Simon is the UK firm's US Desk Head and a member of the global board of Womble Bond Dickinson. In these capacities, Simon is part of the team which leads the strategic direction of Womble Bond Dickinson (having previously led the creation of our innovative strategic alliance with Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP). Based in our Newcastle office, Simon travels regularly to the US and further afield. 

A corporate partner with over 25 years' experience, Simon specialises in corporate transactions and advisory work. His areas of expertise include mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity, IPOs and other capital markets work and corporate regulatory matters. Simon has worked with substantial public and private companies on a wide range of issues. His experience covers many industrial and commercial sectors, and he regularly advises large businesses on regional, national and international transactions.

Simon is a Member of The International Bar Association. He has strong relationships with law firms across the world and regularly engages with them when advising clients on international transactions. 

Simon sits on the board of the British American Business Council of North Carolina.

Experience

Examples of experience include advising:

  • Challenger bank, Atom, across all matters including fund raisings, key IT projects and real estate
  • Huntsman on the US$ 810m sale of its European base chemicals business to SABIC
  • The Sage Group Plc in relation to a complex, multi jurisdictional, group reorganisation
  • A substantial privately owned leisure group with gross assets of c£500m in numerous jurisdictions on a s110 Demerger
  • Melrose Industries Plc on the sale of McKechnie Engineered Plastics for c£35m
  • Carpetright (and the wider Nestware Group) on its acquisitions of Keswick Flooring, Contemporary Trade Flooring, Flooring Megastore and Carpet & Flooring (Trading)
  • National Corporate Housing, Inc on its acquisition of the UK and Singapore based businesses of Bridgestreet Accommodation
  • Saudi Arabia energy group TAQA (also known as the Industrialisation & Energy Services Company) on the acquisition from Shell Technology Ventures 1 BV of oilfield specialist Tendeka BV, including subsidiaries in 11 countries
  • The management shareholders of UK Land on the £425m sale (plus associated investment arrangements) to Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, GIC. 

"Eminent Practitioner."

Chambers UK Legal Guide