Charles is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer who advises businesses, shareholders, directors and investors. His specialisms include mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions, reorganisations and joint ventures. Charles also regularly advises on non-transactional matters, such as shareholder/partnership agreements, business succession and a wide range of commercial agreements.
Charles’ clients range from start-ups to listed companies and he often advises clients who are based outside the UK.
Expertise
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Investments
- Private equity and venture capital
- Management buy-outs/-ins
- Joint ventures
- Business reorganisations
- Shareholder agreements
- Partnerships
- Business succession
- Corporate governance
- Commercial agreements
Experience
Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Advised The Nue Co on a £18 million Series B investment by Pamoja Capital.
- Advised senior management on its participation in a £30 million investment by Horizon. Capital in Ascent Software and TechHuddle. Also advised the Ascent Software owners on a sale of their shares into the ongoing trading group.
- Advised a market-leading luxury brands recruitment business on a private equity fundraising.
- Advised VFX Financial PLC on a significant new investment from a private investor to accelerate expansion plans.
- Advised Luxury Promise, an online marketplace for luxury accessories, on its Series A fundraise.
- Advised a regulated business-to-business SME lender on an equity/debt fundraising.
Sales & Acquisitions
- Advised the founding shareholders of Alaco Limited on its sale to Sigma 7.
- Advised shareholders in toucanBox on its sale to Sandbox & Co.
- Advised First Payment Merchant Services on its sale to the UK’s largest payments company, DNA Payments.
- Advised the founding shareholders of BEP Systems on its acquisition by finova.
- Member of team advising management on its acquisition of the Principles, Warehouse, Racing Green and Hawkshead businesses, as well as their subsequent disposal.
- Advised the owner of a market-leading healthcare software business on its sale to a private equity-backed management team.
- Advised the owners of The Net Crowd on its sale to Daisy Group Plc.
- Advised the owners of Layer 3 Advanced Business Solutions on its sale to Daisy Group Plc.
- Advised a listed rights ownership business on its acquisition of several household names in the television and book sectors.
- Advised the buyer and investors on an acquisition of the Altitude London events business in Millbank Tower.
Commercial
- Advised a high-growth IT business on its fully outsourced IT services agreement with a leading UK university.
- Advised on a wide range of commercial contracts across multiple sectors.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Corporate and Commercial: Venture Capital (2023-2024)
Recognised by The Legal 500 2024 for M&A Smaller Deals: £10M – £100M
“Charles Frank was quite outstanding – provided an excellent service which delivered very good value for money, purely because of the efficiency with which he dealt with all issues.” The Legal 500 2024
Career
Charles qualified as a solicitor in 2002. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2019, he worked at the following firms:
- Parker Bullen
- Thomas Eggar
- Charles Russell Speechlys
- Pinsent Masons