Mark Rawlinson has been a Freshfields partner for 20 years and specialises in mergers and acquisitions, particularly competitive or contested situations. He is head of the Corporate department in London.

Mark advised P&O on the competing bids by Dubai Ports World and Port of Singapore Authority in 2006, a transaction that earned his team the ‘M&A Team of the Year’ award from The Lawyer and Mark a commendation as ‘Deal Lawyer of the Year’ from Legal Week. The previous year he helped Manchester United prolong their defence against the Glazer family bid and was runner up in The Lawyer’s ‘Partner of the Year’ award. Transactions in 2009 included Wolseley's £1bn placing and rights issue and advising AB InBev on its sale of Tennent's Lager.

Mark’s other public M&A transactions include advising:

  • EMI on its takeover by Terra Firma
  • P&O Princess Cruises on its combination with Carnival Corporation – the first example of London and New York listed companies being put together under a dual listed company structure;
  • Valentia consortium on the recommended offer by Valentia Telecommunications for eircom plc of Ireland;
  • Air Liquide on its joint bid with Air Products for BOC;
  • Morgan Stanley on its recommended offer for Acorn;
  • Marsh & McLennan on its recommended offer for Sedgwick Group;
  • Redland on its defence of the Lafarge bid;
  • Gulf Canada on its hostile bid for Clyde Petroleum;
  • Abbey National on its recommended offer for FNFC; and
  • BTR on its hostile bid for Hawker Siddeley.

Mark was born in 1957 and educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He has been a partner since 1990 and is relationship partner for a number of international companies (including AB InBev, Carnival Corporation, Compass, 3M and Wolseley). He is ranked in the first tier of M&A lawyers by Chambers and other directories.

Contact details

mark.rawlinson
@freshfields.com

  • London office
  • 65 Fleet Street
    London EC4Y 1HS
    United Kingdom
  • Telephone
  • +44 20 7832 7105
  • Fax
  • +44 20 7108 7105