Tom Matthews

Partner, London

Biography

Overview

Tom Matthews is a partner in our global M&A and Corporate practice based in London. Tom is also Head of the Firm's EMEA Activism practice.

Tom has over 20 years' experience advising corporates, investment banks, private equity and hedge funds and family offices on international public and private M&A transactions, joint ventures, primary and secondary equity raisings and sell-downs, and listed company advisory and corporate governance matters.

Tom also advises a number of companies, activist funds, founder shareholders and other active shareholders on their shareholder engagement campaigns and responses.

Bars and Courts
England and Wales, Solicitor
Education
MA
Oxford University
Nottingham Law School
Languages
English

Experience

Recent experience includes acting for:

  • Representation of Neste on the divestment of its base oils business to Chevron and the Bahrain National Oil and Gas Authority
  • Representation of Gopher Investments on its acquisition of Finalto from Playtech plc for US$250 million
  • Representation of TT Bond Partners in connection with its engagement with Playtech plc
  • Representation of Gatemore Capital Management, Lansdowne Partners and Hambro Perks in connection with their subscription of convertible loan notes and warrants in Sensyne Health plc and associated "Rule 9 whitewash" process
  • Representation of Gatemore Capital Management in connection with its engagement with DX Group plc
  • Representation of Faurecia, a top ten worldwide automotive supplier, for the sale of its Acoustics and Soft Trim division to the Adler Pelzer Group, a worldwide leader in automotive acoustic and thermal components and systems
     
  • Representation of Allianz Global Investors in its opposition of the takeover offer of UDG Healthcare plc by Clayton Dubilier & Rice
  • Representation of Zegona Communications plc in its successful engagement with activist shareholder Marwyn Investment Management LLP
  • Representation of Sachem Head Capital Management LP in connection with its engagement with G4S plc
  • Representation of Third Point in connection with its engagement with Prudential plc
  • Representation of AFI Development Plc in connection with a public offer by its majority shareholder, Flotonic Limited, to acquire all of the issued share capital of AFI not already held by Flotonic
  • Representation of Cat Rock Capital Management in connection with a number of confidential matters and situations in the UK, including in relation to Just Eat plc
     
  • Representation of the World Gold Council in connection with a number of confidential matters and situations
  • Representation of Roark Capital Group and International Car Wash Group (ICWG) on the sale of ICWG to Driven Brands
  • Representation of Coast Capital Management in connection with its engagement with FirstGroup plc
  • Representation of SPIE UK Limited (a subsidiary of the SPIE Group) on the sale of 100 percent of the shares in Triosgroup Limited to RCapital Partners
  • Representation of Fleetcor Technologies on its acquisition of a UK-based software business
  • Representation of Hudson Bay in connection with a number of confidential matters and situations in the UK
  • Representation of Rothschild as financial adviser to GeoPark Limited on its £242 million offer for Amerisur Resources Plc, a full cycle independent oil exploration and production company
  • Representation of Bright Scholar Education Holdings on its £150 million acquisition of CATS Colleges, an international school network with a platform of campuses located across the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and China
  • Representation of Nestlé S.A. on the sale of its 60 percent stake in Herta to Casa Tarradellas and the creation of a joint venture for Herta
  • Representation of Standard Chartered Bank as financial adviser to Medco Energi Internasional on its £408 million offer for Ophir Energy plc
  • Representation of Barclays as financial adviser to Boston Scientific on its £3.3 billion offer for BTG plc
  • Representation of The management of commodities trader Noble Group Limited on its successful US$3.5 billion debt-for-equity restructuring
  • Representation of EN+ on its securities exchange agreement with certain subsidiaries of Swiss commodity trader Glencore
  • Representation of HarbourVest Partners on its £1 billion hostile takeover offer for SVG Capital plc*
  • Representation of Temasek on its acquisition of a significant minority stake in a global software logistics business*
  • Representation of Goldwin Inc on its acquisition of a significant minority stake in the Woolrich International sportswear business*
  • Representation of The Hanover Insurance Group on its sale of Chaucer to China Re*
  • Representation of Argenta on the sale of Syndicate 2121 at Lloyd's and the Argenta members' agency to Hannover Re*
  • Representation of Helios Investment Partners on its Round B investment in MallforAfrica*
  • Representation of Atkore (a CD&R portfolio company) on its acquisition of Flexicon*
  • Representation of Park Square Capital on the formation of a joint venture with Goldman Sachs and KKR as part of a restructuring of the mezzanine portfolio investment in the Northgate Group*
  • Representation of HarbourVest Partners on its direct co-investments into a Polish non-performing loans business and a French pharmaceuticals business*
  • Representation of CD&R on its acquisition of Carestream's Dental Digital business in the UK*
  • Representation of Oaktree in connection with its investment in an SME loans business*
  • Representation of a Russian asset manager in connection with its sale of a 25 percent stake in a UK premium listed mining company*
  • Representation of Polyus Gold International on its sale of a $1.4 billion stake in PJSC Polyus to Fosun International*
  • Representation of Johnson & Johnson on the sale of its UK intimate health business as part of the worldwide transaction*
  • Representation of NorthWestern Mutual on its warrant subscription and shareholders agreement in connection with an acquisition financing for CapVest Partners*

* Experience prior to joining White & Case

Publications

United Kingdom chapter, Getting the Deal Through – Lexology Technology M&A, 2024

United Kingdom chapter, Getting the Deal Through – Lexology Technology M&A, 2023

United Kingdom chapter, Getting the Deal Through – Lexology Technology M&A, 2022

Campaign in Focus: CD&R at Morrisons, Activist Insight Monthly, October 2021

Trends in UK Public M&A 2021, LexisNexis Market Tracker Trend Report 

S&P Global Market Intelligence, 'Activist investors take aim at insurers amid pandemic rebound' (July 2021)

United Kingdom chapter, Getting the Deal Through – Technology M&A, 2020

Trends in UK Public M&A 2020, LexisNexis Market Tracker Trend Report 

Trends in UK Public M&A 2019 H1, LexisNexis Market Tracker Trend Report

Trends in UK Public M&A 2018, LexisNexis Market Tracker Trend Report

Awards and Recognition

#1 US Law Firm Adviser to FTSE companies
Corporate Adviser Rankings September 2021
  
#1 Legal Adviser to Activists (Europe)
Bloomberg Activism League Tables FY 2020 and 2021
  
#1 International Legal Advisers to Activists (Asia)
Bloomberg Activism League Tables FY 2020 and 2021
  
#1 Global Law Firm, Activist Side
Total Campaigns Activist Insight, 2020 and 2021 Adviser Awards

#1 Global Law Firm for Activism
Activist Insight Intermediary Awards 2020 and 2021

"A top firm. Really strong, they stand out from their competitor firms."
M&A: Upper mid-market and premium deals UK Legal 500 2020