Overview
Simon has extensive experience advising corporates, financial institutions and investment trusts on mergers and acquisitions (both public and private), joint ventures and equity capital markets transactions. He has been involved in some of the most complex and high-profile multi-jurisdictional transactions over the last few years.
Simon’s experience spans the mining, retail and consumer, and oil and gas sectors. He has extensive experience in the financial services sector, and is co-head of the firm’s bank sector.
Simon was seconded for nine months to The Royal Bank of Scotland in 2004.
Work highlights
Simon has led, or been a key adviser, on many major M&A and corporate transactions. Highlights include advising:
- Capita plc in relation to its c. £701m Rights Issue
- RBS on its consortium bid for ABN AMRO, on its £12bn rights issue, on its £45.5bn recapitalisation by H.M. Government, including entry into H.M. Government’s asset protection scheme, on the proposed disposal of Williams & Glyn and on the sale of Hoare Govett
- Deutsche Börse on its proposed and ultimately aborted £21bn merger with the London Stock Exchange
- DeBeers on the renegotiation of 10-year sales agreement with the Government of The Republic of Botswana and on its acquisition of its remaining 50% interest in De Beers Diamond Jewellers from Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy
- Anglo American on the sale of its 50% interest in the Lafarge Tarmac joint venture
- Allied Irish Banks (AIB) on the proposed listing of 25% of the company on the London and Dublin Stock Exchanges
- RBS on its investment in Bank of China and subsequent sale
- Santander Consumer Finance on its joint venture with PCA Finance, the finance arm of Peugeot
- House of Fraser on its sale to the Sanpower Group and on its acquisition of Hamleys
Education and qualifications
Simon studied modern and medieval languages at St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford.
He speaks English, French and Spanish.
