Profile
Fiona Adams is the Managing Shareholder of the London office and the Co-Chair of the Global Corporate Practice. She primarily represents corporate clients, focusing her practice on mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional matters. Her work spans a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, financial institutions, media and retail. Fiona has broad experience working on large, complex cross-border transactions.
Fiona continues to be highly recommended by both of the leading independent guides to the legal industry. According to Chambers & Partners 2023, "Fiona Adams is a great lawyer." The Legal 500 2022 edition advises "Fiona Adams is a sophisticated operator with deep expertise, at ease in the most complex transactions, excellent negotiating style."
Concentrations
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Corporate transactions
- Joint ventures
Capabilities
Experience
- Advised AstraZeneca AB on its agreement with Grünenthal to divest the European rights to Nexium for an upfront payment of $700 million with further sales-related and milestone payments of up to $90 million.
- Advised AstraZeneca AB on its agreement with Grünenthal to divest the global rights to Vimovo in all markets excluding the United States and Japan for an upfront payment of $115 million and further payments up to another $17 million.
- Advised AstraZeneca AB on its US$243 million divestment to Cheplapharm of the global rights (excluding China, Japan, USA and Mexico) for LOSEC (omeprazole) and associated brands.
- Advised AstraZeneca AB on its US$236 million sale of Atacand to German pharma company Cheplapharm Arzneimittel. Atacand is a prescription medicine for the treatment of heart failure and hypertension.
- Advised Rentokil Initial plc the world’s leading commercial pest control services provider on the worldwide acquisition of Cannon Hygiene business from OCS Group Limited.
- Advised a US bridging group on the acquisition of a UK modular bridging business.
- Advised AB Volvo in the sale of 75.1% of the issued shares in WirelessCar Sweden AB (an automotive telematics company) by Volvo Information Technology AB to Volkswagen Finance Luxemburg SA.
- Advised AstraZeneca plc on its agreement with Grünenthal to divest rights to migraine treatment Zomig in all markets outside Japan.
- Advised Rentokil Initial plc on its joint venture agreement with Haniel & Cie. Holding Company which created a leading provider of workwear and hygiene services in Europe with combined revenues of c. €1.1bn.
- Advised AstraZeneca plc on the sale of its small molecule antibiotics business to Pfizer for US$725m.
- Advised AstraZeneca plc on its agreement with China Medical System Holdings and its associated company Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical Holdings Co., Ltd., to divest Imdur, a mature medicine for the prevention of angina in patients with heart disease for the global market for US$190m.
- Advised AB Volvo on the sale of its external IT operation and the operation of its IT infrastructure to HCL Technologies for a capital gain corresponding to SEK900m.
- Advised IHG in the £350 million sale of Intercontinental Park Lane hotel and management agreement back to IHG.
- Advised AB Volvo on the sale of its North American construction equipment rental business to Platinum Equity for $1.1bn.
- Advised Rentokil Initial plc on the sale of its Initial Facilities business to Interserve plc for £250m.
- Advised AB Volvo on the sale of its Volvo Aero aircraft engines business to GKN (Holdings) plc for £700m.
- Advised Nomura's brokerage services division, Instinet Incorporated, on the divestment of a majority stake in its MarketPrizm business to Colt Telecom.
- Advised AstraZeneca plc on the sale of AstraTech business to Dentsply for $1.8bn.
- Advised Rentokil Initial plc on its acquisition of Knightsbridge Guarding Holdings Limited and KGL Business Services Limited.
- Advised Rentokil Initial plc on its acquisition of the pest, fire and water businesses from Connaught plc (in administration).
- Advised Rentokil Initial plc on its acquisition of the building services and facilities management division of Managed Support Services plc.
- Advised Smiths Group plc in relation to its joint venture with Analogic.
- Advised Healthcor, 3i and senior management of ApaTech Limited in its US$330m sale to global health care company Baxter International Inc.
- Partner, Mayer Brown, 2000-2009
- Associate, Mayer Brown, 1991-2000
- Foreign Associate, New York office of an international law firm, 1997
- General Counsel, HMV Media Group plc, 2000
Recognition & Leadership
- Winner, London Legal Business Awards, “Management Partner of the Year,” 2023
- Listed, Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2015-2024
- "Lawyer of the Year," 2022
- Team Member, a Law360 “Product Liability Practice Group of the Year,” 2021-2022
- Listed, IFLR 1000 United Kingdom
- "Highly Regarded" M&A, 2019-2023
- "Leading Lawyers" M&A, 2017-2018
- Listed, Chambers UK Guide, Corporate/M&A, 2012-2020, 2022-2023
- Listed, Chambers Global, Corporate/ M&A (UK), 2014-2020
- Listed, Chambers Europe, 2020, 2022-2023
- Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market, 2023
- Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability, 2020, 2022
- Listed, The Legal 500 United Kingdom, Corporate and Commercial – M&A: Upper Mid-Market and Premium Deals, 2012-2023
- "Leading Individual" 2023
- Listed, Euromoney's Expert Guides: "Women in Business Law," 2021-2022
Credentials
Education
- B.Sc., De Montfort University, 1989
Admissions
- England and Wales