Rob Ridd

Rob advises at all stages of the business cycle, including company incorporations and reorganisations, shareholders’ agreements, acquisitions and disposals, fund-raisings and regulatory matters.

Rob is a partner in the Corporate team. He has built a reputation for excellence in the Bristol corporate finance market and acts for a diverse client base, from startups to listed entities, LLPs and traditional partnerships.

Rob’s commercial and pragmatic character reflects the firm’s values – marrying technical expertise and diverse transactional experience with a constructive, relationship-focused professional approach.

Rob trained at the London office of Reed Smith. After qualifying in 2008, Rob moved to Clarke Willmott in 2010 and has stayed with the firm ever since, gaining successive promotions until being made partner in 2017.

Rob is one of the firm’s team of Mental Health First-Aiders, having qualified with MHFA England.

How Rob can help you

Rob’s core capability is in delivering complex transactions, using technological solutions, experienced negotiating techniques and a commercial approach to provide a personal service, bespoke to each client’s objectives.

Rob has a particular interest in assisting startup enterprises with initial structuring, with a view to building long-lasting and mutually beneficial client relationships, supporting businesses through each stage of their development.

Rob regularly advises clients on all aspects of their corporate and commercial needs, but has specific expertise in:

• Company incorporations;
• Corporate constitutions, including articles of association, shareholders’ agreements, limited liability partnership agreements and partnership agreements;
• Debt fund-raisings, including facility agreements, corporate security and personal guarantees;
• Venture capital and private equity fund-raisings, including investment agreements and loan note instruments;
• Value returns, including share buybacks and reductions of share capital;
• Transaction structuring, such as heads of terms, letters of intent and memorandums of understanding for a variety of different structures including share and business acquisitions, MBOs and others;
• Due diligence investigations and reports;
• Transaction documentation, including share purchase agreements, asset sale agreements and disclosure processes;
• Contingent consideration structures, including addressing tax aspects;
• Continuing regulatory matters, including directors’ duties.

Experience

Rob has recently led transactions for the acquisition of football talent management agency Key Sports Management by Wasserman Media Group and a disposal for the shareholders of Herring Shoes, a luxury men’s shoes manufacturer.

He also acted for the shareholders and management team of defence consultant IMD Group in relation to an MBO, backed by Chiltern Capital.

Rob regularly acts for Goonvean Holdings on its acquisition strategy, and Bradford & Sons on acquisitions, disposals and other corporate matters.

Other notable clients include Turtle Bay Restaurants, Moortec Semiconductor and Sustainable Drainage Systems.