Formerly of RadcliffesLeBrasseur, Stephen is a member of our corporate team.
Stephen’s clients include turnaround businesses, private equity firms, sports manufacturers and retailers, property companies, marketing and management consultants, IT and leisure and entertainment.
Stephen’s specific areas of expertise include private equity, restructuring, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, joint ventures, business start-ups and company formations.
Experience
Private equity, turnaround and private investment
advising a private equity business in connection with arrangements with co-investors utilising a limited partnership as the preferred investment vehicle and advising on the terms of amendment to the limited partnership and associated documentation on subsequent further investment rounds
advising on the restructuring of a fast-food company including a funding round from existing investors, debt capitalisation and revision of the company’s articles of association, a review of the company’s existing investment arrangements and drafting a suite of new investment documentation
acting for a private investment boutique on the sale by one its portfolio companies of a wholly owned food distribution company
representing a nationwide chain of diners in relation to an investment by a second private equity firm
acting for a private investment boutique in the acquisition of an IT business providing a complete integrated suite of ICT products and services, identified for the purposes of a business turnaround opportunity. Since acquisition, Stephen has advised the company in connection with its corporate structure and corporate financing arrangements
advising on an acquisition from an administrator of a hotel business, the restructuring of that business and the raising of further external corporate finance;
as part of the strategy for the development of a turnaround business, advising on a phantom share option scheme to provide incentives to the business’s management board
representing a team of private investors in respect of an investment in a data centre company
advising the target in connection with the terms of an investment by a venture capital company
acting for a turnaround based Fund in connection with the purchase of a retail design business
representing numerous portfolio companies of a private equity firm on the terms of various incentive packages to senior executives
advising a team of private investors in relation to the start-up of a marketing company
acting on the terms of an investment within and provision of financing to a high value property development business
Mergers and acquisitions
advising on the formation of a joint venture start-up company to hold premises and operate a café and children’s soft-play facility
acting for a private equity portfolio company in relation to an acquisition of consultancy partnership business
representing a fruit drinks business from formation, through its development until its sale
advising an office equipment company from shortly after its formation, throughout its development and expansion, until acting for its shareholders on a sale
acting for a telecoms hardware, maintenance and telephone service supply group from formation to sale
advising a video to mobile business on formation, acting through the company’s development including corporate acquisitions, before acting for the majority shareholders upon the group’s sale to a NASDAQ quoted company
advising the purchaser on the acquisition of a hotel business and advising on the structure of the acquiring vehicle
acting on the acquisition and refinancing of an office equipment company, the restructuring of the acquiring company and its acquisition of related businesses to form a group dealing with the sale supply, maintenance and financing of office equipment
advising on various other share transactions including the sale and purchase of an architects business, printing business, funeral directors and internet based software development company
Reorganisations and corporate finance
advising an FSA registered advisor in relation to the provision of discretionary advisory advice to an offshore investment Fund.
advising a nationwide restaurant business on the restructuring of its share premium reserve
advising a nationwide business on the terms of a company buy-back of shares from a former executive shareholder
advising on the restructuring of an office equipment company
advising a company specialising in PC technology on the terms of the reorganisation of its leverage and security arrangements
acting for a solicitors practice on their incorporation as a limited liability partnership, and then subsequently advising in relation to the use of a partner’s pension fund as part finance for the acquisition of alternative premises and advising on the structure to facilitate the use of pension fund assets
General commercial
advising on various sponsorship arrangements in the IT and sporting arenas
advising on the terms of various franchise agreements including those relating to photocopier franchise, a telecoms service franchise and a business consultancy franchise
advising on limited liability partnership agreements; including agreements in respect of limited liability partnerships in the property development, general trading and solicitors practice fields
advising on an agreement in connection with the establishment of a national telecoms infrastructure for data communication
