Bio
Chris Smedley is a Senior Associate within the Corporate department in Jersey. He has an extensive knowledge of the legal and regulatory regime in Jersey and advises both local and international clients on a wide range of cross jurisdictional, high-value and complex corporate and commercial matters including mergers and acquisitions, investment structuring and restructuring, fund formation, private equity structures and corporate finance.
Chris also takes a leading role within Appleby’s capital markets/listing services division, regularly advising clients in relation to the listing of Eurobonds, High Yield Bonds, REITS and other specialist debt and equity on The International Stock Exchange.
He joined Appleby in June 2014 having trained in London with City law firm Rosenblatt Solicitors and is admitted as an English Solicitor (non-practising).
Expertise:
Recent highlights have included:
- Advising Apollo Strategic Growth Capital, a special purpose acquisition company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, on its pending US$5.3 billion business combination with American Express Global Business Travel to create the world’s largest publicly traded B2B travel platform.
- Advising family-backed private equity firm Perwyn in relation to the purchase of the majority stake in Jersey Telecom’s “Internet of Things” business. The sale is believed to be one of the biggest ever deals in Jersey’s digital section.
- Acting for SparkCognition Inc., a leading global artificial intelligence technology company headquartered in Austin Texas, on its acquisition of AIM2 from hedge fund management company Brevan Howard and global investment bank Nomura.
- Advising Velocity Sports Partners, the sports investment arm of ALK Capital LLC, a leading US management firm specialising in investments in the sports and media sectors, with the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Premier League Football Club Burnley F.C..
- Acting as lead counsel to real estate portfolios managed by a world renowned private equity alternative investment management firm in relation to the restructuring of two portfolios with assets in excess of €310m.
- Advised Stirling Square Capital Partners on the establishment and ongoing structuring requirements of the client’s Fourth Fund, with a total commitment from investors of circa. €950 million.
- Assisting with the establishment of the first electric-car pooling scheme established in Jersey.
- Providing legal and regulatory guidance in respect of the proposed re-domiciliation to Jersey of multiple Fund and Fund Investment Managers, currently established in the Cayman Islands, following the introduction of economic substance regulations in 2019.
- Advising the SMP Group of Companies, with the support of mid-market private equity house Palatine Private Equity LLP, in relation to the acquisition of Jersey trust and corporate services provider, Helm Trust Company Limited.
- Advising a wide variety of UK and European private equity advisers on the listing of equity and specialist debt securities on The International Stock Exchange.
Education:
LLB, Swansea University (Wales)
