Shaun is a corporate lawyer specialising in mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate governance advisory work.
Shaun has advised on a broad range of corporate transactions, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, initial public offerings (IPOs) and secondary capital raises, and other aspects of corporate law.
He has a wealth of experience advising on both listed company and private company transactions across a range of sectors, including natural resources and energy transition, financial services, consumer products and technology, media and telecommunications.
Shaun also regularly assists listed companies with corporate governance, crisis management, regulation and compliance matters.
He has previously spent time on secondment to the M&A legal team at BHP.
He is noted as a key lawyer for metals and mining in Legal 500 UK (2024) and was listed in MergerLinks inaugural list of the top 25 up-and-coming lawyers most active on UK listed company deals (2022).
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
- Ferrexpo plc on various matters including its crisis management response to the incursion by Russian armed forces into Ukraine, the sale of its interest in Ferrous Resources (owner of an iron ore mine in Brazil), two bond exchange offers, an independent review into charitable donations made to a Ukrainian charity, on-going matters relating to allegations in Ukraine concerning its controlling shareholder and corporate governance matters
- BHP on various matters, including on divestments of significant mining assets and corporate governance matters
- ArcelorMittal on its global review of tailings dam liabilities
- Yancoal on aspects of its acquisition of Rio Tinto’s coal assets in the Hunter Valley, Australia
- Excalibur Steel on its bid for Tata Steel UK
- Mercuria Energy Group on the disposal of its interest in Tailwind Energy to Serica Energy, and its debt and equity investment in Angus Energy
- ClearBank on its establishment as the UK's first new clearing bank in 250 years, various capital raisings and commercial matters (including its commercial collaboration with Tide), the £175 million investment by Apax Digital and matters relating to ClearBank obtaining an EU banking licence in The Netherlands
- Dawsongroup, a leading independent asset leasing business, on the sale by its current shareholders to KKR
- Tullow Oil on its proposed £1.6 billion all-share merger with Capricorn Energy
- Tryg on the £7.2 billion consortium bid with Intact Financial Corporation for RSA Insurance Group and the associated c.£4.2 billion rights issue by Tryg
- General Mills Inc., a major US-based food manufacturer and marketer, in relation to the sale of its European dough business to Cérélia
- Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM) on its re-domiciliation and domestication to the U.S., by means of a UK scheme of arrangement, and various other matters
- Plus500 on its £460 million recommended cash offer by Playtech plc
- an independent committee of Ted Baker into allegations about its founder and former CEO and its policies, procedures and handling of employee grievances
- CPPGroup on an FCA investigation into alleged mis-selling by one of CPP's regulated UK insurance intermediaries and customer redress exercise by way of a scheme of arrangement, the disposal of CPP's North American business, amendment and extension of its debt facility and takeover approach by its majority shareholder
- Petroceltic on its £350 million share for share merger with Melrose Resources Plc, subsequent possible offer from Dragon Oil and campaign by an activist shareholder
- the secured lenders on the restructuring of EnQuest PLC, including a placing and open offer to raise US$100 million of new equity
- IPOs of companies including Aldermore Group, Atlassian, EverArc Holdings, Just Eat, New Energy One Acquisition Corporation
- Secondary capital raises by companies including EverArc Holdings, KEFI Gold and Copper, San Leon Energy
Sectors
Background
Shaun has a Bachelor of Laws degree in Law from the University of Sheffield and completed the LPC at BPP Law School. He joined the firm in 2010 and qualified in 2012.
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