Rebecca Ward

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ('Freshfields') has advised PAI Partners on the acquisition of a co-controlling stake in the Azets group (‘Azets’). Azets is a leading provider of business-critical accounting, tax, payroll, audit and advisory services to SMEs and has operations in the UK, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. From completion, Azets will be jointly controlled by PAI and Azets’ existing majority owner, Hg Capital. Azets announced that the investment by PAI will enable Azets to deliver on future opportunities to help support Azets’ thousands of clients and colleagues globally, deepening its presence in new and existing markets across Europe through a combination of organic growth and further strategic M&A. The Freshfields team is being led by partner Rebecca Ward and senior associate Maria Ledeneva.  The team includes partners Ali Kirby-Harris, Peter Clements, and James Smethurst.

Jun 27

1 min

Munich Re sells 13 million shares of its equity holding in Admiral Group Plc. by way of a block trade. It was recently announced that Willkie client Munich Re has sold 13 million shares of its equity holding in Admiral Group Plc. by way of a block trade. Munich Re’s ownership in Admiral shares recently constituted a 15.1 percent equity holding. Munich Re is one of the world’s largest reinsurance companies with approximately 44,000 employees and over 50 locations worldwide. Based in Cardiff, Wales, Admiral Group  is a motor insurance company with nine brands, over 1.75 million customers and 3,200 employees worldwide. The deal was handled by Prof. Dr. Michael Schlitt and Dr. Susanne Schäfer (capital markets) and Jon Lyman (U.S. securities); and associates Dr. Christian Ries and Dr. Thorsten Becker (capital markets), and Danielle Scalzo (U.S. securities). Colin MacNeill, Duncan Christison, Rebecca Ward, Donald Lowe and Jennifer Cowell from alliance partner Dickson Minto W.S. advised on the English law aspects of the transaction.

May 8

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has today announced that Haden Henderson, an experienced high yield bond lawyer, will join the firm’s Global Transactions practice as a partner in London, an appointment which will strengthen the firm’s high yield and leveraged finance offering. Henderson joins from Baker McKenzie, where he has been a partner since 2018. He has extensive experience advising private equity funds, corporations, investment banks and credit funds on high yield bond offerings, committed leveraged finance transactions and bond restructurings. His move to Freshfields will further enhance the firm’s global high yield and leveraged finance offering to its clients and also enhance the firm’s wider European private capital practice. Freshfields’ London transactions head, Andrew Hutchings, said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Haden Henderson to our Global Transactions practice. This will enhance further our market-leading European private capital group and enable us to continue to deliver excellent service for our clients across all debt products.” Global co-head of leveraged finance Alex Mitchell added: “We’re very pleased to welcome Haden to our growing team. His high yield experience strengthens our offering with bespoke legal advice at the forefront of the debt markets, helping our clients address their financing needs and reach their goals.” The appointment of Henderson to Freshfields’ London office follows that of partners Carol Van der Vorst, Rebecca Ward and Lisa Stevens, who joined the firm’s leveraged finance, financial sponsors, and restructuring capital solutions teams respectively in 2022.

Jun 7

1 min

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has today announced that James Duncan, a longstanding derivatives and structured products lawyer, will join the firm’s global transactions practice as a partner in London. Duncan joins Freshfields from Shearman & Sterling, where he served as a partner for over a decade. He has significant experience advising on cross-border transactions, including buy-side and sell-side, strategic equity solutions and equity financings. Duncan will work closely with Freshfields’ partner Richard Hart to advise and support the firm’s corporate, financial institution, financial sponsor, and private capital clients, where the firm’s derivatives and structured products team play a global role, alongside colleagues in New York and Hong Kong. Commenting on the appointment, Freshfields’ London transactions head, Andrew Hutchings, said: “We are delighted to welcome James to our team in London, and global transactions practice, which reflects continued investment in our core practice areas. We’re proud too that he joins a market-leading team underpinned by a strong bench of associate talent.” Richard Hart added: “I look forward to working closely with James to further strengthen our derivatives and structured products offering, as we seek to enhance further our existing advisory role for clients globally. His appointment also demonstrates Freshfields’ strategic growth ambitions in the private capital space where derivatives-based and other structured solutions are increasingly relevant to sponsors’ financing and risk-management needs.” The appointment of Duncan to Freshfields’ London office follows that of partners Carol Van der Vorst, Rebecca Ward, and Lisa Stevens who joined the firm’s leveraged finance, financial sponsors, and restructuring capital solutions teams respectively in 2022. Today the firm also announced the appointment of partner Haden Henderson joining the London leveraged finance team.

Jun 7

1 min

Ten law firm partners have been identified as the top U.K. M&A lawyers based in London for 2025, according to a dataset produced by MergerLinks. Samuel Newhouse of Latham & Watkins topped the rankings, and was found to have led on M&A transactions last year with a combined deal value of £54.05 billion. Newhouse was part of the Latham team which advised on the merger of mining giants Anglo American and Teck—creating a $53 billion combined group. Notably, every lawyer on the MergerLinks list of the top ten practitioners is male. The online platform’s final list is based on the total value of M&A transactions announced last year, and considers only those in which the respective lawyers led teams in which their firm was the primary legal adviser. The list also features top names from Freshfields, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Cravath Swaine & Moore, A&O Shearman and Slaughter and May. Freshfields partner Stephen Hewes was in second place on the list, having led on deals with a combined value of £21.9 billion, while Skadden partner Denis Klimentchenko was in third place with an equivalent figure of £15.8 billion. Freshfields' Hewes advised on CVC's acquisition of Smiths Detection from Smiths Group for £2 billion in December 2025, with Latham & Watkins also leading on the deal.

Mar 3

1 min