Biography

He is experienced in, and provides hands on advice in relation to, private equity and M&A, joint ventures, IPOs and equity issues, and corporate restructuring. Clients include private equity funds and alternative providers of capital as well as major corporates and financial advisers.
Mike is ranked in Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR for both M&A and Private Equity, in Band 1, as a ‘Leading Individual’ and ‘Leading Lawyer’ respectively, with Chambers describing him as a “tremendously commercial and pragmatic lawyer who has seen it all and knows things inside out”.
The Lawyer reports him as the most recommended Private Equity lawyer in the UK by general counsel, and he was included in Private Equity Manager magazine’s ‘Legal Power 30’ list of the 30 most influential private equity lawyers in the industry today. He is also ranked in the Top 3 UK Business Lawyers by Chambers 100 UK, and has been selected to the 2014 London Super Lawyers List as one of the Top 10 London Lawyers and for his M&A expertise.
Mike was shortlisted as one of the UK’s Top Innovative Lawyers in the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards, has been awarded “Partner of the Year” at The Lawyer Awards, “Deal Lawyer of the Year” at the Legal Business Awards, and listed in The Times’ “Law 100: UK’s Most Powerful Lawyers”.
Experience:
- Avista Capital Partners and Nordic Capital on their joint acquisition of Swiss-listed pharma company Acino
- RPC Group plc, one of the world's leading suppliers of rigid plastic packaging, on its acquisition of Hong Kong headquartered ACE Corporation Holdings
- Lion Capital Partners on the sale of a majority stake in UK breakfast cereal manufacturer The Weetabix Food Company
- Mubadala Development Company, as a member of the consortium including the Sony Corporation, on the consortium's acquisition of EMI Music Publishing, the music publishing arm of EMI, the fourth-largest family of labels in the recording industry
- General Motors on the European aspects of its chapter 11 process including the reorganisation of the European group and various asset sale processes
- Lehman Brothers on all non-US issues relating to its chapter 11 process including the disposal of international assets and non-us part of US asset realisations
- Dubai International Capital on the successful restructuring of its portfolio investment in the Almatis Group, a Dutch and German manufacturer of alumina
- GE on a number of M&A transactions and on the UK law issues of its formation of a ground-breaking global partnership with Mubadala Development Company
Awards and Recognition, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Barry Wolf, Mike Francies and David Aknin Named Among Top 30 “Superstars” of Private Equity Legal World in 2013 Award Brief — Private Equity Manager 2013
- Weil Partners Earn Top Rankings in Chambers’ Inaugural List of Top 100 UK Lawyers Award Brief — The Chambers 100 2013
- Michael Francies named among leading lawyers for M&A Award Brief — The International Who's Who of Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyers 2013
- Michael Francies ranked Band 1 for Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability in London and Private Equity: Buyouts UK-wide Award Brief — Chambers UK 2013
- Michael Francies named "Leading" Lawyer for Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability in the UK Award Brief — Chambers Europe 2012
Latest Thinking
- Perspectives: A review of current legal issues and trends Publication — By Douglas Nave, Barry Fishley, Oliver Walker and Ivor Gwilliams — PDF — Spring/Summer 2016
- Shareholder Activism: A Transatlantic Analysis Publication — Weil’s Reflections & Expectations 2014|15 — By Michael J. Aiello and Michael Francies — April 29, 2015
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises Cornell Capital and KDC/ONE in KDC’s Acquisition of Swallowfield’s Manufacturing Business Deal Brief — July 16, 2019
- Weil Advises Sanofi in its Sale of Zentiva to Advent International Deal Brief — October 24, 2018