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University of Bristol, LL.B.
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Niall
McAlister
Edwards Wildman Palmer UK LLP
Partner
London
Tel +44 (0) 20 7556 4421
Fax +44 (0) 20 7716 3651
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Niall has practised business law for over twenty years and has a wide experience of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity and venture capital transactions. He has acted for a number of clients in the life sciences, insurance and reinsurance and financial services sectors. He has also led teams on a number of substantial cross-border transactions. He has particular experience representing life sciences clients, having advised both commercial entities and medical research charities on a range of transactions in the sector. He is recognised in directories both for his expertise as a corporate lawyer in the life sciences sector and as a charity lawyer.
Niall is recommended for transactions and venture capital investments in the life sciences sector (Legal 500 UK, 2012).
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Notable Experience
Life Sciences
- Led a cross-border team representing a major international pharmaceutical client on its auction bid for a substantial European pharmaceutical business.
- Led a Europe-wide team in 16 jurisdictions advising on European aspects of the buy-out of the medical imaging business of Eastman-Kodak (now called Carestream Health) and on the subsequent group restructuring.
- Advised a global life sciences client on the disposal of its UK dialysis business.
- Worked with the Wellcome Trust to structure, finance and complete the spin-out of Kymab Limited from its research campus at Hinxton, Cambridge. This was the first spin-out from a Wellcome Trust research centre.
- Represented the Wellcome Trust on its joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline to build and operate a bioincubator at Stevenage Bioscience Park. The bioincubator will be the cornerstone facility on the park.
- Advised on the charitable structure for UKCMRI Limited (now the Francis Crick Institute), a joint venture between MRC, UCL, Cancer Research UK and Wellcome Trust, which will create and operate the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation at Kings Cross, London, and negotiated the joint venture documentation. He also led negotiations with the Charity Commission on the structure.
- Led the team that represented the Wellcome Trust on its issue of £550mn listed bonds, the first listed bond issuance by a UK charity. His work included the creation of a tax efficient limited partnership structure, negotiation with the Charity Commission and extensive legal research.
- Represented the Wellcome Trust on its accelerated equity offering of a substantial shareholding in GSK.
- Responsible for drafting and negotiating with the Charity Commission a new constitution for the Wellcome Trust.
- Advised the corporate venture fund of a leading pharmaceutical company on a number of UK investments.
- Advised the Wellcome Trust on a number of investments in European biotech companies.
- Represented a number of biotech companies in fundraisings, including Syntaxin, Psynova Neurotech, Navion and Myaction.
- Advised Imperial College London on the structuring of a “virtual merger” between the College’s faculty of medicine and associated NHS Trusts.
Insurance & Reinsurance
- Advising a global insurance company on a number of transactions, including acquisitions, reorganisations and joint ventures.
- Conducting corporate transaction due diligence for a W&I insurer.
- Representing a Lloyds managing agent on the outsourcing of its claims handling operations.
- Advising insurance clients on agency arrangements and on the establishment of a corporate reinsurance vehicle.
Private Equity
- Advised HgCapital Trust, a listed investment trust, on the establishment and subsequent restructuring of a limited partnership sub-structure, as a means of aligning the interests of its investors and investment manager.
- Advised the Wellcome Trust on the acquisition of a substantial residential property portfolio held via offshore unit trusts.
- Represented PRICOA on its investment in the Arlington business parks business on disposal by BAE. He subsequently advised PRICOA on the sell-down of a substantial part interest to Legal & General; the restructuring of the investment first into a limited partnership and then into a unit trust; and on the ultimate disposal of its interests.
- Led a team representing Bridgepoint Capital and LDC on the simultaneous buy-out of Trim Engineering and Mayflower Technical Services and a number of subsequent acquisitions and refinancings.
- Represented Bridgepoint Capital on a number of buy-outs, including Instem, ELS and Molton Brown, portfolio acquisitions and subsequent disposals.
- Advised ECM on the buy-out of Sovereign Rubber, its merger with a German company and the subsequent disposal of the merged business.
- Advised LDC on a number of buy-outs and development capital transactions.
Financial Services
- Led a team that represented a consortium of UK banks in relation to the renegotiation of a joint venture with a leading outsource supplier in relation to cheque clearing services.
- Advised a UK clearing bank on the acquisition of a number of vehicle leasing businesses and a joint venture with a leading international bank.
- Advised a UK clearing bank on the establishment of a leading infrastructure fund.
- Advised a range of banks and fund managers on investments into private equity and venture funds and on the establishment of bespoke funds and “favoured nation” structures.
Retail/Consumer/Other
Niall is an English qualified lawyer, based in our London office and has practised business law for over twenty years and charity law for over fifteen years. He has particular experience representing life sciences clients, having advised both commercial entities and medical research charities on a range of transactions in the sector, including many of the biggest UK charity transactions in recent years. He is recognised in UK directories both for his expertise as a corporate lawyer in the life sciences sector and as a charity lawyer. Niall, who is " always willing to be of assistance", advised on the establishment of the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation [now called the Crick Centre]. ( Legal 500 UK, 2010) Niall has wide ranging English charity law expertise, including incorporation and registration of charities and charity mergers and acquisitions, and has provided groundbreaking technical advice on charitable funding of translational medical research and its commercial exploitation. He has advised charities on their investments and on constitutional and governance matters for a number of years. Notable Experience
Charity Law- Responsible for drafting and negotiating with the Charity Commission the new constitution of the Wellcome Trust.
- Advised on the charitable structure for UKCMRI Limited, a joint venture between MRC, UCL, Cancer Research UK and Wellcome Trust, which will create and operate the Crick Centre at Kings Cross, London, and negotiated the joint venture documentation. He also led negotiations with the Charity Commission on the unusual structure of the operating company.
- Led the team that represented the Wellcome Trust on its issue of £550mn listed bonds, the first listed bond issuance by a UK charity. His work included the creation of a tax efficient limited partnership structure, negotiation with the Charity Commission and extensive legal research.
- Worked with the Wellcome Trust to structure, finance and complete the spin-out of Kymab Limited from its research campus at Hinxton, Cambridge. This was the first spin-out from a Wellcome Trust research centre.
- Represented the Wellcome Trust on its joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline to build and operate a bioincubator at Stevenage Bioscience Park. The bioincubator will be the cornerstone facility on the park.
- Represented the Wellcome Trust on its accelerated equity offering of a substantial shareholding in GSK, the largest equity capital markets transaction undertaken by a UK charity.
- Advised the Wellcome Trust on a number of investments in European biotech companies.
- Advised Imperial College London on the structuring of its groundbreaking “virtual merger” between the College’s faculty of medicine and associated NHS Trusts.
- Represented the Institute of Advanced Motorists on the purchase of the "Drive and Survive" business from administrators.
- Advised the Institute of Advanced Motorists on its merger with another road safety charity.
- Prepared new constitutional documents for the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
- Represented the UK Stem Cell Foundation on its establishment and incorporation as a registered charity, and in negotiations with the Charity Commission.
- Establishing and registering a number of faith-based and arts related charities.
- Advised the Wellcome Trust on the acquisition of a substantial residential property portfolio held via offshore unit trusts.
Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications
Besides Edwards Wildman
Niall has played hockey (that’s field hockey) for over 35 years and still plays as much as his faltering body permits. He is a level 1 coach and has coached his club’s juniors for the last ten seasons. Otherwise, he enjoys reading, the company of his wife and children and an occasional game of cricket or golf.
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