Simon Nicholls

• T  +44 (0)20 7090 3372 (Direct line)
• E  simon.nicholls@slaughterandmay.com

• London 
• One Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YY

Simon has a general corporate practice. He has extensive experience in M&A and equity capital markets and acts for a number of listed companies, including Ashmore, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, John Wood Group, Ultra Electronics and Whitbread.

Simon spent a year on secondment to the UK investment banking group of Morgan Stanley from 2001 to 2002 and advises investment banks in London on corporate finance, capital markets and regulatory matters.

Highlights include advising:

• John Wood Group on its US$995 million acquisition of PSN, the UK aspects of the US$2.8 billion disposal of its Well Support Division to GE and its £1.08 billion return of cash to shareholders
• Cazenove on the transaction with J.P. Morgan under which J.P. Morgan Cazenove would become wholly-owned by J.P. Morgan at an implied value of £2 billion
• GlaxoSmithKline on various transactions, including its agreement with Pfizer to create ViiV Healthcare, a specialist HIV company with pro forma sales of £1.6 billion and its EUR515 million acquisition of the marketed product portfolio of UCB in various jurisdictions
• Corus on the competing bids by Tata Steel and CSN and the successful final offer of £6.2 billion by Tata Steel

Simon is named as a leading individual in the Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability and Life Sciences: Transactional sections of Chambers UK, 2012  and is a member of the Times Law Panel.