Mark Austin

Mr. Austin’s experience includes advising:

Initial Public Offerings

• Pod Point, Darktrace, Deliveroo, Cazoo (through a US de-SPAC), Pepco Group, Trainline, Watches of Switzerland, Network International, Funding Circle, Aston Martin, Quilter, Bakkavor, Alfa, Worldpay, McCarthy & Stone, Sophos, DFS, Virgin Money, Spire Healthcare, SSP, Zoopla, TSB, Poundland, Arrow Global, Partnership, Perform Group, Fresnillo, Gondola Holdings (Pizza Express), Hansen Transmissions, QinetiQ, Britvic, Virgin Mobile, and Eircom on their IPOs*
• Rubix, Logicor, ReAssure, Helios Towers, CPA Global, Cabot, Misys, Arqiva, Pure Gym, The Priory, New Look, United Biscuits, Travelex, and P3 on their proposed IPOs*

Rights Issues and Open Offers

• Aston Martin, Whitbread, Shaftesbury, Cineworld, Laird, Informa, BBA Aviation, Serco, LSE, Barclays, Lloyds, Wolseley, D S Smith, Lamprell, Balfour Beatty, National Express, and Centrica on rights issues*
• Amec on a proposed rights issue*
• AA, Barclays and Kenmare Resources on open offers*

Placings

• Aston Martin, Compass, National Express, SSP, and Auto Trader on undocumented placings*
• Ultra Electronics, NMC Health, Investec, Phoenix, Pennon, Workspace, Hammerson, Serco, Shaftesbury, G4S, Perform Group, and BTG on placings* 
• On sell-downs in Network International, Trainline, Poundland, Spire Healthcare, MicroFocus, and Virgin Money*
• BIS on the ABB sell-downs in Royal Mail*
• UKFI on:
  • HMT’s trading plan in relation to Lloyds*
  • HMT’s ABB sale of 7% of Lloyds*
• The bookrunners on HMT’s ABB sale 6% of Lloyds* 

M&A

• Spire Healthcare on its takeover approach from Ramsay Healthcare*
• Northgate on its merger with Redde to form ReddeNorthgate*
• ZPG on its take-private by Silver Lake*
• Laird on its take-private by Advent*
• Partnership on its merger with Just Retirement*
• The London Stock Exchange on its proposed merger with Deutsche Borse*
• Perform Group on its take-private by Access Industries*
• BAE on its proposed merger with EADS using a dual-listed company structure*
• CPPIB and Onex on their bid for Tomkins*
• GMG on its bid with Apax for Emap*
• Eircom on its take-private by Babcock and Brown*
• Bank of America, as sponsor, on Just Eat Takeaway's acquisition of Grubhub*
• Barclays, as sponsor, on Informa’s takeover of UBM*
• Deutsche Bank, as sponsor, on:
  • Reckitt Benckiser’s acquisition of Mead Johnson*
  • GoCompare.com’s demerger from esure*
• Morgan Stanley and Evercore, as joint sponsors, on Shire’s acquisition of Baxalta*
• Morgan Stanley, as sponsor, on Afren’s restructuring and refinancing*
• Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, as joint sponsors, on Indivior’s demerger from Reckitt Benckiser*
• Morgan Stanley on:
  • ENRC’s buy-out of the Camrose Group*
  • WPP’s re-domicile to the UK*
  • Entertainment One’s step-up to premium listing*
  • C&C Group step-up to premium listing*

*Matter handled prior to joining the firm