Goodwin

With the breakneck pace of technology disrupting industries around the world, our London-based team of 220+ lawyers is embracing change to help clients make a lasting and meaningful impact. As part of what is widely recognised as one of the fastest growing international firms in London, our lawyers are deeply experienced in the life sciences, technology, real estate and private equity sectors and are supported by significant on-the-ground capabilities in debt financing, intellectual property, privacy and cybersecurity, regulatory, restructuring, tax and litigation and dispute resolution.

In 2019 we also launched our Cambridge office in the heart of the high-technology Silicon Fen, and home to one of the world’s largest and most innovative life sciences clusters, as well as some of the most disruptive technology and life sciences companies. The firm’s on-the-ground presence in Cambridge further expands our lawyers’ ability to support clients in these sectors through our unique capital-meets-innovation platform in Europe, and solidifies Goodwin’s position as the leading firm in the UK and European life sciences and technology markets.

Real estate: Our real estate lawyers provide a genuinely integrated offering from structuring funds, products and vehicles, to the acquisition, financing, development, restructuring and disposal of real estate assets through direct and indirect investments, as well as complex international hospitality + leisure transactions.

Private equity: Our private equity lawyers counsel on all areas of private equity and mergers and acquisitions, with a special emphasis on middle market private equity and growth investments, alongside our renowned private funds team, which provides counsel at every stage of the fund life cycle.

Technology and life sciences: Our technology and life sciences lawyers help high growth businesses, public companies, investors and investment banks capitalise on opportunities and minimise risks in rapidly evolving markets. We offer clients industry-leading technology, life sciences and healthcare practices recognized for serving clients along the corporate life cycle globally.

Private investment funds: Goodwin’s London funds team uniquely covers the full range of private investment funds including private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, infrastructure funds, debt funds, impact and responsible investing funds, emerging market funds, hedge funds and listed funds as well as various large-scale GP led structures.

Tax: Our tax team have extensive experience of the tax issues affecting the private equity, infrastructure and real estate industries. This sector focus means that our tax team can save you time and money by delivering pragmatic and commercially relevant advice grounded not only in technical expertise and experience but also in a deep understanding of the issues affecting the markets in which you operate. By working as integral parts of our transaction and fund formation teams to ensure that tax advice is robustly implemented, our tax lawyers minimise the risk of challenge by a tax authority and the cost and possible reputational damage that can result from such a challenge.

Restructuring: Our London financial restructuring lawyers represent every type of major stakeholder in distressed situations. The restructuring and insolvency advice provided by our team complements the other services provided by Goodwin during the full life cycle of each company and investment to achieve the optimum outcome for stakeholders

Litigation: Our London team has over 20 years’ experience advising investment and retail banks, funds, issuers, bondholders and other financial counter-parties in the resolution of complex corporate disputes, often with a cross-border element. The team has litigated across many different fields of finance, with a particular focus on investment banking, structured finance and funds litigation.

Regulatory: Our regulatory team is uniquely positioned to address the cutting-edge issues that can maximize business opportunities as well as better manage and mitigate risk. Our team of specialists represent investment managers on the formation, offering and operation of investment products including real estate, private equity, infrastructure + energy, private debt, hedge, venture funds, fund of funds, and joint ventures.  We have experience advising clients on matters under the EU AIFMD, EU MIFID, UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s Rules and are currently helping clients navigate their way through the post-Brexit landscape. We also advise clients on issues relating to the US Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the US Investment Company Act of 1940 including registration and compliance matters.

Privacy and cybersecurity:  Goodwin’s team focuses on technology transactions and the commercialisation of technology, data and intellectual property rights, and counsels on related EU regulatory compliance, including EU data protection (GDPR), privacy and cybersecurity and EU competition “safe harbour” regimes and EU agency laws.

Employment: Goodwin’s employment team advises clients on issues in all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law, including on the employment law aspects of corporate disposals and acquisitions.