Chris Kay

Chris is a senior associate in the Corporate group and a member of the Financial Services and Funds team, based in London.

Chris has a particular focus on corporate finance and equity capital markets work, advising clients on transactions including initial public offerings and secondary issues on the London Stock Exchange and other public company transactions. In doing so Chris predominantly acts for listed closed-ended investment funds and asset managers, as well as their sponsors, nomads and financial advisers.

Chris also has a focus on private funds and advises clients on fund formation and on the negotiation of primary investments and secondary market transactions. In doing so Chris acts for fund managers and in particular for pension schemes on private fund investments and divestments, often in the context of restructurings or pension risk transfers.

Chris also enjoys advising both private and public companies on a range of other corporate and financial regulatory matters, including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, solvent restructurings, employee share options, reductions of capital, reorganisations and other general corporate matters.

Chris works with clients across a range of sectors including energy & infrastructure, commercial real estate, technology, life sciences, financial services and asset management.

Experience

Work highlights include:

  • Advised Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited on its £370 million IPO to the specialist fund segment of the LSE's Main Market, and subsequent issues;
  • Advised Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited on its US$282 million IPO to the specialist fund segment of the LSE's Main Market, and subsequent issues;
  • Advised Thales UK Pension Scheme on its £2.7 billion pension risk transfer with Rothesay Life PLC and associated secondary market sale of £750 million worth of private fund ('illiquid') investments;
  • Advised Urban Logistics REIT plc on over £500 million worth of secondary issues and its migration from AIM to the premium segment of the LSE's Main Market and subsequent management restructuring arrangements;
  • Advised Williams Grand Prix Holdings plc on its sale of Williams Racing (including the Formula 1 team) to Dorilton Capital for £133.5 million;
  • Advised Winterflood Securities Limited on its role as sponsor on the combination of JPMorgan Global Growth & Income Trust and Scottish Investment Trust by 'section 110' scheme, creating a combined entity worth over £1.3 billion;
  • Advised HydrogenOne Capital Growth plc on its £107 million IPO to the premium segment of the Main Market, establishment of English limited partnership structure, and subsequent issues;
  • Advised Castelnau Group Limited on its £53 million IPO to the specialist fund segment of the LSE's Main Market and subsequent fundraise in connection with its £281 million Takeover Code acquisition of Dignity plc;
  • Advised Mercia Asset Management plc on its acquisition of Frontier Development Capital Limited, an SME-lender with £415 million of funds under management;
  • Advised Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company plc on its £130 million IPO to the premium segment of the Main Market, and subsequent issues;
  • Advised various pension scheme clients on private fund investments including the negotiation of a £65 million investment into a newly established Luxembourg limited partnership;
  • Advised EPE Special Opportunities Limited on its £20 million fundraise by way of ZDP share issue to the standard segment of the LSE's Main Market;
  • Advised a UK client on the corporate restructuring of its joint venture investments in Australia and the US; and
  • Advised a UK client on the establishment of a joint venture structure for investment into logistics assets.