditional companies on moves to new digital platforms.

Heather Newton

Of Counsel

Heidi Gallagher

Heidi is a Partner in the corporate division. Heidi's experience relates to a wide range of corporate finance, public and private M&A and capital markets transactions. Heidi advises both UK and overseas clients on a wide range of corporate transactions (including private share and asset acquisitions and disposals, public takeovers, initial public offerings, secondary capital raises, auction sales, joint ventures and group reorganisations).

Henry Saunders

Senior Associate

Howard Murray

Partner

Hywel Jenkins

Partner

Ian Gault

Consultant (previously Head of Pensions)

Ian Cox

Regional Managing Partner for UK, US and EMEA

Ina vom Feld

Partner

James Palmer

James is a senior corporate and governance lawyer who was the Chair and Senior Partner of our firm. He is one of the UK's leading M&A, capital markets and corporate lawyers, with deep experience of corporate governance and regulation, including financial regulation. He is frequently involved in helping clients in situations where they face significant and unusual challenges. These include hostile takeovers, board and governance disputes, regulatory and other investigations, business crises, interactions with governments or government bodies, significant liability or solvency exposures, as well as significant transactions. He is also recognised as a leading expert in relation to both Brexit and foreign direct investment regulation. James is a General Editor of and contributor to Butterworth's Takeovers: Law and Practice, and has also contributed to other leading reference works on takeovers and corporate law, including Buckley on the Companies Acts and Hannigan and Prentice's Guide to the Companies Act 2006. He was Chair and Senior Partner of the firm from 2015 to 2021. James joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 1986, becoming a partner in 1994. He was a member of the firm's governing Partnership Council from 2002-2006. He led the firm's global equity capital markets practice from 2005-2010 and was the firm's Global Head of Corporate from 2010-2012.

James Wood

Partner

James Doe

James is Head of the UK Construction Disputes practice, focusing on major infrastructure, construction and engineering projects.

James Baily

James is a solicitor advocate and Partner in the firm's dispute resolution division in London.

James Farrell

James is a commercial litigator in dispute resolution and a partner in our London office.

Jasveer Randhawa

Professional Support Consultant

Jean Meijer

Jean is a competition partner with over 25 years' experience and is Co-Head of the Herbert Smith Freehills Africa Practice and the Managing Partner of the Herbert Smith Freehills Johannesburg office. Jean works with clients on all aspects of competition law, including merger control, cartel and other prohibited practice investigations, exemption applications and competition compliance. She has knowledge of the competition laws of many African countries and regularly helps clients with multi-jurisdictional African mergers.

Jennifer Andrews

Senior Associate

Jenny Andrews

Of Counsel

Jenny Stainsby

Partner

Jeremy Purton

Jeremy is a senior commercial lawyer who specialises in tech transactions and complex sourcing projects. Ranked in Legal 500 each year since 2021 as a Rising Star for both IT & Telecoms and TMT Industry Focus, Jeremy works closely with clients on long-term technology-enabled transformation programmes. He is experienced in dealing with complex legacy systems transitions, finding practical ways through distressed sourcing projects, and helping organisations to implement digital solutions that enable them to benefit from advances in technology.

Jeremy Garson

Jeremy is a partner and specialist in commercial disputes.

Jeremy Walden

Partner

Jessica Chappatte

Senior Associate

John Williams

John is an Of Counsel in our Corporate Practice

John Corrie

Partner

John Whiteoak

John is a disputes and restructuring Partner and co-leads the firm's global Restructuring, Turnaround and Insolvency practice. He advises on a broad range of general commercial litigation and contentious insolvency matters.

Jon Ford

Partner

Jonathan Blake

Jonathan is Head of International Private Funds Strategy based in our London office.

Jonathan Ripley-Evans

Jonathan Ripley-Evans is a Partner based in the Johannesburg office and heads up the South African Disputes practice. Jonathan has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution and general commercial litigation. He has also acted as mediator and as advisor/representative in both mediations and arbitrations, domestic and international. Jonathan is an AFSA accredited mediator and arbitrator and currently holds the position of Vice President of the AFSA Court. He also sits as a member of the court of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC).He was member of the core drafting committee responsible for the revision of the AFSA International Commercial Arbitration Rules which were launched in 2021. He is an accredited Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). His practice is geared towards alternative dispute resolution, in particular arbitration and mediation but is equally placed to administer complex commercial court litigation. He specialises in the resolution of commercial disputes in a wide range of sectors including energy, mining, tourism, hospitality, property, insurance and construction and engineering.

Josh Lom

Partner

Julian Pollock

Partner

Karen Anderson

Consultant

Kate Meakin

Partner

Kelesi Blundell

Kelesi has over a decade of experience in the financial services sector and regularly advises some of the largest investment banks, retail banks, broker-dealers and financial market infrastructure on UK financial services regulation. Kelesi has advised across a range of regulation and regulatory change in the financial services industry including Digital Assets, Brexit, MiFID II, Recovery and Resolution, Market Infrastructure Regulation and Conduct of Business requirements. Kelesi also often provides regulatory support in corporate transactions. Kelesi regularly supports industry working groups including the AFME digital securities sandbox working group, the AFME Recovery and Resolution working group and the AFME Short Selling Regulation working group. Kelesi is also a member of the Financial Markets Law Committee (FMLC) Banking and Securities Scoping Forums.

Kiran Khetia

Kiran specialises in remuneration and employee incentives, advising listed and private companies.

Laura Orlando

Laura is the Managing Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills' Milan office and leads the firm's global Intellectual Property practice as well as its EMEA Life Sciences practice. A recognised thought leader in intellectual property law, Laura is appreciated by clients and peers for her innovative and strategic expertise, particularly in the life sciences sector. She excels in handling high-profile, multi-jurisdictional patent cases, including those under the SPC Regulation and before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). Her advice is crucial to major pharmaceutical companies in managing patent expirations and securing market leadership through effective patent lifecycle management, obtaining marketing authorisations and navigating data exclusivity provisions. Laura's ability to deliver proactive, innovative legal solutions extends across a wide range of industries, including food, chemicals, consumer goods, telecommunications, media and technology (TMT), electronics, fashion and industrial design. Throughout her career, Laura has received numerous accolades and is consistently ranked in the top tier of prestigious legal directories, is regularly listed among the top 50 lawyers in Italy and as one of the 50 most inspiring female legal professionals in Italy.

Laura Hulett

Laura is a Partner in our Global Energy group

Lebo Ramokone

Lebo is a Director in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group. Lebo focuses on project development and financing aspects of projects across Africa. She also has experience in debt, equity and quasi-equity corporate financing transactions in Africa across various sectors.

Lesetja Morapi

Lesetja is a Director based in the Johannesburg office. Lesetja's practice focuses on all aspects of competition and antitrust regulation, including merger control, cartels and other prohibited behavioural conduct. Lesetja's also advises clients in other regulatory fields including consumer protection, gaming, postal and logistics regulation, advertising and marketing, as well as civil litigation. Lesetja also has knowledge and experience providing advice to clients on merger control in various other southern African jurisdictions.

Lewis McDonald

Lewis is the Global Co-Head of our Energy Group

Louise Barber

Louise is an Of Counsel in Herbert Smith Freehills' International Arbitration, Public International Law and ESG Disputes practice in London.

Lucinda King

Lucinda is an associate in Herbert Smith Freehills’ construction and engineering disputes practice.

Malcolm Lombers

Malcolm is a partner with particular expertise in public takeovers, cross border M&A, international partnerships and regularly advises clients across all sectors.

Marina Reason

Marina specialises on advising banks and other financial institutions on all aspects of financial regulation. Marina has been active in the regulatory industry for a decade and a half and has established relationships with most of the large banking institutions and asset managers. Marina regularly works with the industry through trade associations including AFME, the AGC, UK Finance, FMLC, PIMFA, Digital Pound Foundation and others on hot topics of the day, including most recently on Consumer Duty and the UK the FMI Digital Sandbox for blockchain tokenisation.

Mark Bardell

Mark is a corporate partner with particular expertise in public takeovers and cross-border M&A. Mark has been a partner at the firm for over 13 years and has helped clients to close more than US$300 billion worth of transactions across the US, UK, Europe, CIS, Middle East, Africa, India, Asia and Australia. He focuses on advising corporate clients and works with boards on both transactional and advisory work. He is frequently involved in advising on significant challenges that face boards whether on transactions, shareholder activism, governance issues or regulatory investigations. In addition, he regularly works with and advises investment banks and corporate finance advisers in connection with their roles on major cross-border transactions. Mark is a General Editor of Butterworths Takeovers Law and Practice (second edition 2015) and a contributor to other leading practitioners' texts on topics including shareholder activism, market abuse, schemes of arrangement and takeovers. He lectures annually at Cambridge University to postgraduate MCL students as part of the Deals Course. In September 2011, he completed a two-year secondment as Secretary to the UK’s Takeover Panel. During that time he was closely involved in the day-to-day regulation of UK public takeovers and also in significant revisions to the UK's Takeover Code. He continues to be actively involved in consultations regarding amendments to the UK's Takeover Code. He also acts as Secretary to the Takeover Appeals Board in relation to various appeals.

Mark Ife

Mark is a Partner and co-head of the Herbert Smith Freehills London Remuneration & Incentives team, who specialises in employee incentives and remuneration, advising both listed and private companies.

Mark Newbery

Former head of the firm's Global Energy practice, Mark is a consultant and advises clients on privatisations, mergers and acquisitions, project development and financings. Mark has over 30 years' experience in the energy sector and has advised in more than 50 jurisdictions around the world acting in both developed and emerging markets. He is continually recognised by many of the independent publications as a leading individual within the energy and natural resources sector.

Martina Maffei

Martina Maffei is a Senior Associate in the Italian IP Disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills, with extensive experience in multi-jurisdictional cases, particularly in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, and food sectors. She represents many of the largest pharma and biotech companies on a range of regulatory issues, including marketing authorizations for medicinal products and medical devices, data exclusivity, pricing and reimbursement, compliance with standards for interactions with healthcare professionals and organizations, and transparency obligations. Martina also advises on legal and regulatory aspects of digital health solutions, as well as borderline qualification cases between food, medical devices, cosmetics, and medicinal products. Martina assists Italian and international clients with sophisticated IP and regulatory issues, including patents, trademarks, e-commerce, and the legal aspects of digital projects such as advertising strategy and social media use.

Mathias Dantin

Mathias Dantin is a highly experienced energy, natural resources and infrastructure regulatory and public law expert who has a particular focus on the evolving energy transition / decarbonisation sector. He also advises the firm's clients on their litigation and pre-litigation strategy for regulatory and public procurement matters before the administrative courts in France, the European Union and Francophone Africa. Mathias' experience spans onshore/offshore wind, solar, green hydrogen, biofuels, biogas, renewable heat, EV charging stations, carbon capture, Guarantees of Origin (GOs), White Certificates and voluntary carbon credits. He also supports developers on the energy and decarbonization aspects of new gigafactories with green ambitions (EV batteries, green steel, rare earths recycling, etc.). Mathias also offers deep knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework governing sub-surface activities in the geothermal, extractive (notably lithium), gas storage and carbon storage sectors in France. Mathias is a key member of the firm's cross-practice ESG team, with a particular focus on environmental issues. He is the founder of the Paris office Climate Change Hub and co-founder of AFEN (Association Française pour les Émissions Négatives).

Matthew Goerke

Senior International Counsel

Matthew Bonye

Partner, Head of real estate disputes

Matthew White

Managing Partner, Real Estate UK/EMEA

Michael Jacobs

Michael is Co-Head of UK Equity Corporate Finance and Co-head of UK and EMEA VC and Growth Capital EMEA & Americas

Michael Armandou

Michaël Armandou is a partner based in the Paris office of Herbert Smith Freehills specialising in project structuring, development and finance in the infrastructure and energy sectors, acting for industrial sponsors and infrastructure funds, lenders, institutional investors, governments and multilateral institutions. Michaël's experience in these sectors is broad and spans transportation (ports, airports, roads, rail), digital infrastructure, social infrastructure, power generation (wind, solar, green hydrogen, geothermal, gas, co-generation etc) and biofuels. He also advises on the financing and development of new giga factories (EV batteries, green steel, etc.). In addition to his work in France and Europe, Michaël also advises on projects in emerging markets, including in Latin America, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Francophone Africa.

Michael Hunt

Partner

Michael Poulton

Michael focuses on all types of securitisation and structured finance work. He brings a deep commercial understanding to transactions, advising arrangers, lead managers, originators, issuers, private equity, hedge funds, trustees, rating agencies and other market participants, often on complex and first-of-a-kind financings. Since 2009 Michael has been consistently recognised for his expertise and is currently ranked highly in all of the major legal directories.

Michael Aherne

Partner

Mike Flockhart

Mike is Managing Partner for Corporate and Regional Head of Practice for Corporate, UK and specialises in M&A and ECM transactions.

Miriam Everett

Miriam is a partner and Global Head of Data and Privacy. Miriam leads the firm's data protection and privacy practice and has over 15 years' experience in data advising clients on complex issues in this highly regulated area. Miriam's experience in the data space includes advising clients on the full life-cycle of data protection issues including policy design and implementation, global compliance advice, disaster recovery, data retention and destruction, and data breaches. Miriam advises a number of clients both domestically in the UK as well as international clients who are nonetheless subject to the extra-territorial application of the GDPR. As well as providing advice to clients, Miriam is heavily involved in the firm's thought leadership, including analysis of legal and industry developments and their impact for the benefit of both clients and our practice. She has been interviewed on Talk Radio about GDPR; been quoted numerous times in Law360, Financial News, and other publications regarding GDPR and data issues, and spoken at numerous external events including the BSI Conference at the British Embassy in Seoul and the AFME European Compliance & Legal Conference. Miriam is also an active participant in a number of external data law committees, including the City of London Law Society Data Law Committee; the LexisNexis Data Protection Intelligence Group; and the Franco-British Data Society.

Monde Coto

Monde is a Director based in our Johannesburg office. Monde specialises in venture capital, private M&A transactions and equity capital markets transactions. Monde has advised on numerous listings and capital raises on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, including rights offers across the London Stock Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. He also advises clients on general corporate matters, including corporate governance and the ongoing obligations of listed entities. Monde has unique and leading experience when it comes to South African venture capital transactions as prior to rejoining Herbert Smith Freehills in November 2023, Monde was the General Counsel for Naspers Foundry, the largest venture capital fund in South Africa at the time. As General Counsel, Monde was the lead and primary lawyer on Naspers Foundry investments.

Natasha Johnson

Natasha is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team in our London office.

Neil Warriner

Partner

Niall Crean

Niall is a senior associate in the Herbert Smith Freehills London Remuneration & Incentives team who specialises in employee incentives and remuneration, advising listed and private companies.

Nic Patmore

Senior Associate

Nicholas Downing

Partner, head of non-contentious construction

Nicholas Turner

Partner

Nick Altini

Nick has twenty years of experience in legal practice. He has previously been the department head for competition law at one of South Africa's leading national law firms, and in the Johannesburg office of a global business law firm.

Nick Clayton

Contentious Tax

Nick Pantlin

Nick heads our TMT, Digital & Sourcing practice in the UK and is Global Co-Head of our Technology Sector Group Nick specialises in advising private and public sector clients on UK and multi-jurisdictional technology procurement, digital and business transformation, outsourcing, IT service provision, major systems implementation, communications, software development, licensing, cloud, e-commerce, cyber security, data protection, data commercialisation and complex commercial projects. Nick advises extensively on the use and adoption of technologies such as blockchain/DLT, AI, machine learning and automation. His expertise extends across multiple industry sectors.

Nick Wright

Nick is a Partner in the Herbert Smith Freehills London Employment team.

Nigel Farr

Nigel specialises in investment fund work. Acting for asset managers, the funds they manage and investment banks and brokers, he has been involved in numerous London and Euronext listed public fund launches, secondary capital raisings, takeovers, proxy battles, capital reorganisations and reconstructions. He also handles private fund formation work. Nigel has extensive experience of a wide variety of fund structures and asset classes, including real estate, infrastructure, private equity, hedge fund and other investment strategies. His practice also includes regulatory and other advisory work for asset managers, the funds under their management and their boards of directors and institutional investors.

Nina Bowyer

Nina Bowyer is an energy and natural resources partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and Managing Partner of the firm's offices in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Nina is based in the firm's Paris office and is dual English law and French law qualified. Nina works with a broad range of clients on single and multi-jurisdictional mergers, acquisitions and disposals, joint venture structuring, project development and related financing arrangements in the oil, gas, power and mining sectors. Although Nina has particular experience in helping clients with their transactions and projects in Africa, she also works on matters in France/Europe (mainly gas related), South America, Asia and the Middle East.

Nish Dissanayake

Nish is Partner in our Investment Funds & Asset Management team.

Nusrat Zar

Partner

Patrick Hirsch

Patrick is a lawyer with 30 years' experience, he specialises in project development and project finance, including public private partnerships. Patrick acts for both borrowers and lenders in South Africa and other African countries across a range of industries. In more recent years, his practice has concentrated on the energy transition.

Patrick Leyden

Patrick is a Corporate Partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group in Johannesburg. Patrick is a corporate and regulatory lawyer practicing across a number of industry sectors but specialising in the mining and energy sectors within Sub-Saharan Africa. His experience includes domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, private equity, and black economic empowerment and indigenisation transactions. Patrick regularly advises JSE-listed mining companies on compliance with domestic mining legislation and has acted for a number of multinational banks in relation to precious metals transactions.

Paul Butcher

Brexit Director

Paul Lewis

Joint Managing Partner of the global disputes practice

Paul Ellerman

Paul is a Partner and co-head of the Herbert Smith Freehills London Remuneration & Incentives team, specialising in remuneration and employee incentives.

Paul Chases

Partner, Head of corporate real estate

Peter Dalton

Partner

Peter Frost

Consultant

Philip Pfeffer

Philip is a partner specialising in product liability in the dispute resolution team.

Pietro Pouché

Pietro Pouché is a partner in the Italian IP Disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills, with extensive experience in intellectual property disputes, including trademark, design, and patent litigation. He assists clients in exploiting and protecting valuable IP assets across various industries such as TMT, energy, consumer products, and fashion. Pietro has significant expertise in data protection, TMT regulatory issues, and transactional matters involving IP assets. He is known for his work in complex cross-border IP litigations, commercial transactions, and regulatory matters, representing clients before judicial courts and in international arbitrations in jurisdictions like China, India, and the US. His practice also covers general commercial dispute resolution, making him a well-regarded commercial litigator in the market. Pietro is a lecturer at the Master in Fashion Law at the University of Milan and other courses on International Private Law. He regularly speaks at seminars on IP issues organized by associations such as Indicam, AICIPI, and the International Trademark Association, as well as on ESG matters and cultural appropriation issues.

Rachel Lidgate

Rachel is a Partner and solicitor advocate in the firm's dispute resolution division in London.

Rachel Pinto

Partner

Rebecca Major

Rebecca Major is a corporate partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and head of the Paris office Energy, Mining and Infrastructure practice. She also co-led the firm's energy and natural resources team in Tokyo for 5 years. Rebecca specialises in acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and projects in the energy (oil & gas, renewables, power and energy transition projects, such as batteries, green steel and green hydrogen) and mining sectors. She has many years of experience of doing cross-border work, particularly in Europe and Africa, but also has substantial experience in Asia, South America and the Middle East. Rebecca is a British and French national who is qualified to advise on English and French law.

Reza Dadbakhsh

Partner with a focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors

Richard Norridge

Richard is a disputes partner and heads up the firm's Private Wealth and Charities Group as well as the Trust disputes practice.

Richard Forsdyke

Partner

Robert Hunt

Partner

Ross Lomax

Ross is a Corporate partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group in the Johannesburg office. His practice focuses on M&A (largely private sector) and general corporate work. He is a leading corporate lawyer in South Africa with 20 years of experience acting for well-known local and international mining, commercial and industrial companies with a particular focus on the energy sector. Ross represents a wide range of clients including listed and unlisted South African corporates and multinational corporations. He has acted for clients in all sectors with a recent focus on Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transactions and transactions in the renewable energy, mining and telecommunications sectors. Ross also specialises in the corporate components of project work. He has advised on approximately 40 renewable energy projects under the auspices of the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Programme (REIPP). Ross also assists clients with investigations, complaints and charges initiated by regulatory bodies such as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Competition Commission and the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA). He has dealt with offences such as insider trading, market manipulation, trading in closed periods and price fixing. Ross provides corporate support on commercial litigation matters relating to, amongst others, disputes arising from allegations of breach of contract and breaches of the Companies Act.

Rudolph du Plessis

Rudolph is a Partner in the Corporate Practice in the Herbert Smith Freehills Johannesburg Office. He is an experienced Corporate and M&A lawyer specialising in private and public M&A and equity capital raising transactions. Rudolph is a well-established and respected practitioner in the South African M&A market. Having practised for more than 25 years, he has seen a split between domestic work for South African clients, work for multinationals investing in South Africa and Sub-Saharan work for domestic and multinational clients. Rudolph advises a number of JSE listed companies on corporate governance and the South African Companies Act. Rudolph specialises in private and public M&A and equity capital raising transactions. He advises corporates, banks and private capital investors. He also has particular expertise in cross-border M&A transactions and regularly advises foreign companies on investment in South Africa.

Rupert Lewis

Partner, Head of Banking Litigation

Sakurayuki

Partner

Samantha Brown

Partner

Sandhya Foster

Sandhya is a director based in Johannesburg, specialising in competition law. Sandhya has experience covering a broad range of competition law related matters including prohibited practices (advisory and litigation as well as assisting with corporate leniency applications), merger control, market inquiries and dawn raids. She often provides competition law compliance advice and has regularly assisted clients with compliance audits, programmes and training. Sandhya's expertise extends beyond South Africa to sub-Saharan Africa where she regularly provides multi-jurisdictional merger control advice and has assisted on multi-jurisdictional merger filings both in Africa and EMEA.

Sara Balice

Sara Balice is an Of Counsel in the IP disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills, with over 15 years of experience. She specializes in IP law, advising both local and international clients on contentious and non-contentious matters. Her expertise covers patents, trademarks, design, copyright, trade secrets, and unfair competition. Sara is particularly focused on the life sciences industry, where she is involved in complex multijurisdictional patent and SPC litigations, often representing originator companies against generics. Sara also has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating IP license agreements, clinical trial agreements, and material transfer agreements, and she advises on product advertising in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. She is known for her high technical knowledge and has built strong relationships with clients due to her legal acumen and litigation skills. Recognized by international and Italian legal publications, Sara's practice spans multiple industries, including healthcare, life sciences, consumer goods, fashion, TMT, industrial, and automotive.

Sarah Ries-Coward

Sarah is a corporate partner, advising clients on corporate finance transactions and projects, including ECM, public M&A and ESG.

Sarah Burman

Sarah is a Corporate Senior Associate in the firm's Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group. Sarah is a corporate lawyer with experience in advising clients on M&A transactions in a wide range of sectors. Sarah has a particular focus on renewable energy and specialises in the corporate aspects of project work (from the development stage to the commercial operation stage) as well as M&A transactions in the renewable energy secondary market. Her experience includes advising multinational clients on renewable energy transactions in South Africa and Southern Africa.

Sarah McNally

Partner and global practice area lead for Insurance Disputes

Sebastian Moore

Partner and Head of Intellectual Property, UK

Shantanu Naravane

Shantanu is a corporate lawyer, specialising in funds and asset management.

Shaun Lee

Shaun is a corporate partner with a focus on non-contentious work for clients in the financial services sector. Shaun advises financial services businesses and sponsors on a range of corporate transactions including M&A, equity matters, joint ventures, restructurings and management incentive arrangements. He has significant experience advising financial investors and private equity backed companies in the insurance intermediary, asset and wealth management, and private real estate sectors.

Shona Grey

Partner

Silke Goldberg

Silke Goldberg is a Partner in our Global Energy group and the Global Head of ESG

Simon Clarke

Partner

Stephen Wilkinson

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. He is General Editor of the leading Butterworths text "Takeovers – Law and Practice" and has written widely on M&A matters.

Stephen Newby

Stephen is a corporate partner who specialises in investment fund & asset management.

Steven Dalton

Partner, specialising in the energy and natural resources sector

Stewart Payne

Stewart is a senior associate in the competition practice, based in Johannesburg. Stewart has assisted clients on various aspects of competition law, including in relation to merger control, market inquiries, exemptions, cartel and other prohibited practices and involving both litigious and advisory work. Stewart been involved in a number of complex and high-profile matters across these areas. He provides ongoing advice and support to certain key clients of the firm, including in the telecoms, digital markets, FMCG and agro-processing sectors. He has also assisted in competition compliance audits and training. In addition, Stewart has assisted clients on various regulatory matters including in the broadcasting, sugar and transport sectors. Although primarily focussed on South Africa, Stewart has worked on a range of matters involving merger control and anti-competitive practices across other sub-Saharan African jurisdictions as well, notably in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and in relation to the COMESA competition law regime.

Susannah Cogman

Partner

Thomas Vaughan

Thomas is Of Counsel in the firm’s Corporate division specialising in equity capital markets transactions.

Thomas Herman

Thomas is an Of Counsel based in the Paris office of Herbert Smith Freehills. He is a French-law qualified lawyer with a public contract law academic background who advises on contractual arrangements and regulatory issues relating to the development, construction (including EPC related disputes), financing, acquisition and transfer of projects and other transactions in France and internationally, including notably North Africa (in particular Algeria) and sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets. Thomas has a particular focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors, spanning renewables, biomass, oil & gas, telecoms/digital infrastructure, data centres and transport. He also advises on gigafactories and energy storage projects.

Tim Leaver

Partner Tim is an employment and partnership lawyer in the London Employment team.

Tim West

Tim specialises in investment funds work and has been involved in numerous fund launches, secondary capital raisings and fund reconstructions, primarily in relation to closed ended investment vehicles (across multiple asset classes and including structured and alternative investment products) where he has led in relation to some of the largest and most complex and innovative structures both in the UK and globally. His practice also includes regulatory and similar own account work for asset managers and their funds.