I'm a UK qualified solicitor who has worked for some of the world's largest law firms, but now specialises in providing great, cost-effective advice to owner managed businesses...Read moreI'm a UK qualified solicitor who has worked for some of the world's largest law firms, but now specialises in providing great, cost-effective advice to owner managed businesses such as startups and SMEs. Together with my associates and network I cover all areas of law that may concern a business, in particular corporate transactions, commercial contracts, intellectual property and media, banking and security documents, insolvency, dispute resolution and property.
I am also experienced in advising businesses in relation to their media needs. The main areas of communications I am asked to assist on are creating and implementing social media strategies, managing social media accounts, training in the optimum ways to use social media sites, writing original and engaging copy for websites and blogs, general copywriting, drafting press releases and proof reading.
Area Covered: Worldwide
Company Name: Jonathan Lea Limited
Industry: Law
Employees: 1
Work Experience
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Job Title: Corporate & Commercial Solicitor
Company: Crawford Solicitors
Description: Crawford Solicitors are a client focused commercial law boutique with a low overhead business model that specialises in transactional work, dispute resolution, media and employment law. Clients range from the financial services sector to the creative industries, both in the UK and internationally.
From:01/Jun/2011
Job Title: Corporate & Commercial Solicitor
Company: Follett Stock LLP
Description: Follett Stock is the fastest growing firm in the South West. I was primarily responsible for advising on corporate matters (share deals, investments and acquiring/disposing of assets), but also negotiated and documented a wide range of commercial arrangements (including agency, distribution, franchise, outsourcing, supply and IT agreements) and advised on company restructurings and reorganisations, banking and security arrangements, intellectual property issues and licenses.
Main transactions included advising:
i) the founding shareholders on the sale of the leading travel website and social network www.gapyear.com to one of Australia's top 100 listed companies, as widely reported in the Australian press (http://bit.ly/diZVMF);
ii) the purchasing subsidiary of a hotel group and a bank on the acquisition of a country house hotel business and assets from administrators;
iii) the selling shareholders of a specialist engineering group of companies on the group"s reorganisation and sale via a management buyout which included secured vendor finance;
iv) the same individual on three acquisitions of South West IT and Telecommunications groups of companies;
v) on the sale of a large local residential letting business to a national estate agency company;
vi) the US parent of an international pharmaceutical group on the disposal of a manufacturing division in Cornwall to a German company, including negotiating transitional services arrangements, secured vendor finance and a long term supply agreement;
vii) the vendor on the asset sale of a multi-award winning holiday park;
viii) the founders of a UK and Singapore based commercial aircraft services and design company (winners of a Queen's Award for Enterprise) on the sale of their shareholdings to the US parent company of a multinational aviation business; and
ix) on an EIS angel investment in the operating company of an establised online organic fruit and vegetable business.
From:01/Mar/2009 To:01/Apr/2011
Job Title: Corporate Finance Solicitor
Company: Rosenblatt Solicitors
Description: Rosenblatt is a small but dynamic City firm specialising in corporate work. The firm acts for many corporate finance houses on Main Market and AIM equity capital markets work and also advises many businesses in the media and renewable energy sectors.
My work here included advising:
i) a leading marketing services provider on the disposal of a printing business with eighty employees;
ii) broker Liberum Capital Limited on the placing of new shares in an AIM listed international biomass-to-energy company;
iii) the AIM listed Digital Marketing Group plc on the acquisition of two information technology service companies;
iv) a private communications and media business on the acquisition of a financial public relations company;
v) financial adviser and broker Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Capital Markets Limited (“Kaupthing”) on the admission to the Official List in the UK of Infrastructure India plc, which raised £36.7 million by way of placing. Also assisted Kaupthing in connection with the admission to the Official List in the UK of New Britain Palm Oil Limited, which had a market capitalisation of £362 million on admission;
vi) SPG Media Group plc, an international events management and media company, on the recommended cash offer for its entire issued share capital by Progressive Capital Limited;
vii) SMC Group plc, an architects and design business, in connection with its fully underwritten open offer to shareholders to raise £15 million, with the new shares admitted to trading on AIM;
viii) an Indian textile company on the proposed acquisition of a UK chain of clothing stores; and
ix) the existing management team on the acquisition of the publicly owned emerging markets fund management company Aureos Capital Limited.
From:01/Nov/2007 To:01/Feb/2009
Job Title: Corporate Finance Solicitor
Company: Hammonds (now Squire Sanders)
Description: At the time Hammonds was a well known national law firm with 14 overseas offices (now merged with Squire Sanders, a leading US headquartered international law firm). I worked as a solicitor in the Corporate Finance and Strategy department of the firm's London office, specialising in Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") equity capital markets work and general corporate mergers and acquisitions. My work here included advising:
i) a Hong Kong listed healthcare company on its acquisition of Europe"s leading Chinese herbal medicine business, operating from over 90 outlets;
ii) the sellers of the UK"s second most successful children"s literary property, acquired by a global entertainment company backed by Apax Partners;
iii) an AIM listed recruitment company on the placing of new shares to finance its acquisition of India"s largest independent executive recruitment business;
iv) a UK corporate broker on the AIM admission of a large confectionary company; and
v) a Mayfair-based investment banking business on its pre-merger reorganisation.
From:01/Sep/2006 To:01/Nov/2007
Job Title: Trainee Solicitor
Company: Clyde & Co
Description: Clyde & Co is one of the pre-eminent UK firms in the City, has an international network of over 20 offices and is the largest and oldest law firm in the Middle East. Prior to joining in 2004, I was sponsored by Clyde & Co through my two years at The College of Law.
In Dubai I worked on varied matters in different Gulf jurisdictions, including the establishment of companies, employment, IP and property matters, advising France"s leading oil exploration company on a joint venture with Saudi Arabia"s state run oilfield services company and a British expatriate run, Gulf based oil services company on its successful flotation on AIM, following which the company achieved a market capitalisation in excess of £700 million.
In the UK my work included advising on a private placement for a well known premium lager brand, restructuring a large pharmaceutical group of companies and assisting with the successful defence of the Government in the largest ever class action brought in the UK (working with Jonathan Sumption QC) and a professional negligence claim relating to a high profile Formula One dispute.
From:01/Sep/2004 To:01/Sep/2006
Job Title: Business Lawyer and Communications Consultant
Company: CER International Ltd
Description: General commercial legal advice and ongoing advice and assistance in relation to building and managing social media profiles.
From:01/Sep/2011 To:24/Oct/2011
Education
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Summary: After obtaining high grades for my GCSEs and A Levels I won a place at the University of Bristol to study Economics & Politics, at the time the most competitive course to get into. Finding Economics a little dry, I instead combined Sociology with Politics and graduated with a high 2:1.
Following university I decided to pursue a legal career and was sponsored during my two years at law school by the international law firm Clyde & Co with whom I then undertook my training contract, working in both their London and Dubai offices and finally qualifying fully as a solicitor in 2006.
Degree: Graduate Diploma in Law
Field of Study: Legal Practice Course
University / College: College of Law
From:01/Jan/2002 To:01/Jan/2004
Degree: BSc (Joint Hons)
Field of Study: Politics and Sociology
University / College: University of Bristol
From:01/Jan/1998 To:01/Jan/2001
Field of Study: GCSEs and A Levels
University / College: Eastbourne College
From:01/Jan/1992 To:01/Jan/1997