Shoosmiths LLP

Corporate

Chris advises public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, capital fundraisings and restructurings and corporate governance.  He now works closely with the Corporate Divisional Head on strategic projects, including the significant level of partner recruitment being undertaken to drive the growth of our wider corporate practice. Chris also leads our corporate team in the North.

His transactional experience includes advising:

• British Gas the acquisition of JK Environmental (UK) Limited, a company providing environmental, sewer cleansing and tankering services, and ECL Contracts, which provides cladding and insulation services to a range of commercial and industrial clients;
• the family shareholders and management team on the management buyout of leading UK packaging business Benson Box, backed by LDC – voted 'Deal of the Year' at the Midlands Insider Deal Awards 2012; and
• the management team on their £41m takeover of AIM listed Workplace Systems International plc.

Under Chris' leadership the Corporate Practice Group enjoyed a period of significant growth. They were voted ‘Law Firm of the Year’ at the UK M&A Deal Awards in 2015 and in 2016 were ranked No 1 in the Experian Corpfin deal league table, handling more M&A deals in the UK than any other law firm.

Chris trained at Eversheds, becoming a partner in 1992, and led one of the corporate teams in their Birmingham office. He joined Shoosmiths in May 2006 and headed up the firm’s Corporate Practice Group from 2011 to 2017.

Hereford Cathedral School; Birmingham University (1982 LLB Hons 2(1)); College of Law, Guildford (1983 LPC/Solicitors Law Finals).

All sports, in particular an avid supporter of local football and cricket clubs. Also enjoys natural history, particularly birding.