What he's best at:

Rod is a company commercial lawyer with over 12 years' transactional experience acting for buyers or sellers in private company share and business sales (including those in liquidation or administration); for investors in joint ventures and partnerships; and in various corporate and commercial disputes. He has a keen interest also in copyright, employment, construction and procurement law, having had practical experience of legal issues in these areas whilst working in-house.

His sector experience is varied, having worked in-house in the music industry (pre-qualification) and latterly for the PFI company, which operates the M25 motorway and having acted for clients in various sectors from media to natural resources.

Rod has a track record for effective and determined delivery to completion or resolution of both shorter duration transactions and longer term projects and disputes. He has demonstrated a tenacity in overcoming problems and barriers to help achieve a successful outcome for his clients. His key strengths lie in identifying, communicating and assessing not only risk but also opportunities, taking a commercial approach throughout.

Who he works for:

• Entrepreneurs
• Boards of directors and management teams
• Other professionals including liquidators/administrators

Testimonials:

“Rod’s work is exceptional in delivering to a very tight deadline the successful completion of a series of strategic changes to our complex contract arrangements,  in a timescale to meet the needs of all stakeholders.”

Brian Johns, Director, Connect Plus / Balfour Beatty (January 2014)

Expertise in:

• Corporate

Key Achievements

• Leading on over 30 debt and equity transactions in various jurisdictions over a 3 year period for an off-shore listed natural resources fund.
• The buy-back of shares in an English company owned by an Italian company (in liquidation) charged to an Italian bank.
• Advising on the members' voluntary liquidation of an AIM listed fund, both pre- and post- appointment of its liquidators.
• Acting for a law firm in various due diligence activities (pursuant to acquisition or merger with other law firms) and on compliance, "kyc" and anti-money laundering procedures.
• Coordinating the restructuring of groups of companies, located in various jurisdictions including the UK, Curacao, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, BVI, Malta, Isle of Man, Switzerland and the Ukraine, followed by leading on the corporate sale of the parent companies of their restructured groups.
• Assisting in various mediations and an international arbitration including leading on related share buy-backs and/or settlement agreements to achieve resolution of corporate disputes.
• Between 1990-1999, carrying out commercial due diligence for various acquisitions whilst employed by the Music Sales Group (pre-qualification) in various jurisdictions.

Previous Law Firms

• DMH Stallard LLP
• Davenport Lyons

Previous Positions

• Strategic Change Manager - Connect Plus (M25) Limited
• Business Affairs Manager - Music Sales Limited
• Copyright and Licensing Manager - Chester Music Limited (a subsidiary of Music Sales Limited)
• Music Services Assistant - the Performing Right Society Limited

Education

• Qualified as a Solicitor 2002
• Thames Valley University (LLB) 1994
• Kingston Polytechnic (BA Hons) 1986