“By providing clear and tailored advice and support, and executing transactions smoothly, I help clients and their key stakeholders to achieve their strategic goals in growing, financing and realising the value in their businesses.”

Donald has extensive expertise in a wide range of corporate finance matters, both in the UK and internationally.

These include mergers and acquisitions (private and public), private equity, joint ventures, growth capital and equity capital markets transactions. He has advised clients in many sectors, including life sciences, energy, and financial services.

Donald also has considerable experience of industry, most recently as General Counsel at Argenta, a global pharma services buy and build backed by KKR, and earlier as a Senior Counsel, M&A Legal at BP. He has also completed secondments to the Scottish National Investment Bank plc as acting General Counsel for the Bank’s establishment, at RBS (now NatWest) and at JPMorgan.

Areas of practice include:

Sector experience includes:

Admitted

2005: England and Wales

Relevant experience

Advising Argenta on its acquisition of Elanco's Dundee Animal Health business from Eli Lilly & Co and on the subsequent acquisition of a majority stake in Argenta by KKR's Health Care Strategic Growth Fund.
Lead legal adviser on the establishment of the Scottish National Investment Bank plc and on various investment transactions by the Bank.
Advising BP on various international transactions across its value chain.
Advising on the all-share merger of Aberdeen Asset Management plc and Standard Life plc.
Advising NatWest on a range of M&A and investment transactions.
Advising on the IPO of Quiz.
Advising on the takeover of FreeAgent plc by RBS (now NatWest).
Advising on the placing, rights issue and convertible bond issue across 3 stock exchanges by Aquarius Platinum and its public takeover of Ridge Mining.
Advising DexKo Global Inc. on two M&A transactions.
Advising two FTSE 100 companies and a leading global energy group on various confidential transactions.

“Donald Smith delivers outstanding service and really sets the bar in terms of proactive client support.”

Legal 500 (2020)