Partner
"Head of the corporate team at Blake Lapthorn, Martin Kay "provides intelligent, practical and innovative solutions to complicated [problems]." He recently advised Forbidden Technologies on a cash placing and share subscription arrangements to raise £550,000." (Chambers UK, A Client's Guide to the Legal Profession 2011)
 

Martin qualified as a barrister in 1981 working at a leading company law chambers and then re-qualified as a solicitor in 1983 working at Norton Rose, Vizards and then Tarlo Lyons prior to its merger with Blake Lapthorn in 2006.

He advises not-for-profit, public bodies including universities, and corporate clients on a range of corporate and commercial issues. He has extensive experience in private and public companies capital re-structuring, equity fund raises, mergers and acquisitions including by general offer, MBOs, MBIs, IPOs including by reverse takeover, on AIM and delisting.

Martin is co-editor of Tolley's Company Law, a leading practitioner's reference book. He is a member of the QCA (Quoted Companies Alliance) Legal Committee and is ranked by both Legal 500 and Chambers UK as an expert in this field (mid-market corporate M&A (London)).

His clients include Forbidden Technologies plc, International Greetings plc, Quindell Portfolio Plc, Tantalus Rare Earths AG, Telecom Italia SpA, The Royal British Legion and the University of Reading.

His recent experience includes advising:

  • Forbidden Technologies plc on its IPO on AIM (the world's most successful IPO, Bloomberg, 2000) and subsequent equity fund raises and corporate affairs
  • Avid Holdings plc and Business Control Solutions plc on their reverse takeovers on AIM, acquisition portfolio and subsequent de-listing from AIM
  • Quindell Portfolio Plc following its AIM IPO (by reverse takeover) in March 2011 and subsequent investments, acquisitions, including acquisition of Mobile Doctors Group plc by general offer under the Takeover Code, and equity fund raise. Quindell was listed as the UK's best performing stock in 2011 (Top 100 UK Stock Market Performers in 2011, Stockopedia)
  • Tantalus Rare Earths AG, a company quoted on the Open Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, as English law advisers on post IPO re-structuring and equity fund raises
  • on numerous private equity transactions, acting for (variously) investors, target companies, management and debt providers
  • in relation to a range of spin-out companies of the Universities of Oxford (Isis Innovation), Reading, Surrey and Imperial College, London, acting variously for the university the spin-out company and/or its investors.