A&O Shearman is pleased to announce that leading dealmaker George Knighton is returning to the firm from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP, where he has been a partner since 2019, most recently as co-head of the U.K. Corporate practice.
George is one of the leading practitioners in the U.K. M&A market, with nearly 30 years of experience advising a broad range of clients on their most strategic transactions. He is a highly experienced and well-regarded M&A lawyer, advising corporate, private capital and financial institution clients.
Prior to joining Skadden, George had spent his career at Allen & Overy, where he qualified and became a partner in 2008. His versatile skillset and deep experience advising on public and private M&A, joint ventures, board advisory mandates, restructurings and corporate governance fit squarely with the firm's continued investment in its high-value transactional and advisory practice.
A&O Shearman's M&A practice in London is ranked Chambers Band 1 for high-value M&A and has a diverse client base that includes listed corporates, financial institutions, private equity and other private capital investors.
In addition to George’s appointment, A&O Shearman has made a series of significant hires in London over the past 12 months, including private equity duo Dan Graham and Paul Dunbar, Parisa Clovis and Filippo Crosara in the debt finance space and Mahesh Varia in its incentives practice. Additionally, the firm has recently expanded its M&A partner bench with the promotion of three new partners in London and ten globally in the latest partner promotions round.
David Broadley, global co-head of M&A at A&O Shearman, said: "Continued investment in our M&A bench strength is a strategic priority for the firm and bringing George, one of the top dealmakers in the market, back to the firm underscores our elite M&A offering in the U.K. George’s expertise and proven track record across a range of core products key to the M&A market, paired with his strong client relationships, will further enhance our offering. He has deep experience advising key clients and the breadth of his relationships across the U.K. and the larger international market is extensive. This is an exciting time for our practice as we continue to grow our global M&A capabilities to meet the needs of our clients across the market."
"I am excited to be heading back to A&O Shearman and their elite global M&A practice," George Knighton, said: “I look forward to working again with exceptional teams around the world to advise some of the world’s biggest and best on their most complex M&A transactions in the ever-changing international investment market."