Stuart Mathews

Stuart advises on mergers, acquisitions, and disposals, acting for family offices, entrepreneurs, and companies on cross-border transactions in sectors including financial services, recycling, technology, and consumer products.

• Advised a privately owned global advisory, administration, and family office firm on the sale of its private client and corporate services business.
• Advised in relation to the cross-border sale of a fund administration and third-party management company business.
• Advised an African specialist recycling firm on its acquisition of a UK-based recycling operation.
• Advised a European family office on its acquisition in the UK of a minority holding in an up and coming online personalised skin-care company.

Stuart advises on joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, acting for family offices and companies on complex cross-border restructurings, investments, and consortium agreements across sectors including fitness, food, fund management, and natural resources.

• Advised in relation to the restructuring of a struggling business involving the making of an offer to over one hundred shareholders, the negotiation and finalisation of a reorganisation of the group’s European and African businesses, and refinancing various third-party loans to the group.
• Advised a family office in relation to its investment in one of the largest global fitness brands, the amalgamation of a healthy fast casual restaurant chain into the investment, and related joint venture and consortium arrangements.
• Advised an Italian family on its joint venture with an Australian fund manager, and the restructuring of its fund management arrangements.
• Advised in relation to a joint venture to develop a plantation and wood export business in Mozambique.

Stuart advises on corporate and commercial matters, including financings, restructurings, and complex commercial contracts, acting for clients across sectors such as energy, mining, financial services, art, consumer goods, and manufacturing.

• Advised an investment holding company owned by European family offices on the bridge financing and related arrangements for its acquisition of a company which owns a thermo-electric plant in Italy.
• Advised a listed mining company with operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in relation to its mine offtake arrangements.
• Advised an art dealership which specialises in Old Masters in relation to its arrangements with a prominent cultural institution for mutual collaboration.
• Advised a prominent European private financial institution in relation to a complex multi-jurisdictional corporate restructure.
• Advised an emerging beer company on its distribution agreements in relation to a major sporting event and related arrangements.
• Advised a leading marine container company in relation to its sale and leasing arrangements and other commercial contracts.
• Advised a leading chemical company in relation to the proposed termination of complex site services supply arrangements.
• Advised a beverage company on its arrangements with an artist to use specific artworks for its labelling and associated marketing materials.
• Advised a craft beer company on the termination of its arrangements with a UK distributor.

Stuart advises high-net-worth families and family offices on joint ventures, acquisitions, restructurings, and succession planning, including complex cross-border investments in sectors such as healthcare, natural resources, marine assets, and intellectual property.

• Advised a number of family offices in relation to the constitutional arrangements of private protector companies in the context of high-net-worth family trust and succession planning.
• Advised a family enterprise in relation to a joint venture in Mauritius to own and exploit intellectual property in relation to an efficient platinum group metals extraction process.
• Advised a family office in relation to joint venture arrangements whereby other investors participated in an existing healthcare investment subject to complex control and future participation provisions.
• Advised a family office on a complex restructuring of its investment holding arrangements following the sale of the underlying operating companies.
• Advised a European family on its acquisition of a majority stake in a company that will re-develop a prestigious marina in the Mediterranean.

Stuart advises on energy and natural resources transactions, acting for funds, state-owned enterprises, and private investors on cross-border acquisitions and joint ventures in oil, gas, mining, and forestry projects across Africa.

• Advised a Mauritius-based fund on its investment into a forestry business in Ghana.
• Advised a state-owned oil and gas company on its acquisition of Ghanaian offshore oil and gas rights.
• Advised a state-owned oil and gas company on its acquisition of South African offshore oil and gas rights.
• Advised a US-based African sports star in relation to a copper cobalt joint venture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Stuart advises professional services firms on corporate transactions and joint ventures, including acquisitions, disposals, outsourcing arrangements, and team moves, with particular experience in fund administration, advisory, accountancy, and financial services businesses.

• Advised a global advisory, administration, and family-office firm on the sale of its private client and corporate services business.
• Advised a leading global specialist in alternative investing in taking on a debt capital team and negotiating the necessary joint venture and option arrangements.
• Advised in relation to the sale of a fund administration and third-party management company business.
• Advised a large accountancy firm in relation to outsourcing certain activities in a developing country.

Stuart advises on Africa-focused transactions, including investments, acquisitions, and joint ventures in forestry, mining and technology, acting for funds, listed companies, and investors on complex cross-border deals across the continent.

• Advised a fund on its investment into a forestry business in Ghana.
• Advised a listed mining company with operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in relation to its offtake arrangements.
• Advised in relation to a joint venture to develop a plantation and wood export business in Mozambique.
• Advised a listed technology company on the purchase of a leading provider of fintech solutions to micro, small and medium enterprises in Southern Africa.
• Advised an Africa-focused forestry fund in relation to a joint venture in Mozambique, including negotiating a shareholders’ agreement, subscription and investment agreement, and shareholder loan arrangements.

Recognised by The Legal 500 for M&A 2025-2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Energy, Oil and Gas 2025-2926

Recognised as a Leading Lawyer by The Legal 500 for Corporate and Commercial: M&A £50m-£500m 2017–2024

Recognised by Best Lawyers UK for M&A 2023–2025

Recognised by IFLR1000 as a “Highly Regarded lawyer” for Financial and Corporate 2016–2023

Recognised by IFLR as a “Leading Lawyer” for M&A, for Mining, Energy 2020

Recognised by IFLR as a “Leading lawyer” for Energy and Infrastructure 2014–2016