Christopher Beardmore
Counsel
Areas of Focus
- Corporate & Finance
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances
- Special Situations
- Technology
- Concentrates on cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity transactions, equity capital markets and corporate restructuring.
Chris has a wide variety of experience in public and private corporate transactions, including international M&A transactions, auctions, corporate finance and reorganisations, as well as general corporate advisory and corporate governance matters. Chris also has experience advising activist shareholders, specifically in relation to UK Takeover Code offers and removal of board members.
While at Akin, Chris has spent 12 months seconded to Bain Capital Credit’s Special Situations team.
Prior to joining Akin, Chris was a corporate associate in a leading global law firm. During that time, he was seconded to Barclays Investment Bank as part of the team implementing the structural reform project.
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Advised Intrum AB, one of Europe’s largest non-performing loan servicers, in its agreement to sell a material portion of its investment portfolio across 13 jurisdictions to affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management L.P. for more than €1 billion. As part of this transaction, Intrum retained a 35% ownership stake in the purchasing entity owning these assets and has entered into a minimum of five-year exclusive agreement to retain the servicing of the full portfolio.
- Advised Alpha Bank S.A. on the formation of a strategic partnership with payments specialist Nexi S.p.A. The partnership establishes a payments acceptance entity in Greece to which Alpha Bank’s merchant acquiring business will be transferred with a 51% stake being sold to Nexi, reflecting an enterprise value of €307 million.
- Advised ECP on its (i) acquisition of a 95.36% stake in Burger King South Africa and 100% of Grand Foods Meat Plant from Grand Parade Investments; and (ii) negotiation of a shareholders’ agreement and renegotiation of company franchise agreements with Burger King Europe.
- Advised Piraeus Bank in the €300 million sale of its Merchant Acquiring Unit to Euronet Worldwide and on the formation of a long term strategic partnership between the Bank and Euronet Worldwide.
- Advised Royalty Pharma plc on its $2.5 billion initial public offering and listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
- Advised Intrum AB in the €328 million acquisition of an 80% stake in a joint venture with Piraeus Bank S.A. that will service a €28-billion portfolio of Piraeus' non-performing loans held in a securitisation vehicle.
EducationL.P.C., University of Law, London, 2014
LL.M., University of Durham, England, 2012
B.Sc., University of Bristol, 2010
L.P.C., University of Law, London, 2014
LL.M., University of Durham, England, 2012
B.Sc., University of Bristol, 2010
Bar AdmissionsSolicitor, England and Wales
Solicitor, England and Wales