case study - Gavin Cummings

position then (1992): articled clerk (trainee solicitor)

position now (2009): partner and head of the firm's business services department

secrets of success: I was lucky to join an ambitious firm which has developed and grown rapidly in my time at the firm. We do not have a hierarchical approach and I have therefore felt that my views have always been welcome and I have been given the support and encouragement to build the firm’s business. It is particularly rewarding to have a direct influence on the strategic direction of the firm.

I would put my success down to building strong relationships and taking a commercial approach to issues. It is key to understand your client’s business and their strategic objectives before you can hope to give good advice. I encourage our teams not to be frightened to give an opinion and to always put the legal implications into context.

expertise: private equity and corporate finance transactions

• acted for a range of private equity firms, including 3i, Barclays Private Equity, Royal Bank Equity Finance, Lloyds Development Capital and Isis
• lead partner for the corporate team who completed over 100 transactions in the last 12 months with a deal value exceeding £750m, despite a difficult economic market
• recently acted for management and LDC on the £75m secondary buy-out of Britton Group