38 LAWYER WINNER
OF THE YEAR AWARD
SPONSORED BY LLOYDS BANK Emma Gibson of Shoosmiths
Above: Emma Gibson of Shoosmiths
Left: Emma Gibson with Neil Foulkes (right) of sponsor Lloyds Bank
Emma Gibson, winner of Lawyer of the Year 2012, returned to the shortlist again this year with a host of nominations and hoping to defend her title.
Providing strong competition were Hugh Jones, from Osborne Clarke, David Tighe from Manches, and Shoosmiths colleague Rebecca Mauleverer, who specialises in debt finance work.
Having two finalists in the same category underlined Shoosmiths’ strength in the local market, and 2012 was described as a “standout year” for the firm, with Gibson and her team topping the Corpfin rankings for deals done in the South East in 2012.
Heading up Shoosmiths’ Corporate Team in the Thames Valley, her personal highlights included the sale of domiciliary care services provider Enara Group to MITIE Group in a deal worth £111 million, which was named Experian Corpfin Deal of the Month; and advising the Business Growth Fund on its investment in Reading-based company Bullitt Group.
One nominee described Gibson as “a very commercial lawyer, who rolls her sleeves up and gets things done”. She is also known for her role as director of the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and her voluntary role as chair of the LEP’s Access to Finance group, which helps provide
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funding strategies for small and start-up businesses.
Another commented: “Emma has been one of the mainstays of the Thames Valley deal-doing community for many years. A high-quality, well respected lawyer, she is both a trusted adviser to her clients and an important contributor to the TV advisory economy.”
Colleague Mauleverer was recognised for her work on the management buyin of Oxford- based Eddingtons, which was funded by Leumi ABL, and also for advising RBS on the financing of AnaCap’s acquisition of the IFG Group.
Rated as one of the top banking lawyers in the south is Osborne Clarke’s Jones, who was applauded for “consistently displaying an efficient approach” and his “good clarity of advice”. He heads up the firm’s finance practice, working closely with banks, and was involved in Growth Capital Partners and SLR Management deals.
Partner Tighe, described in one nomination as “totally unflappable”, heads the corporate department of Manches’ Thames Valley offices in Reading and Oxford, where he has established, managed and grown a large regional team. Recent deals he has been involved in include the high-profile MBO at Tessella, the Williams F1 IPO flotation and
OUP’s acquisitions of Nelson Thornes and My Maths.
With such powerful names in the frame, there were loud cheers as Neil Foulkes, area director of sponsor Lloyds Bank took to the stage to announce that, for the second year running, the winner of Lawyer of the Year was Emma Gibson.
A thrilled Gibson said: “I am delighted to receive this award. 2012 was a successful year for Shoosmiths and allowed me the opportunity of working on transactions with many advisers in the Thames Valley.
“I would like to thank them for nominating those transactions, and the judging panel for voting for me. Shoosmiths is continuing to grow and invest in its team and the hard work and commitment of all the team enables me to win awards like this. I am looking forward to working with all the professional community in the next 12 months, to maintain the reputation of the Thames Valley as the place to do business, and to grow what is already a strong and vibrant business community.”
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MAY 2013
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