Corporate, Commercial & Finance

Our exceptional team of specialist partners and associates provides specialist corporate advice to a wide range of clients, including companies, professional partnerships, directors, founders, investors and lenders who are active in the UK and internationally.

We work with start-ups and established international businesses, covering all their corporate requirements, from sales and acquisitions to structuring their equity, corporate governance to advising on directors’ duties and the terms of joint ventures.

We are ranked in the Legal 500 for Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions under £50m.

We advise on all forms of commercial contracts, from traditional contracts for services to specialist technology, retail and outsourcing agreements. Our dedicated film and TV team are experts at commissioning, broadcasting and distribution agreements for their sector.

We receive instructions from suppliers and customers alike seeking to protect their businesses in a myriad of commercial scenarios.

We can help with commission agreements, terms and conditions of sale, intellectual property licensing,  joint ventures, franchises and endorsement/talent agreements.

We advise on all aspects of corporate finance, traditional secured asset finance and specialist media and film finance with expertise in securing intellectual property rights.

Our team regularly advises lenders on secured property lending, complex asset-backed structured lending arrangements, including Sharia finance, and also assists borrowers in negotiating terms with mezzanine and senior lenders.

Our clients include banks, property developers, private equity houses, growing businesses, secured lenders, high net worth individuals, media companies and international investors.

We are an exceptional team of specialist partners and associates, highly experienced in providing advice on all aspects of restructuring and insolvency law. We have broad experience advising corporates, insolvency practitioners, lenders, and other creditors as well as directors and other office holders and individuals. Not only do we have the technical legal expertise we also have a deep understanding of the economic, commercial, and business points of a deal. We provide clients with the advice and assistance they need to realise their objectives.

Our expertise includes all aspects of restructuring and insolvency work including: administrations, liquidations, CVAs, fixed charge receiverships, schemes of arrangement, solvent restructuring and reorganisation, insolvency litigation, advice to directors and other office holders.

We act for insolvency practitioners, companies, directors, lenders, and individuals in financial difficulty, and are able to meet the most complex of needs.

Our Team

Led by partner-level experts with extensive experience, our dedicated team of specialists provide clients with a responsive, cost-effective, and commercially focused service.

We work seamlessly with SMB’s other practice areas and specialisms, to ensure our clients’ needs are met in all matters.  The wider team includes experts in real estate, real estate finance, disputes, corporate, and employment law.

Ben Klinger | Head of Department

David Martin | Partner

Neal Hodges | Partner

Natalie Wright | Partner

Asraa Asad Hassaan Noor | Senior Associate

Sarah Quicke | Associate

Rob Coleridge | Senior Associate

We have a unique and leading practice that helps household-name brands build and develop national and international networks. Relying on cross-departmental strength, we act for top restaurant chains, fashion brands, public schools, and retailers of all types, at all stages of brand development.

We also advise companies and public bodies domiciled in Singapore, Denmark, UAE and China, in addition to representing  a number of market-leading organisations based in the UK on cross-border matters.

We have a team of industry experts with significant in-house experience, enabling us to give informed, pragmatic advice. Maninder Gill, head of the department, was previously Legal Director of a publishing powerhouse and a global luxury fashion store. He has niche franchising expertise in the specialist areas of publishing and education sectors, having franchised a number of leading publications and schools.

Partner Natalie Wright has worked alongside retail clients for over ten years and is especially experienced in the beauty industry.

The team are regularly called upon to speak at retail and franchising conferences in the UK and overseas.

“The team seems to combine a very good understanding of global norms and deal practices.” Legal 500, 2023

“Provide support in all aspects of possible transactions, from the development of the transaction structure through the drafting and negotiation of contracts to the handover of a company.” Legal 500, 2023

“Attentive and commercially minded.” Legal 500, 2023

“We found Simons Muirhead Burton to be a strong and reliable partner, experienced in all aspects of a company acquisition, ranging from the commercial side, through to product and IP, property, litigation and employment.” Legal 500, 2022

“Curated leadership and professional at all times.” Legal 500, 2022

“They are highly commercial, attentive and thorough with every transaction they complete. The team’s expertise is wide and varied and they work very well across departments, resulting in speedy conclusions.” Legal 500, 2022

“They provide a first class service and assure attention to detail on the finer points of M&A transactions.”
Legal 500, 2021

“Peter Weiss – the partner and visionary behind a first-class team of associates and juniors. Without his inspiration, we would not have been as well looked after.”
Legal 500, 2021

“I cannot speak highly enough of the team – they are formidable lawyers but remain very approachable.” Legal 500, 2021

“SMB is a fantastic firm. There is a willingness to resolve any issue or query, however small it may be.” Legal 500, 2021

“The team has a very strong franchises background in different countries.”
Legal 500, 2020

“The firm has knowledge in the targeted country, and is cost effective and always very quick in its reactions.”
Legal 500, 2020

“Extremely friendly, approachable and razor-sharp.”
Legal 500, 2020

“The firm’s knowledge of today’s complex media market is second to none.”
Legal 500, 2020

“A very serious firm that delivers results.”
Legal 500,2020

“Provides ‘excellent support’ and leaves clients ‘exceptionally happy’.”
Legal 500, 2018

“Very clear communication, are quick to respond and are available when I need them.”
Chambers and Partners, 2019