Editor’s Choice - AIM Law Firm of the Year in England / Litigation Lawyer of the Year in England / Mid-Market - Energy Law Firm of the Year in England Kerman & Co Andy Kerman Senior Partner Tel: +44 (0)20 7639 7272 info@kermanco.com www.kermanco.com
AIM Kerman & Co LLP’s AIM award winning teams continue to be recognised as leaders in this market. Despite the economic downturn, the teams have worked on a steady stream of transactions for its listed clients on AIM and the ISDX Growth Market (formerly PLUS). They advise clients with international interests in jurisdictions including the USA, Russian Federation, Australia, Philippines, Peru and Colombia as well as many African countries. The Firm’s performance in the basic materials sector, and in relation to oil and gas, has remained strong. Moreover, the Firm has acted on IPOs, secondary issues, acquisitions, and other equity and debt raising transactions including the increased use of convertible debt instruments, off-take arrangements and royalties (reflecting the difficult market conditions). In the first two quarters of 2013 alone, Kerman & Co LLP has acted on the listing of Northcote Energy Ltd (on-shore oil and gas, North America) and Dekel Oil Public Limited (a palm oil business based in the Ivory Coast). In addition, the AIM team has undertaken secondary issues for a number of existing long-standing clients (including West African Minerals Corp., Top Level Domain Holdings Limited, Victoria Oil & Gas Plc, Equatorial Palm Oil Plc and Metals Exploration Plc) raising in excess of US$ 100 million in aggregate as well as advising clients on significant and wide ranging M&A activity.
Daniel had worked together as partners in Forsyte Kerman, a firm founded by Andy’s father Isidore Kerman in 1927. Andy has more than forty years of litigation experience, acting on behalf of high profile clients including heads of state, household name celebrities and entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Andy’s many clients have come to rely on his incisive legal mind, and his extraordinary ability to grasp the essence of a case from only a handful of facts. Andy’s diverse client base includes a number of hugely influential individuals from the former Soviet Union, and it was on behalf of one of these that his team secured a landmark victory last year which saw the auction house Christie’s being forced to take back a painting which they had wrongly sold as the work of the Russian artist Kustodiev for a record-breaking price. A master strategist, Andy negotiated on behalf of another Russian magnate the settlement of five years of acrimonious international litigation with a government monopoly, paving the way for the sale of his client’s business for well over US$ 1 billion last November. On hearing of his Corporate INTL award Andy said that he was both touched and honoured, but emphasised the role played by his colleagues. “Litigation is a collaborative enterprise, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to turn to a team of first-class lawyers for support and insight in the toughest battles.”
Energy Kerman & Co LLP’s award winning energy team is a well regarded and diversified practice serving the needs of its clients in the global energy industry. It has been particularly successful in advising clients listed on AIM. The Firm is consistently ranked in the top three for the number of its oil and gas clients on AIM (Hemscott/Adviser Rankings Limited). The team has advised on a broad range of areas from the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas and other fossil fuels such as anthracite coal; and uranium to developing and implementing alternative energy concepts. This includes advising clients who are active in developing cleantech offerings including: solar, wind and water power. The team recently advised Victoria Oil & Gas Plc on its oversubscribed £23.4 million placing. The Firm’s energy litigation practice has also played a crucial role in safe guarding its clients’ assets and interests overseas. The team also regularly handled commercial disputes as well as arbitrations and alternative dispute resolution proceedings in international energy litigation matters.
Litigation The litigation department at Kerman & Co LLP has had an extremely busy year, with clients both old and new seeking the advice of our experienced team of litigators in a wide variety of disputes. The Firm’s core practice continues to be contractual claims in the energy, natural resources and communications sectors in Europe, USA, Africa, Russia and the CIS, as well as the litigation and resolution of disputes relating to companies and business partnerships, employment, matrimonial, property, and professional negligence. New media and intellectual property are rapidly expanding areas of the Firm’s litigation business, and the team continues to punch above their weight in representing both buyers and sellers in the art trade. Last year the team helped an important collector of Russian art succeed in a substantial claim against the renowned auction house Christie’s, in bitterly fought proceedings which culminated in a four-week trial at the High Court. The litigation department is partner led and can put together teams tailored to the needs of the client and the rigours of the case. The team routinely act for clients in obtaining appropriate emergency injunctive relief and in the enforcement and protection of rights, both in England and Wales and internationally.
Andy Kerman Andy Kerman is the Senior Partner of Kerman & Co LLP, having founded the Firm with Daniel O’Connell in 1998. Prior to this, he and
2013 Legal Awards
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