Melanie Wadsworth practices in the firm's London office and is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. Melanie's practice is focused primarily on corporate finance transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, initial and secondary offerings on UK securities exchanges, corporate restructurings, and management buy-outs. Much of Melanie's work involves an international element, and she has considerable expertise in advising overseas clients as they expand their businesses into the UK by way of acquisition.

Examples of transactions Melanie has led include:

Mergers and Acquisitions

• The acquisition by Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) of Walter Broadley Holdings, a manufacturer and supplier of commercial floor cleaning machines 
• The disposal by a UK subsidiary of an international publisher of one of its titles
• The acquisition by CoorsTek Limited of VZS, a manufacturer of advanced technical ceramic and high-performance plastic components
• The sale by private vendors of Tramp Holdings, one of the world's largest independent resellers of marine fuel, to World Fuel Services Corporation (NYSE: INT) 
• The management buyout of a chain of motor vehicle franchises in the South-East of England 
• The sale by private vendors of Fisco Tools, the UK's leading measuring tools manufacturer, to Hultafors, the subsidiary of a Swedish company listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange 
• The acquisition by a Thai textile manufacturer of the assets of a Northern Irish company in receivership 
• The acquisition by Digi International Inc. (NASDAQ: DGII) of Sarian Systems, a leader in the European wireless router market 
• The acquisition by the AFE Group, headquartered in France, of Cronite Technologies, a leader in the design and manufacture of heatproof cast steel components 
• The acquisition by Chongqing Machinery & Electric Co Ltd, a Chinese company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, of a group of leading precision tooling companies in the UK and Germany.

IPOs and Secondary Issues

Melanie has advised on the majority of IPOs handled by the London office in the past decade. In addition to working with her public company clients as they seek to address day-to-day compliance issues, she has advised on a wide range of transactions, including takeovers, fundraisings and corporate restructurings of public companies listed or incorporated in the UK. She has particular expertise in advising natural resources companies on their admission to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and has worked with several Chinese companies on their admission to trading on that market.

Compliance and Anti-Corruption

Melanie was a participant in the UK government's consultation on the Bribery Act 2010 and advises companies on compliance with the Act and other anti-corruption matters. She provides training to clients, particularly publicly traded companies, on risk assessment and policy development in this area and advises on managing exposure to liability for the acts of third parties, including in the context of cross-border acquisitions.