Catherine is a corporate lawyer with over 20 years’ experience and has a particular focus on advising management teams and investors of venture-backed, high-growth companies from first fundraise through to exit.
Catherine has a broad sector focus (including Retail, Technology, Life Sciences and Clean Tech) and has significant experience in venture funding, private equity, joint ventures, buying and selling private companies, and corporate restructuring.
I have great service from Keystone Law lawyers and would recommend Catherine Williams every day of the week for venture investment work
Rowan Gardner
Expertise
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Company and group restructuring
- Debt and equity financing
- Joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements, partnership agreements and LLP agreements
- MBO and MBI transactions
- Shareholder disputes and mediation
- Private equity and corporate venturing investment
Experience
- Acted for a venture-backed beauty business from incorporation to exit to Holland & Barrett.
- Acted for Beck Interiors Limited in its management buyouts.
- Acted for The Green People Company Limited in its corporate restructure.
- Acted for Satlantis and Super Sharp Space Satellite in their NSI clearance, corporate structure and fundraising.
- Acted for PrecisionLife Ltd in various fundraises, bridge facilities and acquisitions.
- Acted for Bedford Square Publishers Limited in its Series A Fundraise.
- Acted in the sale of Plimsoll Productions Limited to Lloyds Development Capital.
- Acted in the acquisition of French and Australian businesses by Corin Group Limited.
- Acted for The Recruitment Company Limited share sale to US PE House, Orangewood.
- Acted in the acquisition of BMT Smart by BP Castrol Ventures, Greensteam.
- Acted for Caffe Nero in its financings and acquisition of the Aroma chain from McDonald’s.
- Acted for the management team of Equity Insurance Group in the sale of the company to IAG Insurance Australia Group.
- Acted for institutional investors of Aspective Limited in the sale of the company to Vodafone UK Limited.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 2023 for M&A: Smaller deals, up to £50M and Venture Capital
“Catherine Williams is a fabulous corporate lawyer who has gone the extra mile to support and grow our business for the last 7 years.” The Legal 500 2023
“We have worked with Catherine Williams over many years and she has maintained a strong knowledge of the business and its deals, all of which she has worked on. She is very focused and works hard to deliver on time. Good provider of sensible comprehensive advice to non-lawyer clients.” The Legal 500 2023
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Venture Capital (2018-2022)
“I would highly recommend Catherine Williams to any early stage company seeking to raise VC funding.” The Legal 500 2022
“The brilliant Catherine Williams has consistently gone well beyond the extra mile to support the company and its management team and shareholders and consistently delivered a very high-quality of service.” The Legal 500 2022
Recognised in The Legal 500 2018/19 for M&A up to £50m and Venture Capital
“Calm, diligent and pragmatic” Legal 500 2018/19
“Vastly experienced in venture capital transactions” Legal 500 2018/19
Career
Catherine qualified as a solicitor in 1999. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2012, she worked at the following firms:
- Osborne Clarke
- PwC Legal
- JAGShaw
- SNR Denton