Max qualified as a solicitor in 1980 and gained experience at leading City firms, including Freshfields and what is now DLA, before becoming a partner at Frere Cholmeley in 1987. During this time, he advised prominent US corporations on their major initial investments in the UK. In 1995, Max joined Payne Hicks Beach, where he was a partner for 22 years.
Max’s expertise spans corporate finance, covering both private and public company matters, with a specialist focus on financial services law since the introduction of the basis of the present regulatory framework in 1988. His regulatory work includes advising on compliance with the FCA Rulebook, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Bribery Act 2010, and later and ancillary legislation.
Relevant experience:
- Lead advisor for listed companies in the agricultural, services, supply, and food industries.
- Counsel to major shareholders of offshore companies listed in London on City Code-governed offers.
- Advisor to multinationals acquiring private and public UK entities.
- Specialist in demergers and reconstructions of family businesses, often linked to divorce matters.
- Acting as Head of Compliance at a major London law firm, and providing regulatory guidance to a wide range of financial institutions.