England - London • Corporate and commercial
Gowling WLG
Noted for its significant international footprint, the corporate practice at Gowling WLG fields a cross-disciplinary team of ‘responsive’ lawyers that sit across the life sciences, real estate, healthcare, energy, and advanced engineering sectors. The team is led by and co-head of the firm’s India group, Sunil Kakkad, and the head of the London M&A and private equity team Gareth Baker, a specialist in corporate energy and infrastructure transactions who is described as ’results driven, pragmatic and a shrewd negotiator.’ The ‘excellent’ Neil Hendron is praised for his ’practical and pragmatic’ advice in high-value private company M&A transactions – particularly in the healthcare and life sciences industries. European PE head Ian Piggin regularly advises biotech companies, life sciences investors and mid-market private equity firms. Other key lawyers include Hugh Maule and Jeffrey Elway.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘I have always found that they consider the business as a whole when working on specific projects for us. They also think outside the box beyond the pure legal advice where they can add value.’
‘Gareth Baker is our partner, and he is the proponent of the holistic approach to advising on activities as they may impact the wider business so thinks outside the box and brings value added ideas to the table. He imparts this approach to his team and also maintains an active if watching brief to ensure consistency.’
‘Gowling's practice acts in relation to a number of leading deals in the market and have good experience in a number of key sectors. The team are particularly responsive and go the extra mile to get deals done for clients.’
‘Gareth Baker is results driven, pragmatic and a shrewd negotiator. Neil Hendron is excellent. Roisin Bergin is an up-and-coming talent that is very dedicated and shows great client care.’
‘In my experience, Neil Hendron is first class for M&A. He is very responsive, displays great attention to detail, is pragmatic and practical.’
‘Neil Hendron is highly technical, but also user friendly. He is practical and pragmatic, whilst also using fact to argue his case well. He is always well prepared in his understanding of the transaction, the history and the detail, really sets him apart.’
Key clients
- Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp.
- Eelpower Limited
- Shareholders of Gladman Development Limited
- Island Green Power Limited
- Reorg Research Inc.
- Shareholders of FI1 Limited
- Brockwell Energy Limited
- AssetCo plc
- Exagen Group Limited
- Mobeus
- Revolution Bars Group plc
- Shareholders of PRIMA Regulated Markets Ltd
- Odyssey Inns Ltd
- Medux
- Nedbank Private Wealth
- Sceptre Hospitality Resources
- The Independent Builders Merchant Group
- Kelso Pharma
Work highlights
- Supported Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Perkins Coie as co-lead counsel on the acquisition of Qenta Inc., a financial technology company created to digitize the world’s assets and transactions, for $622 million USD by Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company.
- Advised long-standing client and UK specialist battery storage company, Eelpower, on its new £550 million GBP partnership with Renewable Power Capital, a pan-European renewable energy investment platform backed by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
- Advised the shareholders of land promoter Gladman Developments Limited on its £250 million sale to national sustainable house-builder Barratt Developments.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Sunil Kakkad, Gareth Baker