Profile details
About Oliver Lazenby
Oliver combines a very commercial approach with a down-to-earth, pragmatic and relaxed style.
He advises a range of corporate clients on a broad spectrum of transactions – including public and private M&A and issuer-side equity capital markets work – as well as on general corporate law and corporate governance issues.
Clients he has recently advised on substantial transactions include Flutter, Ferguson, Croda, Pearson, Henderson, John Laing, Poundland, Euromoney and World Remit. Oliver’s broad experience enables him to deal with new and challenging situations and to resolve a wide range of issues.
Clients have commented that he is 'easy to deal with', 'very responsive' and 'inspires confidence'.
Qualified in 2001, and a Partner since 2011, Oliver is a senior and experienced lawyer, taking a leadership role to deliver the firm to the client.
Recent work
Selected recent transactions include advising:
- Ferguson on the disposal of its UK business (Wolseley) to Clayton Dubilier & Rice, and on its additional US listing in 2021;
- World Remit on the acquisition of SendWave in 2020;
- Croda on the acquisition of Iberchem in 2020, and on its related equity placing, and on the sale of its PTIC division in 2021/22;
- Flutter on its all-share cross-border merger with The Stars Group in 2019;
- Euromoney on the acquisition of Risi in 2017 and on the disposal of GMID in 2018;
- Henderson on its all-share, cross-border merger with Janus in 2016/17;
- Poundland on the acquisition of 99p Stores in 2015 and on its public takeover by Steinhoff in 2016;
- Betfair on its all-share, cross-border merger with Paddy Power in 2016 and subsequently Paddy Power Betfair on its acquisition of FanDuel in 2018 and Adjarabet in 2019;
- Pearson on the approach from Apollo in 2021/22, on the sale of The Financial Times and its 50% share of The Economist in 2015, on the phased disposal of its publishing interests (Penguin) to Bertelsmann, and on the sale of Mergermarket in 2014
- John Laing Group on its IPO in 2015, its rights issue in 2018 and the sale of its stakes in the Intercity Express Programme in 2018 and 2020, and on its public takeover by KKR in 2021;
- Axel Springer on its investment in Purplebricks;
- FEMSA on the disposal of its brewing business to Heineken; and
- Promethean World, Sports Direct and Saga on their IPOs.