Shoosmiths' corporate team celebrates landmark year

Shoosmiths’ corporate practice completed over £10.4bn worth of transactions in 2024, marking its busiest ever year.

The team advised on over 370 deals, with average deal size increasing for each of its key practice areas. 

In the last three years alone, average deal size has increased by over 200% for its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) practice; 100% for its private equity (PE) practice; and 280% for venture capital (VC) transactions, a demonstration of the high-profile and high-quality standard of work that the firm continues to win and deliver for its client base and establishing Shoosmiths as a leading mid-market specialist.

Highlights for 2024 include its M&A team ranking as the most active law firm advising on M&A transactions in London (according to Experian Market IQ 2024 reports). Standout deals include advising global chemicals company FOSROC on its $1.025bn sale to Saint-Gobain – providing multi-disciplinary services across multiple practice areas and jurisdictions.  

The firm’s VC practice has also been recognised as the most active law firm advising on VC transactions in the UK for the fourth year in a row, and the second most active law firm across Europe, according to PitchBook’s 2024 global league tables. Significant deal updates from the firm’s VC team in 2024 included advising international investment firm DTCP on leading a $80m Series B investment into UK-based robotics and data intelligence company start-up Dexory and supporting VC firm Lakestar on its investment as part of a $50 million series C fundraise into spend optimisation platform Vertice.

2024 was also a monumental year for Shoosmiths’ PE team, advising on over 60 deals with an aggregate value of £5bn – building on its reputation for excellence in the mid-market. Standout transactions include: supporting Five Arrows (the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co) on its on its acquisition of Rimes; and advising Norland Capital and the management team of Finova (a leading provider of mortgage and savings origination and servicing software in the UK) on a majority investment by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities.

Shoosmiths’ public markets team also celebrated a stand-out year, winning Capital Markets Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2024. This award recognised the firm’s public markets team being at the forefront of major public to private deals in the UK, a standout transaction including advising Hipgnosis Songs Fund on its $1.6bn takeover from private equity investor Blackstone. 

Ben Turner, partner and national head of Shoosmiths’ corporate team, commented: “2024 has been an exceptional year for Shoosmiths. Our corporate practice has seen unprecedented growth, completing over £10.4bn worth of transactions. This success is a testament to the dedication, hard work and expertise of our team, who have consistently delivered high-quality work across the firm’s key practice areas and sectors. Corporate is a chosen market for Shoosmiths, and such impressive transactions, market rankings and award wins reaffirm Shoosmiths’ leading credentials as the go-to advisor in the mid-market.”