Squire Patton Boggs Boosts Corporate Practice With Two Director Appointments

Squire Patton Boggs has strengthened its Corporate Practice in Manchester with the appointment of two legal directors. Louise Barber and James Thompson have joined the firm having previously occupied in-house legal roles at FTSE companies Pets at Home Group plc and BAE Systems plc.

Formerly a senior associate at DLA Piper and then group legal director of Pets at Home Group plc, Ms. Barber practices a wide range of corporate work, with a particular focus on cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, including public takeovers, equity capital markets transactions, joint ventures and corporate governance. She has particular experience in advising companies operating in the retail, transport and logistics, and healthcare sectors.

Mr. Thompson worked at Pinsent Masons LLP and then spent more than five years in-house with BAE Systems plc and the private equity-backed Daisy Group. He delivers corporate acquisitions, disposals and joint venture arrangements, and provides commercial legal advice in the course of group restructures, private equity transactions and equity capital markets arrangements.

Giles Chesher, head of the Manchester Corporate team, said: “Louise and James are highly experienced, valuable additions to our growing Corporate team, with extensive private practice and in-house experience that will be prized by our clients. We are delighted to welcome them on board and demonstrate our ambition and commitment to building a market-leading team. We also expect to be announcing further hires in the near future.”

Squire Patton Boggs has one of the largest corporate teams in Manchester, with expertise spanning international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, public company takeovers, initial public offerings and secondary offerings, private equity and joint ventures. Part of the firm’s global Corporate Practice Group of more than 370 corporate lawyers across its 44 offices, the team is well known for advising clients in industry sectors such as private equity, chemicals, manufacturing and energy, and it is widely recognised for its extensive expertise and innovation in the tech sector.