Corporate and Transactional
From our London-based office the UK Corporate team is able to advise on a wide range of commercial and corporate legal services to multi-national, non-US and US companies. Sensitive to the cultural and political aspects of international transactions, our UK Corporate lawyers regularly work on cross-border matters.
As an integral part of the firm's worldwide transactional practice, our lawyers are able to provide straightforward answers to multi-jurisdiction business issues. The UK corporate practice has extensive experience in the following areas:
Mergers and Acquisitions
The UK team handles M&A transactions of the largest scope, working closely with our international offices as well as with local counsel and major international accounting, investment banking and financial advisory firms throughout the world to offer an integrated and efficient transaction team.
Venture Capital and Private Equity
Venture capital deals are the cornerstone of the UK Corporate practice and reflect the firms long-standing focus on technology, life sciences and entrepreneurial companies. WilmerHale is the leading firm in Europe as both counsel to companies receiving VC financing and VC-backed companies, with twice the number of deals as the nearest competitor. Our UK team advise both companies and venture capital houses.
Strategic Alliances, Joint Ventures and Licensing
Drawing on a rich body of international legal acumen, we frequently advise clients in industries ranging from aviation, information technology and telecommunications to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals on how to structure, prepare and negotiate their strategic alliances, joint ventures and international distribution, licensing, and development agreements.
Securities Offerings
Our UK Corporate practice regularly handles public offerings involving non-US listings or issuers on the London stock exchange (including AIM).
Secured Lending
With extensive experience representing borrowers and lenders our lawyers advise on cross-border lending transactions—including project and structured financings—in capital-intensive industries.
Intellectual Property
As part of our UK Corporate team our specialist Intellectual Property lawyers advise businesses on the legal challenges they face in the development and commercialisation of technology, particularly in the financial, high-tech and life science sectors. Our lawyers regularly provide guidance on the intellectual property and information technology aspects of major multinational corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and IPOs.
Establishing US Operations
Non-US clients seeking to initiate operations within the United States depend on us for the full spectrum of business formation, governmental registration, financing, intercompany agreement, immigration, employment and employee benefits services.