Martin MacLeod

Legal Director
About

Martin is an incentives lawyer with over 14 years' experience. He advises on the establishment and operation of remuneration plans, including bespoke executive arrangements, international all-employee schemes and tax-advantaged plans in the UK and elsewhere. He acts for a variety of companies across sectors, including publicly listed multi-nationals, financial services firms, and private equity owned businesses.

Martin has advised on the incentives aspects of a wide range of corporate transactions, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, secondary issues, demergers and restructurings. He also supports clients with the incentives and reward aspects of hiring and firing, and has a background of advising on wider employment and HR issues. Martin has a particular interest in reward in listed companies and the associated aspects of corporate governance, having advised numerous listed companies on their directors' remuneration policies and reporting obligations.

Martin is listed as a Rising Star in Employee Share Schemes by Legal500.

Areas of FocusEmployment
Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising Keywords Studios plc on its GBP2.1bn recommended offer by EQT, CPP Investments and Rosa Investments.
  • Advising Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc on its GBP4.5bn recommended takeover by EQT and Luxinva.
  • Advising RPS Group plc on its GBP636m recommended takeover by Tetra Tech.
  • Advising Medica Group plc on its GBP269m recommended takeover by IK Partners.
  • Advising John Menzies plc on its GBP571m recommended takeover by National Aviation Services and Agility Public Warehousing.
  • Advising a FTSE 50 company on the design and implementation of a group-wide all-employee share purchase plan across 20 jurisdictions.
  • Advising a private equity-owned company on the design, implementation and ongoing operation of an all-employee share plan for approximately 28,000 employees across 18 jurisdictions.
  • Advising a company in the Oil & Gas sector on the reward aspects of its Main Market IPO, including the design and implementation of the company's executive share plans, and the development of the company's first directors' remuneration policy.*
  • Advising a FTSE 100 company on the reward aspects of a reverse takeover.*
  • Advising an international company on the design and implementation of an award winning, all-employee incentive plan, offered in over 70 countries.*
  • Advising numerous listed and private equity owned companies across a variety of sectors on the design and implementation of new cash and equity-based incentive arrangements, including tax-advantaged share plans and arrangements that operate in multiple countries.
  • Advising numerous Main Market companies on their directors' remuneration policies and on their reporting of executive remuneration.

*Denotes experience from a previous firm

Languages
  • English
  • French
  • German
Education
  • BPP Law School, Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, 2008
  • BPP Law School, Graduate Diploma in Law, 2007
  • University of Cambridge, B.A., Hons, 2005

Prior Experience

  • 2014 - 2020, Associate Director, Big Four firm
  • 2010 - 2014, Associate, Magic Circle law firm
  • 2008 - 2010, Trainee, Magic Circle law firm

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Share Plan Lawyers
  • ProShare

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