Lawson is an experienced corporate lawyer advising on a range of corporate matters including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, governance, corporate finance, reorganisations and restructurings. He has considerable multi-jurisdictional experience, including six years living and working in Russia, as well as significant periods working in Germany, Denmark and Jersey.
Lawson advises a range of clients from early-stage businesses to listed and state-owned companies, as well as high-net-worth individuals and private equity funds, across a number of sectors including technology, digital media, telecoms, fintech, healthcare and energy.
Expertise
- Corporate law
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Cross-border transactions
- Capital restructuring and reorganisations
- Company formations
- Corporate finance
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Shareholder agreements
- Joint ventures
Experience
Cross-Border Mergers & Acquisitions
- Acted for a Swiss private equity company on its acquisition of a UK plc holding an electronic money licence.
- Advised a UK/US based media company on a £375m reduction of capital and restructuring, and subsequent acquisition of a cycling events company.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Russian mobile telecommunications company on a series of major acquisitions of mobile and broadband assets, IP acquisitions and operating licences.
- Advised a Russian investment fund on the acquisition of a majority stake in a German insurer.
- Advised a Russian farming group on its $50m acquisition of a Russian refined sugar producer and the $60m issuance of preference shares to a Russian institution.
- Advised two US bioscience funds on a $100m joint venture with a Russian state-owned tech fund for the development of nano-vaccines.
Shares & Company Disposals
Energy
- Advised a Russian investment holding company on a $90m transfer of power generation assets.
- Advised a Russian petrochemical firm in its acquisition of an Austrian liquid gas wholesaler.
- Advised a UK publicly listed healthcare group on its US$90m supply agreement with a Russian state energy company.
- Advised a UK renewables company, Solarplicity on its acquisition of a UK solar farm.
- Advised Baiterek Venture Fund in carrying out due diligence investigations on a UK energy company.
- Advising Devonian Petroleum Ltd, a Kazakh oil exploration group on structuring, initial investment and US$30m fundraising.
- Advised Kazakhstan Utility Systems LLP on the acquisition of two Kazakh heat and power generation companies, Ust-Kamenogorsk CHP and CHP Sogrinskaya, from NYSE-listed AES Corporation.
- Advised Devonian Petroleum Ltd, a Kazakh oil exploration group on structuring, initial investment and US$30m fundraising.
- Advised Kazakh fund, DBK, on a proposed US$3m investment into Kazakh oil industry equipment group.
- Advised a renewables company on its acquisition of a UK solar farm.
Restructurings, Reorganisations & Refinancings
- Advised a private healthcare company on its equity and debt refinancing, and subsequent reorganisation.
- Advised a UK digital consultancy on its restructuring, shareholders agreement and new consultancy arrangements.
Other
- Advised an international software security company on its $49m growth equity investment from a US private equity fund.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Career
Lawson qualified as a solicitor in 2004. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2017, he worked at the following firms:
- Osborne Clarke
- Latham & Watkins
- Eversheds