Image of Nick Withers

Nick Withers

Partner

Email

nick.withers@aoshearman.com

Phone

+44 20 7655 5956

Offices

London

V-CARD
Nick has extensive experience across a range of corporate transactions, including public and private M&A, private equity, joint ventures, equity capital markets, corporate governance and general corporate advisory work.
Nick has been named as a “Next Generation Partner” in The Legal 500 UK for M&A: Upper Mid-Market and Premium Deals, £750m+ from 2021 to 2024.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

  • Digital Infrastructure Assets LLP on matters relating to the formation of a joint venture between Ooredoo Group, Zain Group and TASC Towers Holding.
  • Institut Mérieux on its disposal of ABL Europe SAS to Oxford Biomedica plc.
  • Liberty Global on the redomiciliation from London to Bermuda including the re-registration of Liberty Global plc as a private company by way of a scheme of arrangement.
  • Fairfax Financial on the acquisition of Meadow Foods.
  • Albemarle Corporation on its lithium mining and conversion joint venture with Mineral Resources Limited.
  • Esso Italiana, a wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil Group, on the disposal of Esso’s Italian downstream fuels business to Italiana Petroli (API), and other potential divestments for Exxon Mobil in Europe.
  • Elemental Holdings S.A., the global urban mining and recycling company originating from Poland, on a subscription agreement for a $290 million equity private placement from the International
  • Finance Corporation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Polish Development Fund S.A.
  • Anglo American on the sale of its 33.3% shareholding in the Cerrejón joint venture to Glencore PLC for approximately US$294 million, demonstrating its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
  • Boston Scientific Corporation on its $4.2 billion recommended offer to acquire BTG plc.
  • Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited on the sale of RiverStone to CVC.
  • Marubeni Corporation, INCJ and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines on the disposal of the shipping vessels group, Seajacks.
  • PointState Capital LP in its participation in Taylor Maritime IPO and sale of 12 shipping vessels.
  • Integration Appliance, Inc. on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Repstor Limited.
  • Gulf Marine Services, a company listed on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange, on its successful capital raising through a placing and open offer.
  • The lead arrangers on the bridge and term loan financings in relation to several UK public to private transactions, including Comcast’s £30 billion public-to-private acquisition of Sky plc and TDR
  • Capital and I Squared Capital’s acquisition of Aggreko plc.
  • Golar Power on the development of the Porto de Sergipe LNG-to-Power project in Brazil.
  • Acacia Mining plc on the £1.2 billion recommended offer from Barrick Gold Corporation.
  • Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on a strategic partnership with OCI N.V. (OCI) which combined ADNOC’s fertilizer business, ADNOC Fertilizers, into OCI’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) nitrogen fertilizer platform to form a new joint venture.
  • DBAY Advisors Limited on the acquisition of a 51% stake in the trading entities of Eddie Stobart Logistics plc and the associated recapitalisation of the business.
  • Engie on the sale of its stakes in Paiton (Indonesian power assets) to Nebras Power and Mitsui for approximately $1.5 billion and in Meenakshi (Indian power assets) for an undisclosed sum.
  • Etihad Airways on certain matters relating to its investment in Air Berlin PLC.
  • Anglo American on the sale of a 21.9% equity stake in Anglo American Quellaveco S.A. to Mitsubishi Corporation.
  • Cyprus Cooperative Bank on the sale of assets and deposits to Hellenic Bank.
  • DBAY Advisors Limited on its public-to–private takeover of Creston plc.
  • Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited on their joint bid for APR Energy plc along with Albright Capital Management LLC and ACON Equity Management LLC.
  • Eurobank Ergasias A.E. on the acquisition of Alpha Bank S.A.’s branch in Bulgaria by Eurobank Bulgaria.
  • Marlin Equity Partners on the acquisition of Wax Digital and its merger with Medius (a Marlin portfolio company).
  • State Grid International Development Limited on its strategic acquisition of a 24% interest in the share capital of Independent Power Transmission Operator S.A. from Public Power Corporation S.A.
  • The Xander Group Inc., alongside APG Asset Management N.V., on the establishment of its joint venture, Virtuous Retail South Asia Pte. Ltd, which has acquired an initial portfolio of three retail assets from a Xander-sponsored fund.
  • Fortress Investment Group LLC on the sale of its stake in UK Power Reserve to a consortium comprising Inflexion and Equistone Partners Europe Limited.

Published Work

  • Withers. N, Morrison. M (2024) “Public M&A: Trends and Highlights 2023”, Thomson Reuters Practical Law
  • Withers. N, Morrison. M, Burrows. S (2023) “Public M&A: Trends and Highlights 2022”, Thomson Reuters Practical Law
  • Withers. N, Morrison. M, Burrows. S, Scargill. M (2022) “Public Mergers and Acquisitions in the United Kingdom: Overview” Thomas Reuters Practical Law
  • Withers. N, Morrison. M, Strecker. P, Burrows. S, Porter. R, Scargill. M (2022) “Private Mergers and Acquisitions in the UK: Overview” Thomas Reuters Practical Law
  • Withers. N (2017) “Transformation and innovation: a guide to partnerships between financial services institutions and FinTechs”, The CityUK and Santander UK

Awards

  • Ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner’, Legal 500 UK, M&A: Upper Mid-Market and Premium Deals, £750m+, 2021 – 2024

Qualifications

Admissions

Law Society of England & Wales, 2009

Academic

B.A., History, University of York, 2005
Graduate Diploma, Law, BPP Law School, 2006
Legal Practice Course, BPP Law School, 2007

Languages

English
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.