Travers Smith LLP is delighted to announce the promotion of eight lawyers to Senior Counsel, effective from 1 July 2024.
The new Senior Counsel and their principal areas are:
- Carmel Williams in Pensions
- James Hulmes in Dispute Resolution
- Joe Knox in Corporate M&A and ECM
- Joseph Sheldrick in Tax
- Matt Powrie in Private Equity & Financial Sponsors
- Richard J Brown in Competition
- Richard Offord in Technology & Commercial Transactions
- Tom Green in Pensions
Carmel Williams – Pensions
Carmel advises both pension trustee and sponsor clients on a broad range of matters, including in relation to scheme funding and security, benefit change exercises, GMP equalisation, scheme governance and issues arising in connection with corporate activity or other covenant events. Carmel has particular experience in de-risking transactions, having advised on a number of large buy-ins and buy-outs. Carmel also regularly provides training to clients on EDI in a pensions context.
James Hulmes – Dispute Resolution
James has experience across a broad range of areas, including complex multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes, international arbitration, transnational mass tort claims and competition litigation. He acts for clients across a variety of sectors, including in the private equity, entertainment, technology, manufacturing and construction sectors. In 2016, James completed an eight-month secondment with the International Arbitration team of a preeminent Spanish firm.
Joe Knox – Corporate M&A and ECM
Joe's corporate practice is focused on public and private M&A, venture capital transactions, IPOs, equity fundraisings, corporate joint ventures, and general corporate advice. Joe joined the firm in 2019, having previously worked for a leading US law firm, and spent 8 months in 2022 on secondment as sole legal counsel at a venture capital investor.
Joseph Sheldrick – Tax
Joseph is a member of our Transactional Tax team. He acts for asset managers and other institutional investors, corporate groups and management teams. Joseph advises on a broad range of transactional, structuring and advisory matters.
Matt Powrie – Private Equity and Financial Sponsors
Matt has extensive experience advising management teams, corporate clients, and institutional investors on large scale international M&A transactions. He has acted on a wide variety of matters in the private capital space including management buy-ins, buy-outs, exits, acquisitions, investments, international reorganisations and general corporate matters.
Richard J Brown – Competition
Richard advises clients dealing with UK and EU regulators across the full gambit of competition law concerns, including merger control, foreign investment screening, antitrust investigations and distribution matters. He also has significant experience acting on competition litigation matters.
He routinely manages the competition aspects of cross-border deals and works with stakeholders across a range of industries including private capital, technology, retail and financial services. In recent years, he has developed expertise in new areas of competition law and related ex-ante economic regulation, including the EU's foreign subsidies regulation (FSR), digital sector regulation and green collaborations.
Richard Offord – Technology and Commercial Transactions
Richard specialises in high value and complex contractual projects and transactions, advising on a wide variety of arrangements, including, supply, outsourcing, joint venture, management, agency and franchising agreements.
He has worked with clients across a range of sectors, focusing in particular on the energy and infrastructure and financial services sectors, where he regularly advises on the contracts that underpin large scale projects - whether to deliver regulatory change or bring new products and technologies to the market. Richard is also experienced in successfully structuring and implementing the carve-out elements of M&A transactions.
Tom Green – Pensions
Tom advises both trustees and sponsors in relation to all aspects of pensions law, including funding and security arrangements, scheme amendments and benefit structures, liability management, administration and governance matters, pensions tax matters and member complaints. He has experience advising in connection with high-profile funding negotiations and de-risking transactions. Tom also advises clients in relation to the pensions aspects of mergers and acquisitions and has experience advising in relation to multi-jurisdictional corporate reorganisations.
Managing Partner, Edmund Reed, said:
"Congratulations to all of our newly promoted Senior Counsel on reaching this significant milestone in their careers. They are all fantastic in their areas of expertise and I look forward to seeing them take their careers to the next level, as they continue to deliver outstanding results for our clients."
