James is a highly skilled corporate lawyer, who routinely advises clients on M&A transactions, capital fundraisings and shareholder arrangements. He particularly works with SMEs, high-growth enterprises and owner-managed businesses as they prepare for exits and other significant capital events.
He also specialises in succession planning for complex and multi-generational family businesses, working closely with private client colleagues, IFAs and accounting professionals to advise on inheritance tax planning and to ensure ongoing business resilience.
James is transparent, prompt and incredibly knowledgeable within his field. He has translated complex matters into plain English and really has gone over and above to help. I have no hesitation to highly recommend James for everything he has done - A+++++
Dominic Quirke
Expertise
- Business succession planning
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Corporate advisory
- Restructures
- Shareholders’ agreements and joint ventures
- Advising investors into existing businesses
- Advising businesses that are the subject of investments and capital fundraisings
- Share option schemes
Experience
Corporate
- Advised on the restructure of a large family-owned childcare business to facilitate a smooth transition to the next generation.
- Advised a leading tree nursery in the UK, on a management buyout to help support the management team’s ongoing vision for the organisation and to expand and grow its operations throughout the UK and Europe.
- Acted on a sale of a leading catering hire business in the south of England.
- Advised a substantial construction business in the east of England on its transfer of day-to-day control and management to the next generation whilst continuing to make provision for the founders’ future needs.
- Advised on the hive-across of a successful financial training business and subsequent sale to a global derivatives trading and education company.
- Raised significant funding for multiple clients, including in the EV space and a Cambridge-based science and technology business.
- Acted on a merger between two high-growth media businesses.
- Acted on the sale of a service station by a family business to a national operator.
- Advised multiple complex, multi-generational businesses on their structure required to ensure an orderly and efficient transfer to younger generations.
- Advised on various buy backs of shares, usually in connection with a re-balancing of shareholders responsibilities within a business.
- Advised businesses and individuals in connection with the exit of senior/founder members of the management team.
Commercial
- Advised on and prepared standard commercial terms and bespoke one-off terms for numerous clients including those in the science, technology and entertainment spaces.
- Advised on terms of business for an installer and operator of large-scale EV charging facilities.
- Acted on various distribution agreements, collaboration agreements and service agreements for clients across a variety of sectors, including IT, medical equipment and logistics.
- Acted on shareholders’ agreements for early-stage and high-growth businesses.
- Advised on restructure of a multi-site children’s nursery group.
- Advised the client on a pre-pack acquisition of certain assets from a supplier. This was a very high profile deal in the Suffolk area.
Career
James qualified as a solicitor in 2007. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2022, he worked at the following law firms:
- Woodfines Solicitors
- Kemp Little LLP
- Fladgate LLP