James Roe
Partner
London
James Roe
Partner
London
Contact details
James is a corporate finance specialist with over 20 years of experience at Allen & Overy. He has a particular focus on strategic equity capital markets work.
His experience includes initial public offerings and other equity capital raisings, governance, sustainability, the articulation and management of legal and compliance risks, and assisting companies implement complex transactions and change, including acquisitions, disposals and reorganisations.
He has advised issuers, boards, shareholders, governments, banks and other stakeholders, and has acted on transactions in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America.
He is widely recognised as a leading ECM lawyer and is ranked by Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR1000.
Qualifications
Professional
Academic
LLB, Law, UCL University of London, 1996
Post Graduate Diploma, Bachelor of Civil Law, Oxford University, 1997
LPC, Law, The College Of Law, London, 1998
Experience highlights
Over 20 years’ experience advising numerous companies, shareholders, governments and underwriting banks on initial public offerings and listings of companies on the London stock exchange and other international stock exchanges. Experience includes acting on the IPOs of Eurowag, Softline, Moonpig, Network International, Allegro.eu, Ninety One, Allied Irish Banks. Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, Arion Bank, Equiniti, Clydesdale Bank, Hibernia REIT, McCarthy & Stone, Ibstock, Softcat, Marel, Electrica and DP Eurasia (Domino’s Pizza).
Experience acting as strategic adviser to listed companies and their advisers on transformational events and transactions, including demergers, acquisitions and disposals, restructurings and reorganisations, and changes to capital structure. Examples include advising on: the demerger of Softline into its global and Russian businesses; the demerger of Ninety One from Investec; the refinancing (and debt for equity swap) of Interserve; the acquisition by Hellenic Bank of assets and liabilities of Cyprus Cooperative Bank; the demerger of Clydesdale Bank from National Australia Bank Limited; numerous open offers and rights issues, including by Easyjet, Capita, Rolls Royce, Equiniti, Hibernia REIT and Piraeus Bank.
Adviser to listed and private companies on a multitude of corporate governance matters, such as compliance with listing rules, director duties, board effectiveness, internal procedures and controls, sustainability, corporate reporting and investor engagement.
James is a thought-leader for equity capital markets and financial services in the UK and beyond. He is involved in numerous industry groups, trade associations and policy initiatives, with respect to financial services laws, regulations and market practice. This includes the recent and current reforms of the UK financial services and listings landscapes, and changes to the audit and corporate reporting frameworks. He is also a member of numerous industry think tanks and committees. Clients benefit from his in-depth technical knowledge and forward-looking approach both on and off deal.
Related articles
News: 14 November 2023
Allen & Overy advises Shurgard on its first ECM transaction since its 2018 IPO
Allen & Overy advises Shurgard on its EUR300m share capital increase by way of an accelerated bookbuild - its first ECM transaction since its 2018 IPO.
News: 14 November 2023
Allen & Overy advises the Irish Department of Finance on its EUR500m disposal
Publications: 26 October 2023
Webinar - Ahead of the curve: Impact of UK regulatory developments on primary markets architecture
Qualifications
Professional
Academic
LLB, Law, UCL University of London, 1996
Post Graduate Diploma, Bachelor of Civil Law, Oxford University, 1997
LPC, Law, The College Of Law, London, 1998
Fraudulent emails
Please note there is a known fraud/scam currently using the Allen & Overy brand and James Roe's name.
More information on fraud using the Allen & Overy brand can be found here.
Please contact inhouselegal@allenovery.com if you have been targeted.
Pro bono
- Director of Innovating Minds, which delivers training to open up access to early help for children who have had traumatic experiences.
- Advisor to The New Leaf Initiative, which offers resettlement support to serving prisoners and people with convictions in the community.
Recognition
James is extraordinarily dependable and hard-working. He brings ideas that add significant value and a wealth of experience that creates trust and confidence.
Chambers UK 2023 (Equity Capital Markets)
He is great to work with, always available and he’s always thinking about potential solutions.” “He is absolutely superb.
Chambers UK 2022 (Equity Capital Markets)
James Roe acts as a “true adviser” – going above and beyond remit where required to enable the success of the transaction.
Legal 500 UK 2022 (Equity Capital Markets)
He is absolutely superb. He’s calm and very good at predicting timetables.”
Chambers UK 2021 (Equity Capital Markets)
