Corporate Finance

Our reputation for excellence in corporate finance law gives our clients confidence that when we're at the helm, we will guide them successfully through complex deals.

Our client base extends throughout the UK to international businesses with UK interests. We advise on start-ups, MBO/Is, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, IPOs, private equity funding and joint ventures, as well as undertaking general corporate advisory work. Many of our team have spent time working in the City and regularly advise quoted companies, and on transactions involving the Listing Rules, the AIM rules and the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.

Corporate governance and best practice is a growing area of importance for listed and non-listed businesses.  Burness has played a leading role in the creation of the IoD's Corporate Governance Unit, designed as a focal point for access to up-to-date materials on this subject.

In venture and development capital matters, our team has great experience in protecting equity investments, and we drive a hard bargain for companies seeking equity funding. We also have unrivalled experience in relation to using Scottish limited partnerships for private equity funds described as an "efficient and sound practice" in Chambers UK.

On capital markets matters, we regularly act on behalf of merchant bankers and brokers in connection with placings, rights issues and other forms of public offers. Where appropriate we act as authorised persons under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to approve the issue of documents by clients.

Harnessing expertise across related legal disciplines in intellectual property and technology, pensions, employment, tax, property and competition/EU law means our team delivers the highest quality due diligence service, as well as advice on the structuring and implementing corporate reorganisations.

Take corporate tax for example where we are singled out in legal directories like Chambers UK as "securing recommendations from clients for a commercial and switched on service."

The impact of EU legislation cannot be ignored. We ensure that the potential effects of Scottish, UK and European developments are carefully considered against your commercial objectives by assessing their relevance and providing appropriate guidance.

We advise commercial clients on:

  • EU and UK merger control
  • competition due diligence on acquisition and sales of businesses
  • cartel inquiries, including the new criminal cartel offence
  • pricing practices and regulatory controls
  • competition compliance programmes
  • EC and UK dawn raid procedures
  • the Enterprise Act 2002.

"for corporate finance work the team really delivers" Chambers UK 2009

"personable, experienced and commercial" Legal 500 2009

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