Nicola Bennett

• Acting for the shareholders of Xpedition Limited on its sale to Purus (Bidco) Limited, part of a Microsoft‑focused technology group backed by Bowmark Capital. I led the sell‑side process involving a corporate seller and multiple growth shareholders, and advised the management team on their reinvestment into the buyer group. The transaction required significant carve‑out and disentanglement work from the wider Touchstone group, as well as advising on overseas consultancy arrangements. My team worked closely with PwC Corporate Finance to deliver a successful outcome, navigating complex locked‑box negotiations and preserving value for the sellers.
• Acting for Totemic, parent of fintech provider Paylink Solutions Limited, on the sale of Paylink’s ReFi™ debt‑consolidation technology into Experian’s Consumer Services Marketplace. This transaction also involved some intricate work to disentangle certain assets including advising on a re-organisation of certain intra-group loans.
• Acting for the selling shareholders of March Foods Limited, a leading UK co‑manufacturer and co‑packer, on its sale to The Delightful Food Group. The deal brought together two complementary businesses in the food and beverage manufacturing sector. I continued to act for one of the selling shareholders post sale on an accelerated exit which involved amending the deferred consideration mechanics and managing banking and employment workstreams to alter the loan note structure and advise on settlement arrangements relating to employment and board position.
• Acting for Babble Cloud Holdings Limited on a series of acquisitions, including TechQuarters Limited and N.T.E Holdings Limited, and leading the post‑acquisition restructuring of acquired companies. I also oversaw the consolidation of assets into a single entity to streamline operations and support Babble’s buy‑and‑build strategy.
• Advising a CEO of a property consultancy business on the legal and structural aspects of his further equity investment in the investor group. This involved advising on anti‑dilution and leaver provisions, negotiating with investor’s in‑house counsel to secure protections around debtor‑to‑equity conversion mechanics and subscription arrangements. I worked closely with KPMG to ensure maximum tax‑efficiency.
• Advising a leading enterprise transformation consultancy backed by CBPE and LDC, on a range of corporate matters including allocations of sweet equity and compulsory transfers of shares from departing employees. This is a client that I have successfully managed to retain following other lead partner exits.
• Advising a client on governance and control issues relating to two joint‑venture arrangements undergoing turnaround providing advice on various matters including mechanisms to transfer shares from defaulting developers, updating articles of association to ensure appropriate governance, and supporting the non-defaulting shareholder to strengthen its position in relation to its return on investment as much as possible.
• Acting for a B‑Corp certified human analytics consultancy business in relation to a series of corporate matters including share buybacks, a share capital rectification, updates to the shareholders’ agreement and corporate advice relating to its Dubai‑incorporated subsidiary. This is all in preparation for a sale which we are now in the very early stages of advising on.
• Advising a start-up precision engineering company on early-stage EIS fundraising as well as a share for share exchange and a re-organization of share capital amongst the existing shareholders.

A stand-out transaction that I led was the sale of a life sciences business owned by a husband and wife with an incentivised management team.

From the outset, the transaction involved a complex international footprint, with operations and stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions. Managing cross‑border advice is always demanding, but what made this deal stand out was the way we were able to streamline the process for the client. Rather than allowing the international aspects to become a source of delay or uncertainty, we built a structure that integrated overseas counsel seamlessly, kept decision‑making tight and ensured that every workstream moved in parallel. The result was a genuinely efficient process that felt controlled and predictable, even with multiple jurisdictions in play.

What I am most proud of, though, is the client experience. This was a business that had grown significantly and was ready for a major strategic step. The shareholders wanted a process that was well‑managed, commercially balanced and capable of delivering the best possible outcome without unnecessary disruption to the business. We achieved exactly that. By setting a clear strategy early, anticipating pressure points and keeping communication simple and practical, we were able to guide the client through each stage with confidence.

The final outcome reflected that discipline. The structure we negotiated maximised overall value for the shareholders, protected key commercial positions and delivered a clean exit that aligned with their long‑term objectives. It was a transaction where the legal work genuinely enhanced the commercial result — not just facilitated it. It was a reminder that excellent corporate advice is not just about technical skill; it’s about clarity, momentum and helping clients achieve the best possible outcome at a pivotal moment.

"Nicola has been a longstanding, trusted adviser to the business and her team’s pragmatic approach and dedication have been instrumental in achieving a successful outcome and allowing us to drive the growth and development of our product." - Client testimonial

"Nicola Bennett is an outstanding partner." - Legal 500

"The common sense and clear advice provided in complex business transactions by Nicola Bennett has been vital, including how to handle the negotiations and process of managing legal drafts during the process." - Legal 500