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UK

Joseph Miller

Partner

England & Wales

020 3319 3700

joseph.miller@keystonelaw.co.uk

Joseph has over 25 years’ experience in private transactions. He advises business owners, directors and investors on a broad range of issues, especially in relation to mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, equity financings, loan and security documentation and capital raising.  

His work often involves coordinating with tax advisers, accountants, and overseas counsel to ensure transactions are managed efficiently and risks are properly addressed. 

Joseph’s clients include SMEs, start-ups, private equity firms, and high-net-worth individuals. He frequently acts on complex transactions. 

Joseph is also very experienced in corporate recovery and insolvency work, particularly in relation to pre-packaged administrations and liquidations, security reviews, structuring security packages, corporate restructurings, refinancings and advising on directors’ duties and phoenix company provisions (including dealing with section 216 whitewash procedures). 

Expertise

Joseph advises buyers, sellers, investors (including VCs and private equity), founders and investee companies on a wide range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate reorganisations and joint ventures. He has extensive experience leading high-value domestic and cross-border transactions, reorganisations, and shareholder arrangements including deal structuring, due diligence, and negotiation of key terms. 

Experience

  • Compara Finanza: Advised Italian price comparison website Compara Finanza on its €5.3m private equity fundraising. 
  • IDT Corporation (NYSE): Headed the Keystone team responsible for advising on the sale of IDT’s financial services business to LSE-listed NEOVIA Financial plc. 
  • Hamleys plc (London Stock Exchange): Advised the board on takeover by way of MBO. Handled all documentation and co-ordinated resolution of issues between the company, the brokers and the competing bidders. 
  • Pearson Education Ltd: Advised on joint venture and associated acquisition of this international publishing business from BBC Worldwide. Negotiated all documentation including sale and shareholders’ agreements, service level agreements and licence agreements. 
  • Babcock & Brown: Sole responsibility for advising on the divestment of the company’s interests in various property portfolios. Negotiated all sale documentation and commercial issues. 
  • Aldersgate Investments Limited: Advised this Reuben Brothers-owned entity on investment in and refinancing of £120m property portfolio. 
  • Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NASDAQ): Sole responsibility for advising on all UK financing aspects of $3.6bn acquisition of US company and co-ordinating advice and documentation from all other jurisdictions. 
  • Galleon Independent Client Advisors Limited: Advised this private client investment boutique on various investments ranging from £1m to £12m. Established investment funds and prepared detailed Information Memoranda regarding the specific investments. 
  • Advised AllBright Investco Limited on its acquisition of Everywoman Limited, an organisation focused on learning and development for women in business. 
  • Advising financial services client on its “buy and build,” including various share and asset purchases, corporate structuring, and funding arrangements. 
  • Advising IT services provider Prime Networks on its “buy and build,” including various share and asset purchases, corporate structuring, and funding arrangements. 
  • Advised the UK Master Franchisee of chicken restaurant Wingstop in its first opening in the UK market including related equity and loan arrangements. 
  • Acts for German based fund on multiple UK investments in the Food Tech industry. 
  • Advised founders of medical services business on sale to private equity backed buyer. 
  • Advised numerous smaller businesses on corporate structuring and restructuring (including incorporations and shareholders agreements, share buybacks, corporate demergers and growth share schemes).

Joseph is highly experienced in insolvency and restructuring, advising boards, lenders, and numerous insolvency practitioner clients on pre-packs, administrations, and liquidation sales. He regularly advises on directors’ duties, security validity, and phoenix trading. 

Experience

  • Advised AIM listed firm Begbies Traynor of Insolvency Practitioners in relation to the pre-packaged sale of companies in administration and liquidation and associated reviews of the validity of security. Recent examples include an MBO of ROXi (an interactive music video streaming service), pre-pack administration sale of Everpress (merchandise and garment printing platform) and sale of Bristol based surf park. 
  • Brightview Limited – acted for the board of this telecommunications company on its negotiations with creditors and investors and a shareholder dispute which led to administration and pre-packaged sale to new entity. 
  • Advised the shareholders of a national furniture company on the sale of its shares to a UK PLC to allow further funding and avoid insolvency. 
  • Tile Depot – advised the board of Newco on pre-packaged purchase of the business of Tile Depot Trading Limited (in Administration) together with related advice on phoenix trading provisions. 
  • Various confidential clients – advised the boards of numerous confidential clients on transactions to avoid insolvency. 
  • Advised numerous clients on phoenix trading provisions under the Insolvency Act, including carrying out section 216 whitewash procedures.  

 

Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.

Joseph qualified as a solicitor in 2001. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2006, he worked at Denton Wilde Sapte.