25 LAWYER


OF THE YEAR AWARD


SPONSORED BY LLOYDS BANK WINNER


Emma Gibson, partner at Shoosmiths


Left: Dominic Holland with Emma Gibson of Shoosmiths and Steve Clarke from sponsor Lloyds Bank Above: Emma Gibson


Making the first of what would turn out to be three visits to the stage that night, there were loud cheers as Emma Gibson, partner at Shoosmiths, was announced as the winner of Lawyer of the Year, sponsored by Lloyds Bank.


Nominated against three strong fellow contenders – Roger Bailey of Moore Blatch, Sara Valentine of Osborne Clarke and Philip Weaver of Pitmans – Gibson was described as a major player in the deals market over the past year.


A partner since 2006, she was heavily involved in deals including the £25m MBO at Krispy Kreme; the MBO of Autologic; the acquisition of LM Group by Experian; the Davies Group MBO; the Benefex investment and HIG’s investment in Aircom.


One nomination said: “Shoosmiths' Reading-based corporate and banking team, ably led by Emma Gibson, has been particularly active in the last 12 months. Their professional advice and guidance in assisting with both facility documentation and complex security aspects in both sole and club deals, often in tight timescales, has been massively important to us.”


The judges said Gibson had been the “overwhelming choice” for the award, which she collected from Steve Clarke, area director of Lloyds Bank.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – MAY 2012


Speaking later, Gibson said: “Having worked in both the Solent and Thames Valley, I’m passionate about ensuring local deals are advised on by local advisers, and funded by local funders. The area benefits from being host to some of the very best corporates and advisory firms and as such I’m delighted to have been named Lawyer of the Year by a judging panel comprising these firms.


“I specifically want to thank the other members of my team in the Thames Valley and the corporate team in Solent for their support this year and the hard work put in by all to ensure Shoosmiths is seen as the ‘go to’ firm in the area.”


Recognised as a high-profile south coast adviser, Roger Bailey of Moore Blatch was nominated for his work acting for Chilworth Global in its sale to DEKRA SE; the sale of Frameflair to Teseq; and the investment by Sovereign Capital in GSoM.


Together with his team, he was praised for his support and pragmatism and for providing: “an excellent and professional service demonstrating insight into the commercial as well as legal aspects of the acquisition process”.


Described as “a joy to work with”, Sara Valentine, from Osborne Clarke, was also a finalist in 2011. Accolades included: “Sara is a highly committed lawyer and always


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seeks to go the extra mile for her clients” and “always strives to deliver technically excellent, commercial advice”. She was also praised for her commitment to the local business community.


Valentine has been involved in a number of key deals recently, including the MBO at Daler-Rowney; the Xerox acquisition of Newfield IT; and the disposal of Wassen International. She joined Osborne Clarke in 2006 and now leads the firm’s corporate team in the Thames Valley.


Philip Weaver from Pitmans has gained an enviable reputation for M&A and fundraising work – in the first six months of last year he undertook six significant transactions with a total deal value of over £16m; and was instrumental in securing ranking for Pitmans in the Experian CorpFin Top 10 for the South East for the first time.


He was nominated for the number of transactions he completed during 2011 and his “commitment to all-round client service”, as well as his “dealdoing strengths, integrity and intelligence”.


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