In a year in which strategic acquisitions returned to the market, there was no shortage of outstanding performances — both from established names and rising stars. A respected performer for years, Robert Stern was one of Slaughter and May’s more visible partners over the past 12 months advising Ineos on a £5bn acquisition from BP and advising on the £1.1bn bid for McCarthy & Stone.
Likewise, Herbert Smith’s Gareth Roberts had already been cited as a name to watch before taking the lead on BAA’s well-executed sale to Ferrovial, arguably the most closely-watched UK deal of the year.
Elsewhere, Ian Bagshaw rose to the challenge of standing out from the ranks of Clifford Chance’s much-vaunted City private equity practice after handling major instructions for Blackstone and Macquarie, two of the most coveted sponsors of the year. Having only made partner in 2004, the Eversheds-trained lawyer looks an outstanding prospect for the City giant.
The stand-out performance outside London came from Eversheds partner Danny Hall, who led the team for the £1.5bn sale of telecoms retailer The Caudwell Group — raising the bar for corporate mandates that can be run outside of the City. And the role was no fluke, with Hall in recent years establishing himself as a major contributor to Eversheds’ punch-above-weight Manchester corporate team.
Ultimately, the running was between two lawyers with impeccable M&A credentials. For many, Mark Rawlinson has become the face of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s City corporate team. Certainly it is hard to think of many other UK lawyers who have notched up so many business-critical deals.
The business-critical deal that in 2006 vied with BAA/Ferrovial for column inches was P&O’s £3bn sale to Dubai Ports World, a politically controversial sale and the perfect illustration of the kind of infrastructure/utilities acquisitions that defined the M&A year.
Mike Francies, meanwhile, appears to be not only the face of Weil Gotshal & Manges’ City team but half the body as well, with the self-confessed deal-junkie continuing to drive the New York firm’s private equity-heavy London offering with tireless energy.
Having joined Weil Gotshal eight years ago, Francies still stands as the most successful UK corporate lawyer to join a US firm.
As with Rawlinson, despite winning respect from colleagues and rivals, Francies remains refreshingly down-to-earth in an area not short of prima donnas and egomaniacs.
The pair are the kind of partners in danger of giving corporate lawyers a good name, but Francies wins it by a nose.
Commended: Mark Rawlinson, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Shortlisted: Ian Bagshaw, Clifford Chance, Danny Hall, Eversheds, Gareth Roberts, Herbert Smith, Robert Stern, Slaughter and May
