Primarily operating across the TMT, fintech, and energy industries, the ‘impressive’ Herbert Smith Freehills LLP practice is heavily praised for its work in complex venture capital and growth equity transactions on behalf of both companies and investors. Michael Jacobs and Dylan Doran Kennett co-lead the outfit; the former is an expert on IPOs and M&A transactions, while the latter is particularly knowledgeable in the life sciences and sport sectors. Other key figures include Joseph Dennis, who represents financial investors and portfolio companies in fundraisings, and David D’Souza, a private equity M&A specialist.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘100% client focused and always looking to find creative solutions.’
‘An impressive, very experienced team who are able to advise and lead companies from an early stage through their entire life cycles. Have recently enhanced their VC offering and credentials with the addition of Dylan Doran Kennett.’
‘Michael Jacobs - a phenomenal corporate lawyer with a wealth of experience across many sectors and many complex deals.'
- 'Dylan Doran Kennett - an excellent, approachable VC lawyer whose background means that he genuinely understands entrepreneurs and their needs on deals, as well as understanding the drivers for investors. A brilliant addition to the HSF team.’
Key clients
- Streambased Limited
- Tandem Bank
- DIF Capital Partners
- Impact Oil & Gas Limited
- Aquiline Capital Partners
- Apis Partners
- SC Ventures
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Work highlights
- Advised Streambased Limited on their pre-seed round of $800,000 from Seedcamp (one of the largest seed-stage venture capital funds in Europe), First Momentum Ventures and TK Management.
- Assisted Aquiline Capital Partners LLC ("Aquiline") on its Series-E minority investment in Smart Pension Limited. Aquiline led the round of growth capital funding, with over £75 million ($95 million) raised in aggregate.
- Advised DIF Capital Partners on a £200 million investment into Field, a London-headquartered dedicated developer and operator of battery energy storage systems.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Michael Jacobs, Dylan Doran Kennett