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31 LAWYER WINNER


OF THE YEAR AWARD


SPONSORED BY BCMS Rebecca Mauleverer of Shoosmiths


Above: Rebecca Mauleverer of Shoosmiths


Left: Rebecca Mauleverer collects her award from Andy Hunt (right) of sponsor BCMS


Dealmaking generally involves a combination of professional skills and knowledge from various disciplines, but individual input often shines through. This award was the first of the evening to highlight the performance of an individual.


Four major talents of the Thames Valley legal profession were shortlisted for this title, two of them partners from the same firm – Shoosmiths – and one of them – Emma Gibson – hoping to become Lawyer of the Year for the third year running.


Gibson was joined by her Shoosmiths colleague Rebecca Mauleverer – just as they were last year, but they were now also shortlisted with Roger Gregory of Pitmans, and Greg Leyshon of Osborne Clarke.


Gibson, described as a “stand-out legal adviser” in the nominations, has grown the corporate group in the Thames Valley office of Shoosmiths in the past four years to the four-partner team it is today. Deal work ranged from Cennox’s acquisition of the Sterling Group Inc, to the sale of Beovax Computer Systems to Pervasive Networks. She also devotes significant time to her role as a non-executive director of the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, chairing the Access to Finance Forum.


Finance specialist Mauleverer has also THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MAY 2014


grown the reputation of the banking team at Shoosmiths’ office based in Reading and regularly advises the top banks. The Legal 500 describes her as ”instilling confidence in clients,” and one nominating dealmaker considered her “hard working, unflappable and knowledgeable”. Her nominations included the MBO of Drake & Morgan, financing of Anesco, MBO of Equiom, and August Equity’s investment in Minerva Education.


Gregory who has international experience in the US and Europe with private equity and M&A transactions, acted on deals such as the MBO of GTK UK and a bond issue at retailer Warren Evans, during a successful year for Pitmans’ corporate finance team.


Leyshon and his Osborne Clarke team worked with LDC on a number of standout deals, including Leasedrive and the sale of JCC Lighting to a US electrical manufacturer. He also advised Millgate on the merger with Countryside, Rockhopper’s investment in the MBO of Imagine Publishing and on a number of deals for Nesta. One nomination said Leyshon had had “a stunning year”.


This was the first time this award category had been sponsored by BCMS, leading advisers to sellers of privately-owned businesses, having completed over 500 deals in the past decade.


www.businessmag.co.uk


The category winner’s strong reputation as a specialist in debit finance was highlighted as Andy Hunt, commercial director of BCMS, revealed the name of Rebecca Mauleverer.


Winning ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for her first time, Rebecca Mauleverer was justifiably proud, but quick to acknowledge her colleagues’ assistance: “It’s fantastic and I’m absolutely delighted to have won, but ultimately it is a reflection of the banking team as whole and the way it has grown within Shoosmiths.”


Mauleverer joined Shoosmiths five years ago and now leads the banking team, which has “surely and steadily grown” to become the biggest banking and finance legal team in the Thames Valley. “With 10 of us based in Reading we have reached that critical mass where we can handle the deals and advise upon any transactions with a debt element.”


Her own award was “very much a Shoosmiths’ success as opposed to me personally. It’s the excellent level of client service that we deliver across the board “.


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