Morrison Foerster has a steady flow of work on large cross-border matters. It has a strong employment-related investigations practice. In addition, it frequently advises its major international clients on complex senior employee exits, on issues relating to restraint of trade, and on the protection of business interests. Working with its global corporate, technology and outsourcing teams, it often advises on the human resource aspects of multi-jurisdictional deals and outsourcings. Annabel Gillham leads the team. Oliver Spratt is highly recommended.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Fantastic team / very collaborative. Highly recommend. Annabel Gillham and Oliver Spratt.’

  • ‘Partners and associates demonstrate a sincere desire to get to know the company and the case in all its intricacies. The team worked collaboratively with us to ensure the case was comprehensively explored.'

  • ‘Oliver Spratt - I valued his ability to quickly grasp the details of the case, provide options for progress, and support our choice of path without judgement.' 

  • 'Oliver demonstrated the ability to quickly build rapport and trust, and showed exceptional knowledge in the relevant law and its practical applications.' 

  • ‘Efficient and solutions-focused.’

  • ‘Oliver Spratt is exceptional: responsive, commercial, and highly knowledgeable. He is absolutely a trusted adviser, and we value his advice immensely.’

  • 'Oliver Spratt did an excellent job leading due diligence activity and supporting deal and contracting requirements on a recent M&A project. Lara King provided superb and very efficient support on many contract drafts within the same M&A project.'
  • 'Very flexible and supportive. Really clear language and explanations. Highly practical approach.'

Key clients

  • Arm
  • SoftBank
  • SoftBank Vision Fund II
  • Kyowa Kirin
  • ARKA Group
  • Imerys
  • Alpine Investors

Work highlights

  • Advised Arm Holdings plc (Arm) on the UK employment law aspects of its blockbuster $5.22bn listing on Nasdaq, the largest IPO of 2023 globally.
  • Advised Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. on the employment law aspects of its acquisition of Orchard Therapeutics plc, a global gene therapy leader listed on NASDAQ.
  • Advised Imerys on employment law matters related to its joint venture with British Lithium to accelerate development of the UK’s largest lithium deposit.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Annabel Gillham

Other key lawyers

Oliver Spratt, Lara King