George Knighton, a leading M&A lawyer with nearly 30 years of experience, is returning to Allen & Overy Shearman. Knighton is known for advising a broad range of clients on strategic transactions in the U.K. market. He initially qualified and became a partner at Allen & Overy in 2008 before joining Skadden.
A&O Shearman’s London M&A practice is highly regarded, ranked Chambers Band 1 for high-value mergers and acquisitions. The firm serves a diverse client base, including listed corporates, financial institutions, private equity, and other private capital investors.
Over the past year, A&O Shearman has made several significant hires in London. These include Dan Graham and Paul Dunbar in private equity, Parisa Clovis and Filippo Crosara in debt finance, and Mahesh Varia in incentives practice. The firm also promoted three new partners in London and ten globally.
David Broadley, global co-head of M&A at A&O Shearman stated: “Continued investment in our M&A bench strength is a strategic priority for the firm and bringing George, one of the top dealmakers in the market, back to the firm underscores our elite M&A offering in the U.K. George’s expertise and proven track record across a range of core products key to the M&A market paired with his strong client relationships will further enhance our offering.”
Knighton expressed enthusiasm about his return: “I am excited to be heading back to A&O Shearman and their elite global M&A practice,” he said. “I look forward to working again with exceptional teams around the world to advise some of the world’s biggest and best on their most complex M&A transactions.”
