Corporate Law

CONTENTS

WINNERS OF ‘LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 2023’ – BUSINESS MAGAZINE, SOLENT DEALS AWARDS
Key corporate law services
In-House Counsel
How we work with you

In running your business the stakes are high and your corporate law advisors need to understand your ambitions and aspirations. At every stage of your business’s life cycle, there are complicated decisions that need to be made, so your legal team should be right there with you with solid, commercial and timely advice. Your corporate team is focussed on solutions. Helping our clients succeed is at the heart of the way we work. Working with our team means you get the balance of technical skill and commercial focus.

WINNERS OF ‘LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 2023’ – BUSINESS MAGAZINE, SOLENT DEALS AWARDS

“We are thrilled to win Law Firm of the Year. Thank you to all of those who supported our nomination. The recognition is very well deserved. We have a fantastic team at all levels who were incredibly busy in 2022, completing over 60 transactions, many of them involving local businesses, financiers and advisers. Our success is based on building strong relations with our clients, professional advisers and the wider community in our region. We will continue to build on our success by developing our relationships with key stakeholders in 2023 and beyond.”

Key corporate law services

Company acquisitions, disposals and management buy-outs.
Venture and growth capital and private equity.
Corporate structuring, restructuring and reorganisations.
Ownership (shareholders, partnership and LLP) agreements and constitutional.
Corporate law advice and governance.
Employee and stakeholder incentivisation.
Company secretarial services.

In-House Counsel

Our team of experienced lawyers is well-equipped to support you in various ways. Whether you require advice on a specific issue, additional resources due to capacity constraints, or a second opinion, we are here to help. Explore our legal counsel page for more information and details on our schedule of seminars, specifically designed for in-house counsel.

How we work with you

Whilst based in the South of England, with offices in Southampton, Winchester and Bournemouth, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:

Over the telephone
Online appointments
In face to face meetings

We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.

CONTENTS

WINNERS OF ‘LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 2023’ – BUSINESS MAGAZINE, SOLENT DEALS AWARDS
Key corporate law services
In-House Counsel
How we work with you

Get in touch to speak with an expert.

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Introducing your key contacts

Jonathon Roy

Partner – Corporate

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Jonathon Roy

Partner – Corporate

Amanda Brockwell

Partner – Corporate

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Amanda Brockwell

Partner – Corporate

Meet the Corporate team

Corporate Services

Company Secretarial Services

Corporate Governance & Company Law …

Family members looking after their nursery

Family Business Services

Growth & Development Capital

Mergers & Acquisitions, Disposals &…

Ownership Agreements, Employee Ince…

Private Equity

Serial Acquirers

How we’ve helped our clients

“Sources say “Paris Smith supports us across a number of acquisitions and provides a consistent team, enabling a relationship and way of working together to be built. The team can draw upon other departments, each quickly grasping the fundamentals and nuances of the deal;” “The team supports us in a way where we reach completion being satisfied we had the right level of protection built into the legal documents and process; “Paris Smith tailors its work with us in a very effective manner.” Other sources say “Partner-led advice, quick understanding of the issues, adaptable and commercial, and work well across different jurisdictions;” “I am impressed with the range of knowledge and breadth of services offered”; and “Straightforward to deal with and strong on commercial SPA negotiation and due diligence. Technology enabled process.””

Legal 500 2026 Edition – Client Testimonials

“Sources say “The department excels at handling complex matters with high proficiency and expertise. Their commercial awareness is strong, with a solid understanding of business trends and strategies;” “The firm is commercially minded and able to overcome challenging situations with practical solutions. The corporate team have the experience and expertise to deal with all manner of challenges;” “Paris Smith has a very strong team with genuine depth. They are easy to work with and commercially aware. They are always available and quick to get back to you;” “The team at Paris Smith are professional, knowledgeable and responsive. Their service levels and commercial awareness are both very good;” and “Paris Smith provide very good commercial and legal advice and have a sensible pricing structure. The team are good communicators and focus on the best commercial outlook for the client.””

Chambers Legal Directory 2025

“Sources say ‘The corporate team at Paris Smith handles a wide range of transactions, including asset and share acquisitions, management buyouts, and employee ownership trusts’; The team provided highly knowledgeable advice in a very timely fashion. They worked through very large numbers of documents to meet tight deadlines’; The team has provided the highest quality of service, demonstrating excellent technical knowledge and the ability to propose and negotiate practical commercial solutions’; They are an extremely well established and respected team capable of supporting clients through even the most complex deals’; and ‘The team has great strength in depth with several partners having built strong reputations across the local M&A advisory market and a loyal following with clients’.”

Legal 500 2025 Edition – Client Testimonials

“This was a really complex series of transactions; there was a lot going on and all aspects needed careful organisation and planning. Amanda has been with us from start-up and both she and Claudia were instrumental in managing that and worked with a number of different advisers and stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of the various transactions. This would not have been possible were it not for their knowledge of our business, us as a group of shareholders and their insight, experience and adaptability. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”

Rob Mott, Chairman

Charters Estate Agents

“Michael Moore led the team from Paris Smith that helped me sell my business. It was a challenging situation for me as I had founded it 20 years ago and had no experience in selling a business. Michael has a vast amount of experience which was very reassuring through the whole process. He was also able to pick up the phone and talk to the other parties representatives when needed. ”

David Marshall, Director & Shareholder

“We instructed Jenny Packer to help us organise and facilitate an MBO for Tew Brothers Ltd. We specifically asked for Jenny because of a previous very positive experience when Jenny organised and put in place a shareholders agreement. Although sorting an MBO can be very complex, Jenny helped us to understand the process at every stage with excellent advice and also recommended and facilitated the use of other partner professionals such as AZETS to assist with the tax element of the MBO. The whole process was completed within the time scale we had asked for and in a seamless and professional manner. We were very happy and impressed with the whole process.”

Shaun Tew, Director

Tew Brothers Ltd

“The teams are professional, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. I put a lot of trust into Paris Smith’s advice and would have no hesitation to recommend their services.”

Scott Stephens, Director

Forth Hold Limited

“Despite being told that we should use London lawyers for the sale of SHB we decided to stick with Paris Smith whom our family have dealt with since the 1950s. We found that they reacted quickly and efficiently to the many issues that arose out of a process of creating new companies, transferring shares and properties and finally selling SHB. The purchaser used London lawyers and Paris Smith more than proved themselves to have been the best choice for us.”

Mike Street, Founder – SHB Hire

SHB Hire

“Referees say “The Paris Smith team has stood out for their ability to respond in a consistently timely and professional manner at all times across a broad range of legal advice areas”; “The Paris Smith team acts as a genuine partner and are there where and when you need them, consistently and professionally – I couldn’t ask any more of them”; “Clear and quality legal advice, hardworking legal counsel” and “Dedicated to the service they provide”.”

Legal 500 2024 Edition

“You are amazing Claudia. Thanks once again for turning this around so quickly.”

Ros Hanson, Managing Director

Halo Accident & Repair

“Thanks for all the guidance and for working so hard to get the deal done in such a short space of time.”

Michael Curran

“Thanks once again Claudia. We are not sure what we would do without you!”

Name withheld

“I am grateful for the help provided by Paris Smith in an extremely professional but friendly way. General replies back are done very quickly and if not immediate advised that they will reply. Thank you and appreciate your help.”

PS, Director – Corporate Re-finance

“Working with Paris Smith has been a breath of fresh air. From the moment we made our initial enquiry through the completion of several different projects, we have been kept informed throughout each process and have always felt confident in the information and advice we have been given. We continue to work with Paris Smith on a number of business projects and now consider their team part of our own.”

Jacqui Greene, Head of Business

Encompass Surveys Ltd

“Amanda and Claudia were recommended to us as highly effective commercial advisers to lead the legal team and process, and we found them to be just that. They added real value to the process and the deal terms and worked seamlessly with us as sellers, as well as our other professional advisers to make the deal happen. I would recommend them and Paris Smith unreservedly.”

Graham Carter, MS & Shareholder

AutoLogic Systems Ltd

“Everyone at Paris Smith is very personable and a pleasure to work with. At no point do they show they are under any pressure despite having every right to do so. This meant they took a lot of pressure off me and made the whole process far less stressful for me than it might have been.”

David Marshall

“One source mentions the great strength in depth across the corporate team;” while another says “The people at Paris Smith have consistently demonstrated a real awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing my business, and a willingness to design and deliver solutions that fit my needs, rather than a narrow focus on “legal work”.” A further source states “‘The real strength of the team at Paris Smith is the willingness to invest time in understanding a client’s needs and the business challenges they face. Another source says “The culture at Paris Smith is to provide a quality, high end service without any attempt to intimidate or be pretentious. Paris Smith very much have their feet on the ground whilst retaining the reliable professionalism that you would expect.” There is “‘Great bandwidth across the various elements of commercial and corporate law and strength in depth.”

Legal 500 2023 – Referee Comments

“Referees say “It’s a very capable team with excellent strength and depth of knowledge across all corporate legal matters” and “They are experienced and able to understand the client priorities.””

Chambers & Partners 2023 – Referee Comments

Chambers and Partners Legal Directory 2025 – Band 1

What the team is known for

Paris Smith is a well-reputed firm capable of advising clients on the full range of complex M&A transactions and other corporate matters. The team acts for owner-managed businesses and larger corporates based both locally and overseas. It operates alongside other departments within the firm to provide a rounded service to clients, including prominent retail and property development companies.

Strengths

“Paris Smith provide very good commercial and legal advice and have a sensible pricing structure. The team are good communicators and focus on the best commercial outlook for the client.”

“The team at Paris Smith are professional, knowledgeable and responsive. Their service levels and commercial awareness are both very good.”

“Paris Smith has a very strong team with genuine depth. They are easy to work with and commercially aware. They are always available and quick to get back to you.”

“The firm is commercially minded and able to overcome challenging situations with practical solutions. The corporate team have the experience and expertise to deal with all manner of challenges.”

“The department excels at handling complex matters with high proficiency and expertise. Their commercial awareness is strong, with a solid understanding of business trends and strategies.”

Notable Practitioners

Amanda Brockwell

Amanda Brockwell is knowledgeable across a wide scope of corporate and commercial work. She acts for a broad clientele of corporates, private equity funds and venture capital investors.

“Amanda is very experienced and knowledgeable. She is excellent at presenting complicated matters to clients.”

“Amanda is very experienced and a good operator.”

Jonathon Roy

Jonathon Roy has deep experience in corporate and commercial finance matters. He advises clients from owner-managed businesses to large multinationals on a range of transactions.

“Jonathon has a depth of knowledge and understanding that is rarely encountered.”

“Jonathon is very good on the legal side of complex details and was able to work to a tight timescale. He is a consummate professional.”

“Jonathon is very experienced in this area.”

Michael Moore

Michael Moore is active on a broad range of corporate transactions. His sector expertise includes technology, leisure and manufacturing.

“Michael provides strong commercial advice and focuses on the best outcome for the client.”

“Michael is very good and has lots of experience.”

“Michael is very commercially aware and a great M&A specialist. He is able to suggest pragmatic solutions to issues and is a great negotiator.”

Richard Atcherley

Richard Atcherley is commended for his strong corporate law practice. His broad offering covers M&A transactions, management buyouts and a range of other general corporate matters.

“Richard provides good client service and communication. He will explain things very clearly and is personable.”

“Richard is prompt in his responses and well liked by clients.”

“Richard is very knowledgeable and experienced. He is proactive and a great communicator, as well as being very well liked by all advisers and clients.”

Legal 500 Directory 2026 Edition

The ‘adaptable and commercial’ corporate, commercial and finance department at Paris Smith LLP acts for major domestic and international clients on high-value and complex transactions. Crispin Dick heads the commercial team, assisting standout clients on services, supply, and IT agreements, while Michael Moore leads the corporate department, acting for domestic and multi-national clients on acquisitions, disposals, and investments. Richard Atcherley boasts an acclaimed ’commercial understanding and solutions-driven approach’, particularly in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors. Offering further corporate law expertise, Amanda Brockwell is a key contact on major and high-value acquisitions and exit scenarios, while Jonathon Roy brings a wealth of experience and commercial acumen across buy- and sell-side transactions.

What clients say

‘Paris Smith supports us across a number of acquisitions and provides a consistent team, enabling a relationship and way of working together to be built. The team can draw upon other departments, each quickly grasping the fundamentals and nuances of the deal.’

‘The team supports us in a way where we reach completion being satisfied we had the right level of protection built into the legal documents and process.’

‘Paris Smith tailors its work with us in a very effective manner.’

‘Partner-led advice, quick understanding of the issues, adaptable and commercial, and work well across different jurisdictions.’

‘Great day to day support from Amanda Brockwell, who effectively managed a complex structure to ensure risk was mitigated and momentum was maintained.’

‘Richard Atcherley’s commercial understanding and solutions-driven approach enabled us to complete each deal efficiently.’

‘Claudia Mihai is all over the detail, works very efficiently through matters, and is robust in negotiating issues for us. I have a lot of trust in her.’

‘I am impressed with the range of knowledge and breadth of services offered.’

‘Straightforward to deal with and strong on commercial SPA negotiation and due diligence. Technology enabled process.’

‘Richard Atcherley lead the process on a number of recent transactions, each with inevitable issues/surprises. His commercial understanding and solutions driven approach enabled us to complete each deal efficiently, but with our confidence our interests were always covered appropriately.’