People

Howard joined the firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2007. He undertakes a broad range of M&A work with a particular focus on cross-border M&A and private equity. He also advises a number of public companies, including companies with listings in the UK, France and Canada.

Highlights include advising:

• Trafigura in relation to a range of matters including most recently its disposal of a 20 per cent stake in Puma Energy to Sonangol Holdings, the national oil company of Angola;
• Puma Energy on the acquisition of a majority interest in KenolKobil, one of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa's largest oil trading and marketing companies operating in over 10 African countries;
• Rex Restaurant Associates Limited and its shareholders, Jeremy King and Chris Corbin, in relation to Graphite Capital's investment in the company;
• Air Liquide S.A. on a number of domestic and overseas acquisitions;
• Aeroplan Income Fund on its acquisition of Loyalty Management Group Limited (the operator of the Nectar card loyalty scheme);
• Tony Fernandes on the acquisition of Queens Park Rangers FC;
• The co-owners of interactive digital design and build agency Push Button on the sale of Push Button to Amazon.com;
• 3i in relation to its take private of Mayborn Group plc;
• Royal Bank Equity Finance and Silverfleet Capital in relation to the sale of Cannons gyms to Nuffield;
• Vision Capital in relation to its acquisition of a portfolio of four businesses from Northern Foods plc;
• Bank of America Private Equity in relation to its sale of Paroc (a Finnish provider of mineral wool products with manufacturing facilities in Finland, Sweden, Poland and Lithuania) to Arcapita;
• Next Wave Ventures and WHEB Ventures on the acquisition of Rexam plc's PET bottling business;
• office2office plc in relation to its IPO and generally thereafter including on its subsequent acquisition of TripleArc plc;
• the management teams of (i) TDG plc in relation to its take private by Laxey partners and (ii) Spice plc in relation to its take private by Cinven;
• sit-up TV in relation to its sale to Telewest;
• Wightlink Shipping in relation to its sale to Macquarie;
• Weight Partners in relation to the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Boxclever from Cerberus and Fortress Investment Group; and
• Arc International plc on its takeover by Virage Logic Inc.