David Pudge > Clifford Chance LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Clifford Chance LLP is home to a wide-ranging corporate governance practice which advises on compliance, regulatory and risk management mandates and investigations. The team also specialises in shareholder issues for listed companies, including activist investors and contentious company board disputes. Jointly steered by David Pudge and Luke Tolaini, the team benefits from Pudge’s proven track record handling reputationally sensitive board-level corporate governance matters and Tolani’s extensive expertise in corporate crisis events and significant investigatory and investor actions. Steven Fox draws on significant experience advising boards, GCs and shareholders on public company-related law. Richard Crosby brings expertise regarding financial institutions and is a key point of contact for large banking clients. Alanna Hunter is well-versed in matters concerning activist investors, director changes and succession planning.

Well-regarded by clients for its ‘exceptional technical expertise, commercial acumen, and consistently high-quality execution on complex, high-value transactions’, Clifford Chance LLP advises an impressive roster of clients, including a number of FTSE 350 and Fortune 500 companies. The team handles a steady flow of UK and cross-border work, regularly acting on mergers, acquisitions, disposals, and public takeovers across sectors such as healthcare, media, telecoms, oil and gas, and banking. The team is led by Robert Crothers, whose practice focuses on advising UK-listed and global corporates on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and equity transactions, with particular experience in the consumer goods sector. Melissa Fogarty is a trusted adviser to corporates, tech companies, and financial institutions alike, known for her deft handling of multifaceted corporate matters, while Katherine Moir earns praise for her ability to balance ‘technical precision with commercial pragmatism.’ Nigel Wellings brings standout expertise in the financial space, regularly steering clients through high-stakes transactions with a sharp commercial lens, and David Pudge remains the go-to adviser for public takeovers, governance, capital raisings, and IPOs, regularly advising corporates and investment banks. Rounding out the team,  James Bole advises on a range of public M&A transactions, while Gareth Camp is recognised for his expertise in public offers, private M&A, and strategic exits.