Giles is a partner in the Equity Capital Markets and Public M&A group in London. He is a specialist in advising on securities regulation and on listed company transactions, including takeovers and other stock market regulated M&A transactions (cross-border and domestic), initial public offerings, reverse takeovers, public equity fundraisings and other equity capital markets transactions involving companies listed on the Main Market or AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Giles was seconded for two years to the UK Takeover Panel and is one of a select number of lawyers in the UK with cutting edge experience of takeovers gained both in private practice and at the competent authority for regulating takeovers and mergers in the UK. Whilst in private practice, Giles has advised on over 50 public takeover bids. Example takeover transactions include the recommended takeover offers for Latchways plc, Plethora Solutions Holdings plc, Creston plc and Electric Word plc. He advises listed issuers as well as financial advisers and brokers such as finnCap, Nplus1 Singer, Peel Hunt, Shore Capital & Corporate, Smith Square Partners, Stockdale Securities and VSA Capital.
England - London • Corporate and commercial
Addleshaw Goddard
Fielding a team of ‘top quality lawyers for the mid-market’, Addleshaw Goddard is well known in the market for its ECM work, including IPOs and secondary fundraisings. As advisors to the takeovers regulator, the team is uniquely well-placed to advise on public M&A transactions, for which it has extensive expertise. Practice head Nick Pearey is supported by experienced ECM lawyer Giles Distin and mid-market public M&A specialist Simon Wood, the latter of whom is praised as a ’go-to public takeovers lawyer’.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Top quality lawyers for the mid-market. Genuinely partner-led.’
‘Simon Wood is my go-to public takeovers lawyer. Experienced and commercial, always looking for solutions rather than problems, takes responsibility and drives things forward.’
‘Straightforward, pragmatic advice’
‘Giles Distin is a trusted partner of our business’
‘Team really easy to work with and understand the fundamentals of what is required.’
Key clients
- AdvancedAdvT Limited
- AlGihaz Holding Company
- Allenby Capital
- Alpha Financial Markets Consulting plc
- Berenberg
- B.P. Marsh & Partners plc
- Brand Architekts plc
- Curtis Banks Group plc
- Fenchurch Advisory Partners LLP
- finnCap
- genedrive plc
- GENinCode plc
- Investec Bank
- J.P. Morgan Securities
- K3 Capital Group plc
- LBG Media plc
- Liberum Capital
- musicMagpie plc
- NAHL Group plc
- Peel Hunt
- Rothermere Continuation Limited
- Sanne Group plc
- Shore Capital & Corporate
- Singer Capital Markets
- Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Stifel)
- Team17 Group plc
- Yourgene Health plc
Work highlights
- Advised Rothermere Continuation Limited on its successful £3bn reorganisation and takeover offer for Daily Mail and General Trust plc.
- Advised Sanne Group plc on competing takeover offers from Cinven and The Apex Group, culmination in a recommended takeover offer being made by Apex.
- Advised AdvancedAdvT on its hostile £300m all-share takeover offer for AIM-listed M&C Saatchi.
Lawyers
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Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Nick Pearey