Trowers & Hamlins

Charles is a partner in Trowers & Hamlins LLP's Corporate department. Charles specialises in corporate finance (especially AIM IPOs and secondary issues whether acting for the issuer or nominated adviser and/or broker), public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity and commercial contracts. Sector specialisms include natural resources, care, leisure, facilities management, outsourcing, technology and media.

Charles trained with DLA Piper in London and was admitted as a solicitor in September 1999 and spent four and a half years post qualification at DLA. After DLA, Charles spent a year at Bond Pearce and in August 2005, he joined Trowers & Hamlins.

Selected highlights of experience

Corporate finance

• Acted for WH Ireland Group PLC (WH Ireland), in connection with Roxi Petroleum plc’s (Roxi) proposed reverse takeover of Eragon Petroleum plc and readmission to AIM.
• Advised GCM Resources plc, an AIM listed company, on its US$52 million accelerated bookbuilding fundraising.

• Acted for Melrose Resources plc, admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange plc (Main Market)  in relation to a rights issue raising £14 million and placing and open offer raising £20 million.

 Mergers and acquisitions

• Advised Qatar Telecom QSC(Qtel), on its participation in the AsiaCell Consortium which was awarded a 15 year national mobile telecoms licence in Iraq at a price of US$1.25 billion.
• Advised GI Partners, a US based private equity house, on its acquisition of 290 pubs for a consideration of £571 million from Punch Taverns plc.
• Advised ThyssenKrupp Services plc on its acquisition of the Apollo group for approximately £75 million.

 Private equity

• Acted for the management in the debt funded buy out of Nationwide Building Services Group Limited for approximately £4 million.
• Acted for management in the management buy-out of PGI Europe Limited for £11 million.
• Advised Lloyds TSB Acquisition Finance and Intermediate Capital Group plc in connection with the acquisition by Card Warehouse Limited of Cardfair Limited.

 Commercial

• Acted for PMP Recruitment in connection with a proposed pre-paid debit cards agreement with Tuxedo.
• Advised Cordant Group plc in respect of numerous commercial contracts including a proposed subcontract with Haden Building Management Limited for the provision of cleaning services to the Metropolitan Police Authority's police stations south of the River Thames with a contract value of approximately £30 million.