Kate Francis
PEOPLE

Kate Francis

Partner
francis.kate@dorsey.com
London P +44 (0)20 7031 3746 F +44 (0)20 7031 3799

Overview

KATE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN BOTH EQUITY CAPITAL MARKETS TRANSACTIONS AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS.

Kate acts for both listed and private companies based in the UK and overseas across a variety of sectors including healthcare, technology, media, and real estate; she also acts for investment banks on equity capital markets transactions. Kate’s broad transactional experience also includes advising on complex reorganisations, joint ventures, private equity, and general corporate law matters.

Education & Admissions

College of Law, Chester (1993)

St. Catherine's College, Oxford (Jurisprudence, 1992)

St. Catherine's College, Oxford (B.A., 1992), honours

Admissions

  • England & Wales

Experience

Representative Transactions

Capital Markets

  • Canaccord Genuity Limited and Liberum Capital Limited on Nanoco Group plc’s step up to the main market of the LSE and related fundraising
  • finnCap Limited and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited on Constellation Healthcare Technologies Inc’s placing
  • Numis Securities Limited on placing by Keywords Studios plc
  • Corero Network Security plc on a number of placings (some including Rule 9 whitewash)
  • Sanlam Securities UK Limited, Mill Residential REIT plc’s AIM IPO
  • Numis Securities Limited on Keywords Studios plc’s AIM IPO
  • Sanlam Securities UK Limited on Parallel Media Group plc’s placing and open offer and on a number of other placings
  • Peel Hunt LLP on PuriCore plc’s restructuring of convertible loan notes and placing
  • Investec Bank plc on Enteq Upstream plc’s placing, acquisition and reverse takeover
  • Inland ZDP plc on its preference share issue and related standard listing
  • Canaccord Genuity Limited on Zattikka plc’s AIM IPO
  • ISM Capital on JKX Oil & Gas plc’s placing and open offer of convertible bonds
  • Nomura Code Securities Limited on Allergy Therapeutic plc’s fundraising
  • Corero Network Security plc on its acquisition, reverse takeover and placing
  • Investec Bank plc on Digital Barriers plc’s AIM IPO

M&A

  • Towergate PartnershipCo Limited on the sale of its independent financial advisory and planning and mortgage brokerage business
  • Towergate PartnershipCo Limited on the acquisition of Arista Insurance Limited
  • Towergate PartnershipCo Limited on the acquisition of Footman James business
  • Corero Network Security plc on the sale of Corero Business Systems Limited
  • Datatec Limited on the sale of 49 per cent of its Mason’s IT advisory business
  • Logicalis UK Limited, on its acquisition of White Label Intelligence Limited
  • Shed Media Plc on the recommended offer by way of scheme of arrangement by Warner Bros and management
  • 2waytraffic NV on the non takeover code general offer by Sony Productions
  • Pixology plc on the recommended offer by PhotoChannel Networks Inc.
  • Towergate Partnership Limited on its recommended offer for Broker Network Holdings plc
  • Uniq plc on various acquisitions and disposals
  • QXL ricardo plc on its acquisition of QXL Holdings BV and associated prospectus, class 1 and related party circular
  • Keller Group plc on various acquisitions and disposals

News & Resources

Articles

FCA Fines Former Chairman of Convatec for Unlawful Disclosure of Inside Information
EU Securities – Proposed Settlement System to Facilitate London Listings of US Companies
EU Securities Settlement – Changes Should Make UK Listings More Attractive to US-Based Issuers
Abort Fees: Make Sure You Engage
On 1 October 2012, the UK Corporate Governance Code, Companies Act 2006, UK Stewardship Code and International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) (UK and Ireland) Were Amended

News & Press Mentions

Dorsey’s London Corporate Practice and Partners Earn Chambers UK 2025 Recognition
Chambers UK 2024 Ranks Dorsey’s London Corporate/M&A Practice and Dorsey London Partners
Dorsey London Attorneys Receive Multiple Rankings from The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2024
Dorsey Lawyers Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom® 2024
Chambers UK 2023 Ranks Dorsey Attorneys Kate Francis and Mark Taylor for Corporate/M&A work
Dorsey Advising Datatec Plc in Proposed Sale of Analysys Mason Limited
Dorsey Lawyers Fabrizio Carpanini, Kate Francis and Tim Maloney Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom® 2023
Chambers UK 2022 Ranks Dorsey Attorneys Kate Francis and Mark Taylor
Dorsey & Whitney London Attorneys Receive Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Dorsey Lawyers Fabrizio Carpanini, Kate Francis and Timothy Maloney Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2022
Francis and Carpanini Selected as Dorsey London Office Heads
Dorsey & Whitney’s London Attorneys Receive Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Dorsey Lawyers Fabrizio Carpanini, Kate Francis and Timothy Maloney Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2021
Dorsey & Whitney’s London Attorneys Receive Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Dorsey Advises PIB Group on Acquisition of Alto Insurance Group
Chambers UK 2019 Ranks Dorsey Practices and Lawyers
Dorsey’s London Office Receives Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Chambers UK 2018 Ranks Dorsey Practices and Lawyers
Dorsey’s London Office Receives Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Chambers UK 2017 Ranks Dorsey Practices and Lawyers
Dorsey & Whitney’s London Office Receives Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Chambers UK 2016 Ranks Dorsey Practices and Lawyers
Dorsey & Whitney’s London Office Receives Multiple Rankings from Legal 500
Super Lawyers Recognizes 11 Dorsey Attorneys in London
Dorsey & Whitney advises Quindell Plc on £637M+ Sale of its Professional Services Division

Events & Speaking Engagements

UK Developments Create Opportunity and Liability for Montana Companies

Industries & Practices

  • Banking & Financial Institutions
  • Capital Markets
  • Corporate Governance & Compliance
  • Europe
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Sustainability
  • Technology

Accolades

Kate Francis Chambers UK 2023 Ranked in Chambers UK 2022 Kate Francis   Chambers UK Leading Individual 2019  UK Chambers 2018 Kate Frances   Ranked in Chambers UK 2016 Kate Francis Ranked in Chambers UK 2015 Kate Francis

  • Chosen by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in the UK in the area of Capital Markets Law, 2021-2022
  • Listed as a Leader in the field of Corporate M&A by Chambers UK, 2015-2023

Super Lawyers Kate Francis

  • Listed as a Super Lawyer in 2015 by Super Lawyers London

The Legal 500 United Kingdom Recommended Lawyer 2016  The Legal 500 United Kingdom Recommended Lawyer 2019 The Legal 500 United Kingdom - Recommended Lawyer 2020 The Legal 500 United Kingdom Leading Individual 2021 Legal 500 UK Leading Individual 2022

  • Recommended by Legal 500 (2021-2022) in Equity Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Recommended by Legal 500 (2016-2017, 2019-2020) in Flotations
Kate Francis