Edward Westhead

I am a partner in Fieldfisher's market-leading Equity Capital Markets team and advise on a wide range of corporate finance transactions, including IPOs, secondary fundraisings and public company takeovers on both AIM and the Main Market, together with a wide range of other fundraisings and other general corporate and securities law advice.

I have particular expertise in corporate finance for the life sciences, energy & natural resources and technology sectors.

Our Equity Capital Markets team is one of only four in the UK to be ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners for Equity Capital Markets (AIM) and is described by Chamber & Partners as an "outstanding capital markets offering."

The Legal 500 2020 describes me as "very approachable, knowledgeable and commercial."

I am also a member of the exam panel for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment's Diploma in Corporate Finance.

Recent notable transactions that I have worked on include acting for:

Life sciences

• Synairgen plc on its £14 million fundraising to expedite its Phase II clinical trial of its potential COVID therapeutic and its subsequent £87 million fundraising to support its Phase III trial and manufacturing scale up.Cenkos Securities plc on the IPO, placing and vendor placing of AIM-listed Diaceutics plc, the life sciences diagnostic and consultancy business;
• Stifel on the IPO of AIM-listed Ergomed plc, the clinical trials services and drug development business and acting for Numis and N+1 Singer on Ergomed's subsequent acquisitions and secondary fundraisings;
• Panmure Gordon on the IPO and secondary fundraisings of AIM-listed Horizon Discovery, the gene editing, diagnostics and CRO services business;
• Panmure Gordon and Bank DeGroof Petercam on the reverse takeover of Ecuphar (the Belgian veterinary medicines business ) by AIM listed Animalcare Group plc, its associated fundraising of c. £33 million and readmission to AIM;

Technology

• AIM-listed Blue Prism, the leader in AI and robotic process automation, on its acquisition of Thoughtonomy;
• AIM-listed Checkit plc (formerly Elektron Technologies) on its disposal of the Bulgin business and return to shareholders by way of tender offer of the majority of the sale proceeds;
• AIM-listed Seeing Machines Limited, a leader in AI and driver monitoring technology, on its placings and open offers;
• AIM-listed EVR Holdings, the virtual reality content provider, on its reverse takeover of Melody VR and its readmission to AIM;

Energy and Natural Resources

• finnCap Limited on the admission to AIM of Gemfields Group, a world-leading supplier of responsibly-sourced emeralds and rubies and which also owns the world-renowned luxury jewellery brand, Fabergé;
• finnCap on the reverse acquisition by AIM quoted-Nautilus Marine Services plc of a number of offshore services assets and its readmission to AIM;

City Code takeovers

• Investment fund Barker Partnership LP on its recommended cash offer for AIM-listed Synnovia plc;
• Poly Glorious Investment Company Limited on its £50 million takeover of AIM-listed MayAir Group plc;
• Standard & Poor Global Indices UK on its recommended cash offer for Trucost plc.