Catherine is a highly experienced M&A corporate partner, with a particular specialism in private equity.
She has over two and a half decades of experience in helping businesses like yours with a plethora of corporate matters, including acquisitions, disposals, joint venture arrangements and securing external investment, as well as providing general day-to-day corporate advice. Catherine also undertakes a significant amount of private equity work, acting for either the private equity house providing the investment and/or for the corporate/business to whom the investment is provided and/or for the relevant management team. She has worked as a dedicated corporate lawyer since qualifying in 1996 and has been a corporate partner since 2007. Her extensive client base includes many corporates and private equity funds (both national and international).
Catherine is known for:
- leading deals from the front; a true "partner-led" approach
- her no-nonsense style, focusing on the key issues
- client service excellence; securing for you — the client — as optimal an experience as possible
- building and establishing long-term, trusted client relationships
"Catherine Eley did a fantastic job in extremely short timescales and with wonderful drafting, responsiveness and commerciality. First class!" Greg McMahon, General Counsel, Mitchells & Butlers plc
“The team (led by Catherine Eley) was very much at the top of any team that I have dealt with over the past 20 years.” David Fraser, Non-Executive Chairman, Paddock Holdings Limited
“Eversheds was invaluable to us during the sale process. Having worked with Catherine Eley and her team on several projects over the past five years — from acquisitions to debt refinancing — they were our obvious choice when it came time to sell. Their expertise and commercial approach ensured a smooth exit process, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.” Charles Eggleston (CEO) and Clare Wilson (CFO), Treetops Nurseries
Catherine's recent experience includes:
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advising the management team of Aston Lark on the sale by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Bowmark Capital of Aston Lark to international insurance broking group Howden
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acting for Baird Capital upon its investments in eCube Solutions Limited and Subsea Technology & Rentals Ltd
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representing Aston Lark upon numerous acquisitions
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helping Sovereign Capital and management with the sale of one of Sovereign Capital's education assets
- supporting the management team on the US$220M acquisition of Shimtech Industries by Inflexion and Auctus Industries from Bridgepoint
Catherine is also part of our Consumer sector and has acted on a number of deals for large consumer/food and beverage companies. Transactions include:
- acting for Compass Group on various acquisitions and disposals
- advising Mitchells & Butlers on the sale of a portfolio of pubs to real estate investment company Aprirose
- representing Mitchells & Butlers upon its investment into Ego Restaurants
- supporting long-standing client, Connect Distribution Services Limited, upon numerous transactions over the past 25 years
- Ranked in Chambers and Partners, 2022
- Ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500, 2022
- Ranked as one of Eversheds Sutherland's Acritas Stars
- The Legal 500 United Kingdom Recommended Lawyer 2014
- LPC (Distinction) De Montfort University, 1994
- LLB (First Class Hons) Birmingham University, 1990-1993