Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP provides the ‘highest levels of excellent service’ according to clients, with an integrated transatlantic offering of English and US law, experience across a variety of M&A matters and Takeover Code expertise. The practice has been expanding its remit with FTSE 100-listed companies and offers multi-faceted support on transactions through strong capabilities in shareholder activism, antitrust, foreign investment, white collar crime and regulatory risk. Team leaders include global transactions head Lorenzo Corte, an expert in cross-border transactions, contested takeovers, de-SPAC transactions and corporate governance work, and UK corporate co-heads George Knighton, who is known for his broad experience in M&A, private equity and restructuring transactions and private equity specialist Katja Butler . Other key players include public M&A specialist Scott Hopkins, who is well-versed in advising companies on legal and regulatory responsibilities, and the ’superlative’ Simon Toms, who specialises in the technology, fintech, media and telecoms sectors . John Adebiyi offers extensive knowledge and advice in relation to UK national security aspects of M&A and private equity transactions. ‘Go-to partner’ Bruce Embley regularly handles work for a range of client including international corporations and financial sponsors while Denis Klimentchenko regularly handles M&A and corporate financings. Ani Kusheva has significant experience in public company takeovers, joint ventures and private equity transactions. Counsel Sarah Knapp handles cross-border corporate transactions. The team continues to grow in terms of its client roster and bench strength, and notably added insurance M&A specialist Robert Chaplin from Slaughter and May in late 2022. Chaplin has a transactional and advisory insurance offering with extensive experience in matters involving insurers, portfolio companies, financial sponsors and private capital-owned vehicles.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Highest levels of excellent service across all material legal disciplines and relevant jurisdictions, with diverse and engaged teams. Many law firms spend a lot of time telling you about their "high performance culture" but with the Skadden team, you don't hear these sorts of platitudes, you get to witness it on a daily basis.’
‘Simon Toms is a superlative sponsor lawyer, he knows the ins and outs of all things M&A, as well as the other disciplines that matter (tax, regulatory, finance, executive compensation, etc.). He is one of our two go-to partners in London. The other being Bruce Embley who is equally as talented, with extraordinary negotiating and people skills to boot. He anticipates the moves three steps down the chess board, making our life substantially more efficient. Bruce and Simon are a pleasure to deal with, finding creative solutions to consequential challenges, allowing us to exploit opportunities without bearing undue risk. Patrick Tsitsaros is another fantastic lawyer on the Skadden team. He is partner quality at any law firm, and unflappable under pressure, a real rising star. Anxin Hua is one of the best associates I have seen in three decades of practice.'
Key clients
- Central Group and Signa
- Tom Ford International
- Gyroscope Therapeutics
- Refresco Group BV
- Spotify
- BillerudKorsnäs AB
- ASDA
- Wejo
- The shareholders of MiQ Digital Limited, including the founders of the company and ECI Partners
- Waldencast Acquisition Corp
- Sylvamo Corporation
- International Paper Company
- Adobe Inc.
- VGL Group
- SP Plus Corporation
- The Middleby Corporation
- Davidson Kempner European Partners, LLP
- Fortress Investment Group LLC
- RfXcel Corporation
- The Sage Group plc
Work highlights
- Advised Thailand’s Central Group and the Austrian property company Signa, on their joint £3.8 billion acquisition of the UK-based department store chain Selfridges.
- Advising Tom Ford International and its affiliated licensing company on the $2.8 billion sale of the TOM FORD fashion brand to The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
- Advised Gyroscope Therapeutics in relation to its acquisition by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG for up to $1.5 billion.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Lorenzo Corte - global head of transactions, Katja Butler, George Knighton – co-heads of UK corporate