Venture Capital

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For founders and entrepreneurs, landing their first investment and backers is a significant milestone. We work with companies from their earliest stage, advising on appropriate share structures for founders and then guiding them through the myriad of potential investment reliefs and options (literally, in the case of awards to employees!), to ensure that the value they create in their business is not damaged by a lack of early planning.

We act on both sides of venture capital – from advising companies and founders on investment by venture capital investors to acting for high net worth individuals on their investments into fast growth companies. Following initial investment, we support founders through follow-on rounds and on to exit and, with the advice and support of our leading Private Wealth team, are also able to advise founders on asset protection post-exit.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Commercial contracts

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Our team at Forsters specialises in a wide range of commercial contracts, both B2B and B2C. We handle the legal complexities so you can focus on what you do best – running your business.

We support clients across the full commercial spectrum. Our areas of expertise include reviewing, drafting and advising on supply, distribution and franchise agreements, terms and conditions, termination rights, privacy policies, non-disclosure agreements and restrictive covenants. We have dedicated hotel industry experts, who advise our clients on all commercial matters regarding their assets and operations, and we can also obtain advice on the most niche areas (such as more complex IP laws) from trusted external advisors to ensure we fully protect clients’ interests.

We combine legal expertise with market knowledge to offer clear, sensible advice and realistic solutions, reducing your risk and ensuring your business runs smoothly.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Corporate governance

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Good governance is increasingly identified with good companies and is a topic of consideration for founders, investors and C-suite.

We regularly advise clients on corporate governance issues, including directors’ duties, secretarial issues and queries, constitutional matters, shareholder disputes and best practice.

Our team is also known for its expertise in advising on, and putting in place, efficient and effective corporate governance structures for family businesses and often works in collaboration with our Private Wealth team to this end.

Whether governance relates to structuring the set-up of a family office, advising on terms of reference or codes of conduct, helping family businesses with their constitutions or companies with shareholders’ agreements or appropriate committees and reporting lines, we are able to assist. We also provide advice to those on the wrong side of poor governance and advise in respect of disputes and breach of agreements.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Private equity

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The team advises a diverse range of clients, including investors, management teams, family offices and private equity firms, on investment rounds and exits. We have a particularly active international client base.

Our clients tend to operate in the mid-market space, up to £100 million, although the team has advised clients on deals with values of up to £500 million.

Benefitting from the breadth and depth of our experience, clients receive excellent and seamless support from our corporate and commercial lawyers, as well as those in our finance, tax, employment and incentives teams.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Corporate real estate

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Working closely with our Commercial Real Estate and Residential Property teams, we advise on the full range of corporate real estate matters, including structuring and advising on indirect real estate sales and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganisations and general commercial matters.

Managing highly complex matters across a range of asset classes, we operate in both the domestic and international markets, engaging with our extensive network of overseas advisors as required to put in place the most tax efficient and commercial structures.

Our client base is extensive and includes institutional investors and pension funds, private and public property companies, funders, developers, occupiers and residential, rural and urban estates, charities, high net worth individuals and landowners.

We leverage the firm’s market-leading knowledge to provide tailored, pragmatic and commercially focussed advice to help our clients achieve their objectives. We understand the complexities and intricacies involved in corporate real estate matters and effectively project manage teams and external advisors to provide high quality advice and a truly seamless service.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Joint ventures and partnerships

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Joint ventures enable parties to maximise the potential value of an asset, idea or business by bringing together different expertise and skills, while also allowing for diversification and the sharing of risk.

We have years of experience in advising on multiparty relationships and agreements, using a variety of corporate structures, including companies, limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships, often involving parties in multiple jurisdictions.

We are able to support clients during the lifetime of these arrangements. This can include structuring, tax, partnership and membership agreements, sales and acquisitions, negotiating exits from joint venture arrangements, dealing with non-performance by a partner, or assisting generally with disputes. We are also used to working with overseas advisors to implement offshore structures for investment or other purposes and have excellent relationships with those advisors.

Our team provides clients with legal, commercial and strategic advice to ensure that their interests are protected when entering into such arrangements. We are well-versed in the issues that can arise in these areas, whether acting for a majority shareholder or minority investor.

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Nadine Gibbon

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M&A

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Navigating corporate transactions requires skill, experience, and a deep understanding of client needs. Our Corporate team combines these elements to deliver practical and commercial legal advice through a partner-led approach.

We advise on all aspects of share sales and asset sales, acting on transactions of any size, including the sale of minority interests. We can expertly handle the legal due diligence exercise, efficiently negotiate transaction documents, and will project manage the transaction to a successful completion in line with your objectives. We also regularly make introductions to, and work with, our extensive network of accountants, property agents, and insurance brokers to facilitate all aspects of a deal. In addition, our excellent relationships with a range of overseas advisors means that we can comfortably handle multi-jurisdictional matters as well as domestic transactions.

Whether our clients are looking to acquire a business or are disposing of a heritage-brand or start-up business, we guide them through every stage of the transaction. Ensuring that we understand every aspect of the deal, we provide no-nonsense advice and guidance.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Reorganisation and restructuring

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We have extensive experience in advising on the restructuring of private businesses, including owner-managed and family businesses.

We regularly act on corporate group reorganisations which are, for example, required as a result of expansion, to rationalise divisions, as a pre-cursor to the divestiture of non-core assets, or following a dispute. Utilising our excellent relationships with overseas advisors, we are able to assist with redomiciliations and the creation of new corporate structures involving both domestic and international entities.

Increasingly, we also act on the separation of businesses and assets to provide for efficient tax planning for succession, including section 110 reorganisations under the Insolvency Act 1986.

We appreciate that our clients ultimately want a solution which is efficient, simple, and realistic for them to maintain following completion. Our advice has regard to not only legal effectiveness, but considerations such as cost, manageability, and also saleability, to ensure that they are as future-proof as possible.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Real estate tax

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Strategic tax advice at the outset can help to ensure that any transaction or restructuring runs smoothly and that there are no unplanned delays or forks in the road. Every corporate or real estate transaction comes with its unique tax implications. Our Tax team is dedicated to helping you optimise your structure with practical solutions to maximise allowances, mitigate liabilities, and ensure your tax affairs are in perfect order.

We provide strategic advice on property investment, development, finance, and funds, covering direct and indirect taxes like Stamp Duty Land Tax, and VAT, and business rates. Our clients range from institutional and private investors to developers and entrepreneurs, both in the UK and internationally. We collaborate closely with our Real Estate and Private Wealth teams from the outset.

When it comes to real estate strategy—whether acquiring, disposing, leasing, developing, constructing, or investing in commercial property—numerous tax issues arise. Our expertise in respect of property taxation covers:

  • VAT on purchases and development
  • Stamp Duty Land Tax on property acquisitions
  • Direct taxation on income, profits, or gains
  • Capital allowances to reduce taxable income
  • Structuring property ownership for investor attraction and tax-efficient exits
  • Bespoke property structures like REITs and PAIFs
  • Aligning corporate transactions with commercial objectives

We work closely with our colleagues in Private Wealth to ensure that innovative solutions are devised to ensure that the structure works efficiently from the Ultimate Beneficial Owner all the way to the lowest tier subsidiary.

In addition, Forsters’ Tax team is heavily involved with M&A matters, negotiating warranties and indemnities and W&I policies and analysing the availability of the substantial shareholding exemption for corporates and entrepreneurs’ relief for individuals.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Technology

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In the fast-paced world of technology, having a legal partner who understands you, your investments, and your business is crucial. Forsters offers expertise tailored to the unique needs of the tech sector. We provide practical, commercial legal advice to help you navigate complex transactions and achieve both your business and your personal goals.

Our Approach

We manage all that we work on with precision, ensuring timely and successful delivery of your objectives. Our team becomes an extension of your own, offering no-nonsense advice and guidance.

Our Expertise

Our corporate and private wealth teams have years of experience advising in the technology sphere, with clients that operate in sectors such as artificial intelligence, F1 automotive technology, electrification, micro mobility, digital assets, and sports data analytics.

We have advised international technology clients on the acquisition of UK companies.  We have guided our clients, working closely with our trusted international partners, as they expand internationally or have sought exits. Along the way we help people with their general commercial contracting, employment, and tax matters, utilising our experience of the market to protect you and to let you commercialise your ideas.

Our leading private wealth team advise globally mobile clients, including high net worth individuals, family offices, and entrepreneurs.  We are experts in how best to structure your plans, whether in the UK or internationally.

Client Base

Our diverse client base, from tech startups to established industry leaders, as well as entrepreneurs, family offices, and high net worth individuals, showcases our versatility and the commercial acumen of our team.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Mark Prevezer

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A Senior Statesman, Mark works closely with both our Corporate and Commercial Real Estate teams.

He joined Forsters as a senior consultant following a successful career at both international and City law firms, where he held positions including that of managing partner, senior partner and global head of real estate.

Mark is extremely well connected and known for offering his clients commercial, proactive advice in the capacity of trusted advisor.

For some 40 years he has advised global institutional clients, sovereign funds, family offices and global investors, especially from Asia and the USA, on high premium cross border corporate and real estate projects,

With strong, and proven, networking and business development skills, Mark is well known for giving strong pro-active advice, and for being hands on. A lateral thinker (he is a well known amateur chess player who has played the world champion Magnus Carlsen on 3 occasions), his skills are combined with a proven strength in developing strong personal and working relationships.

Transactions include, but are not limited to, trophy assets in gateway cities, mixed use developments, experiential based large projects, hotels, large student or senior housing portfolios, infrastructure, and substantial sole or joint venture developments.

Frequent and experienced speaker, and chair of panels, for international corporate M&A and real estate conferences.

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Nadine Gibbon

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Corporate and commercial

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What makes the corporate and commercial team at Forsters different is our focus on private wealth and real estate. Supporting companies, entrepreneurs, investors and high net worth individuals across any sector, we bring deep expertise in M&A, banking and finance, tax and employment.

We work closely with our private wealth, real estate and dispute resolution teams, advising on a broad range of issues. Collaborating seamlessly with the commercial real estate practice, we support on all types of transactions: from small to complex cross-border deals. Supporting our private wealth team, we advise family offices and individuals on managing their wealth and investments. This includes the creation of trusts, private investment companies, limited partnerships and corporate and commercial vehicles. Our employment and partnerships team advises employers, partnerships and individuals across multiple sectors, from large-scale reorganisations and urgent litigation to day-to-day issues, contracts and policies.

Understanding the mechanics of a corporate and commercial transaction, your commercial ambitions and strategic direction are crucial to achieving your business and wider interests. Which is why we take time to get to know you and your goals to ensure your business and wider interests are achieved. It’s our personal approach that makes our advice truly exceptional.

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Nadine Gibbon

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