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Simon Amies is a partner in Covington's London corporate practice group. He advises on a broad range of corporate matters including mergers and acquisitions (public and private), IPOs and other securities offerings, private equity and venture capital investments, joint ventures and strategic transactions, and corporate governance.
Mr. Amies advises companies at all stages of their development, as well as investors and banks. He has particular expertise advising clients in the life sciences, technology and clean energy industries.
- BenevolentAI, a global leader in the creation and application of AI and machine learning to transform the way medicines are discovered and developed, on several investment rounds, including:
- $90 million equity investment from Temasek, a Singapore-headquartered investment company; and
- £80 million equity investment round by new and existing investors.
- Marubeni Corporation as lead investor in the $26 million Series B financing of Azuri Technologies Limited.
- Tencent Holdings Limited as lead investor in a $20 million Series A financing in UK blockchain business Everledger.
- B.E.S.T. Funds in its equity investment in and subsequent exit from UK telematics company TrakGlobal Group.
- Salesforce Ventures in its Series B and Series C investments in AI identity verification company Onfido.
- BenevolentAI on its acquisition of Proximagen Limited, a Cambridge, UK-based drug discovery and development company.
- Safe Harbour Holdings PLC, a company established with the objective of creating a global leader in the B2B distribution and/or business services sphere, on its AIM IPO and £22.7 million placing.
- Wilmcote Holdings PLC, a company established with the objective of acquiring and developing businesses in the downstream and specialty chemicals sector, on its AIM IPO and £15 million placing.
- Allergy Therapeutics plc, the AIM-listed specialty pharmaceutical company, on:
- an £11.5 million placing of ordinary shares;
- the acquisition of Alerpharma, S.A. a Spanish-based allergy immunotherapy company; and
- a £20 million placing of ordinary shares.
- Advised Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. on its acquisition of Message Automation Limited.
- Indivior plc, formerly RB Pharmaceuticals, in its demerger from Reckitt Benckiser and £1 billion listing on the London Main Market.
- Qualcomm Inc. in its £1.56 billion recommended cash offer for CSR plc.
- Consort Medical plc in its £98.9 million rights issue in connection with the £230 million acquisition of Aesica Holdco Limited.
- Cenkos Securities plc as sole co-ordinator and bookrunner in relation to the AA’s £1.38 billion IPO on the London Main Market.
- Pan European Terminals PLC in its £23.4 million recommended cash offer by Belphar Limited.
- Drayson Technologies, in collaboration with Imperial Innovations plc, in the spin-out of wireless power technology from Imperial College.
- Heart Metabolics Limited in its Series A financing and the subsequent sale of its assets for up to $10 million to a newco formed by venBio, Seroba Kernel Life Sciences and others.
- Piper Jaffray Ltd., as sole financial advisor, sponsor, underwriter and broker to Vernalis plc in two placings and open offers raising in aggregate over £50 million.
- Indian Energy Limited, a wind farm operator in India, in connection with its IPO on AIM and subsequent recommended takeover by Infrastructure India plc.
- Galapagos NV in its recommended takeover of BioFocus plc and the simultaneous admission of Galapagos’ shares to trading on AIM and listings on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels.
- Minster Pharmaceuticals PLC, an AIM-listed drug development company, in its recommended takeover by Proximagen Neuroscience PLC.
- MPS Global, a US-based provider of high-tech engineering, design and IT talent, in its acquisition of UK-based Talascend Group.
- Cenkos Securities, as nomad and broker to the £115 million placing by AIM-listed Tanfield Group plc to finance the acquisition of US-based Snorkel Holdings LLC.
- Baltic Oil Terminals PLC in its £60 million IPO on AIM and subsequent acquisitions of the Baltic Top Terminal business and Petroval Bunker International.
- Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc., an OTC Bulletin Board quoted US biotechnology company, in its admission to AIM and £15 million placing.
May 29, 2020, Covington Alert
The UK Government has released the full details of its Future Fund scheme, including the application process, together with the template convertible loan agreement. The Future Fund, the headline terms of which were announced on 20 April 2020 (see our Alert of 22 April), launched on 20 May 2020 and will initially be open until the end of September 2020. The ...
May 27, 2020, Covington Alert
The UK Government has tabled legislation to assist companies in financial difficulty and to make temporary changes to the law relating to the governance and regulation of companies. The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill1 (the “Bill”), which commenced its passage through the UK Parliament on 20 May 2020, is relevant to public companies as it provides for ...
April 22, 2020, Covington Alert
On 20 April 2020, the UK Government announced the new Future Fund scheme under which the Government will offer funding to innovative UK registered companies facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
April 21, 2020, Covington Alert
The Government has announced further information on the measures to be brought forward to assist public companies in meeting their statutory and regulatory obligations to hold annual general meetings (AGMs) during the current season. On 17 April 2020, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) ...
April 14, 2020, Covington Alert
On 8 April, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced further measures to assist companies seeking to raise finance from the capital markets in order to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and position their businesses for recovery. The FCA Statement of Policy sets out guidance on the application and relaxation of certain pre-existing rules, ...
April 5, 2020, Covington Alert
With its announcements on Friday 3 April 2020, the UK government has now introduced three different schemes to facilitate access to Coronavirus finance for larger, mid-sized and smaller businesses in UK. Three separate schemes have been established to reflect the varied issues that business of different sizes have been encountering. Each scheme seeks to directly ...
April 3, 2020, Covington Alert
On 28 March, 2020, the UK Government announced that it intends to amend insolvency law to give companies breathing space and allow them to keep trading while they explore options for rescue. The changes include (a) a temporary suspension of wrongful trading by directors of UK companies for three months commencing on 1 March, 2020 and (b) the introduction of a ...
April 3, 2020, Covington Alert
COVID-19 has created many challenges for both public companies and a range of regulators tasked with ensuring market functionality and integrity. In the past few weeks, Government, regulators and advisory bodies relevant to the capital markets have moved to act quickly where they can to announce new measures or provide guidance aimed to address areas of ...
April 3, 2020, Covington Alert
At a time when many companies have been forced to close their offices and have almost all of their employees working remotely, the standard procedures for the execution of documents and addressing signing and closing matters have come under pressure. Below are some practical issues that can arise in the signing and closing of deals which are subject to English ...
October 15, 2019
LONDON—Covington has advised BenevolentAI on its $90 million investment from Temasek, a Singapore-headquartered investment company. BenevolentAI aims to improve the lives of patients suffering from diseases with no effective treatment. The Benevolent Platform® is used by scientists and technologists to find new ways to treat disease, improve the efficacy, and ...
Covington Represents Alion Science and Technology in $225 Million Sale of its Naval Systems Business Unit
May 23, 2019
WASHINGTON—Covington is representing Alion Science and Technology Corporation in a recently announced deal to sell its Naval Systems Business Unit to Serco Inc. for $225 million. The sale, subject to certain regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2019. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Alion delivers advanced engineering, IT and, operational ...
August 17, 2018
LONDON—Covington has advised Sensyne Health on medical device regulatory and data protection matters in connection with its £60 million IPO on London’s AIM market. The firm also represented Sensyne Health in negotiating strategic research and data processing agreements with the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Oxford University ...
April 20, 2018
LONDON—Covington advised BenevolentAI on an £80 million equity investment by new and existing investors, including Woodford Investment Management, at a pre-money valuation of £1.4 billion. The firm also recently advised BenevolentAI on its acquisition of Proximagen Limited, a Cambridge, UK-based drug discovery and development company, for an undisclosed ...
Covington Advises Allergy Therapeutics on £11.5 Million Placement and License Agreement
November 23, 2015
LONDON, November 23, 2015 — Covington represented Allergy Therapeutics, the AIM-listed specialty pharmaceutical company specializing in allergy vaccines, in the placement of ordinary shares raising approximately £11.5 million. The placement was conducted through an accelerated bookbuilding process with Panmure Gordon & Co acting as financial adviser, nominated ...
Covington Advises Allergy Therapeutics on Alerpharma Acquisition and £20 Million Placing
June 24, 2015
LONDON, June 24, 2015 — Covington advised Allergy Therapeutics plc, the AIM-listed specialty pharmaceutical company, on its recently announced acquisition of Alerpharma, S.A. a Spanish-based allergy immunotherapy company which previously spun out from Spanish biopharmaceutical company, Zeltia S.A. Alerpharma’s principal operating subsidiary, Inmunal, markets ...
November 17, 2014
LONDON, 17 November, 2014 — Covington is advising Indivior, formerly RB Pharmaceuticals, in the demerger transaction announced today from Reckitt Benckiser, a global consumer products company. The demerger is subject to the approval of RB shareholders. Indivior PLC will be a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of addiction and closely ...
Covington & Burling and Slaughter and May advise on Qualcomm’s £1.6bn acquisition of CSR
October 17, 2014, The Lawyer
Partners Louise Nash and Simon Amies are mentioned in this article regarding their representation of Qualcomm: "Covington & Burling advised US mobile phone chipmaker Qualcomm and Slaughter and May advised tech firm CSR on the US company’s £1.6bn takeover of the British company, which will increase Qualcomm’s presence in the UK."
Covington Advises Consort Medical on Aesica Holdco Acquisition and related £260 million financing
October 10, 2014
LONDON, 10 October, 2014 — Covington & Burling is advising Consort Medical plc on the acquisition of Aesica Holdco Limited and its operating subsidiaries from private equity fund Silverfleet Capital and its management shareholders for a total consideration of approximately £230 million. Covington is also advising Consort Medical plc on the £98.9 million Rights ...
August 5, 2014
LONDON, 5 August, 2014 — Covington & Burling advised Illumina on its partnership with Genomics England to provide infrastructure and expertise for a four-year project that aims to make the UK the world leader in genetic research into cancer and rare diseases, through funding research to decode 100,000 human genomes - a patient's personal DNA code. The deal is ...
Covington Partners Present at CleanEquity Monaco
April 7, 2014
WASHINGTON, DC, April 7, 2014 — Covington & Burling partners Simon Amies, Scott Anthony and Andrew Jack spoke at the 2014 CleanEquity Monaco conference in the Principality of Monaco on March 27 and 28. The annual conference, sponsored in part by Covington and hosted by London-based Innovator Capital, aims to accelerate cleantech innovation and provide expert ...
9/23/2011
LONDON, 23 September, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP advised its long-standing client Indian Energy Limited, an independent power producer operating wind farms in India, on a recommended all-share takeover by Infrastructure India plc. The takeover was implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement approved by the Guernsey courts and valued Indian Energy at ...
February 24, 2010
LONDON, February 24, 2010 — Vernalis plc, the London main market listed pharmaceutical company, announced on 11 February the completion of a fully underwritten placing and open offer raising £30 million before expenses. Vernalis proposes to apply most of the proceeds of the fundraising to regain the right to the royalties from Menarini’s sales of frovatriptan by ...
Covington Advises Minster Pharmaceuticals in Recommended Takeover by Proximagen Neuroscience
January 15, 2010
LONDON, January 15, 2010 — Covington & Burling LLP advised Minster Pharmaceuticals plc, the AIM-quoted drug development company specialising in compounds for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric conditions, in its recommended takeover by Proximagen Neuroscience plc. The terms of the all cash offer value Minster at £4.3 million. The Covington team ...
Covington Advises Indian Energy on its AIM IPO
9/2/2009
LONDON, September 2, 2009 — Indian Energy, an independent power producer operating wind farms in India, today announced its admission to AIM, raising £9.75 million before expenses through a placing of ordinary shares. Covington & Burling LLP advised Indian Energy on the transaction. Indian Energy is focused on building a portfolio of wind power generating ...
Covington Advises Energy Conversion Devices on Acquisition of Solar Integrated Technologies
7/22/2009
WASHINGTON, DC, July 22, 2009 — Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), a NASDAQ-listed leading global manufacturer of thin-film flexible solar laminate products for the building integrated and commercial rooftop markets, and Solar Integrated Technologies, Inc. (SIT), an AIM-listed leading provider of building integrated photovoltaic roofing systems, today ...
5/19/2009
LONDON, May 19, 2009 — Vernalis plc, the London main market listed pharmaceutical company which is developing a pipeline of clinical and early stage programmes, today announced the completion of a placing and open offer raising £24 million before expenses. It proposes to apply the proceeds of the fundraising to fund its clinical development and discovery ...
11/20/2008
WASHINGTON, DC, November 20, 2008 — Covington & Burling LLP is pleased to announce that both Chambers Asia 2009 and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific have recognized the firm’s India practice. This is the first time that Covington has been included in either guide for that region. Chambers Asia 2009 recognizes Covington in the Overseas Counsel - Corporate & Finance ...
10/29/2008
LONDON, October 29, 2008 — MPS Global, LLC, a US-based provider of high-tech engineering, design and IT talent, has acquired UK-based Talascend Group. The Talascend business includes EPCglobal, an international engineering staffing company, which operates exclusively in the engineering and construction industries in the UK, the US, India and Abu Dhabi. Covington ...
8/7/2007
LONDON, 7 August, 2007 — Covington & Burling LLP announces its role in advising US biotechnology company Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. on its admission to AIM and £15 million placing, which valued the company at approximately £68 million on a fully-diluted basis. The transaction was particularly complex due to Northwest's quotation on the OTC Bulletin Board in ...
8/7/2007
LONDON, 7 August, 2007 - Covington & Burling LLP acted for Cenkos Securities plc in its role as nominated adviser and joint broker to Tanfield Group Plc in Tanfield’s £115 million placing of ordinary shares. Tanfield, the AIM-listed manufacturer of zero emission electric vehicles and aerial work platforms, will use part of the proceeds from the placing to fund ...
Covington Announces Ten New Partners
10/5/2006
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5, 2006 — Covington & Burling LLP announced the election of ten new partners, effective October 1. Stuart Stock, chair of the firm’s management committee, commented, “These remarkable lawyers reflect the strength and diversity of our firm and its practice. We are very pleased to have them as members of our partnership.” Covington’s ...
June 2006, Focus Europe AIM Supplement, Corporate Counsel
- Chambers Global, India - Overseas Counsel, Corporate & M&A (2010-2011)
- PLC Which Lawyer? England - Capital Markets Equity (2008-2012)
- Legal 500 Asia Pacific, India - Foreign Firms (2010-2011)
- Legal 500 UK, Flotations, Small and Mid-Cap and Commercial Contracts (2014, 2016)
- IFLR European Awards 2015 - shortlisted in Deals of the Year: Equity