Latest news with #Ashurst
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK law firms ditch Pride logos as Trump attacks diversity
Some of the City's leading law firms have ditched rainbow-themed logos to celebrate Pride month amid pressure from Donald Trump's crackdown on diversity policies. Ashurst, Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Freshfields and Linklaters have all abandoned Pride logos on their LinkedIn pages this year having previously celebrated the event on social media. Rainbow-themed logos are also absent from the firms' pages on X, formerly Twitter. It comes after the US president issued an executive order banning companies with federal contracts from operating 'illegal' diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes. Earlier this year, the Trump administration sent letters to 20 leading US law firms, warning them that their DEI policies may be discriminatory. Mr Trump's threat prompted a flurry of law firms to line up offering free legal work to the administration in return for resolving the dispute. Kirkland & Ellis, Paul Weiss and A&O Shearman all struck deals with the US president to avoid being hit with executive orders. All of the UK law firms that have dropped their Pride logos this year have significant operations in the US, suggesting Mr Trump's policies are having ripple effects across the pond. Clifford Chance and A&O Shearman were among the law firms to scale back their support for Pride last year by scrapping the logo from their social media platforms. Slaughter & May is now the only one of Britain's 'magic circle' law firms to have kept up the practice, with the City firm having added a small rainbow column next to its usual logo in its profile picture on LinkedIn. Slaughter & May has a significantly smaller American business than all four of its magic circle rivals, who have all pursued major US expansions in recent years. Some of the City's leading professional services firms have also scaled back celebrations with PwC choosing not to update its logo for Pride month this year, having done so in 2024. KPMG updated its own LinkedIn profile picture on June 12 after being contacted by The Telegraph. EY and Deloitte have both left their LinkedIn profile pictures unchanged. A spokesman for Linklaters said it would be celebrating Pride month in other ways this year, including with rainbow-coloured lights at its City of London headquarters. Freshfields instead opted to update its Linkedin banner with a picture of rainbow-coloured stairs, while keeping its profile picture the same. A Baker McKenzie spokesman said the law firm plans to use Pride month to 'spotlight our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is accepted, valued and feels they belong'. Clifford Chance, Ashurst, DLA Piper, A&O Shearman, PwC, EY and Deloitte were contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
UK law firms ditch Pride logos as Trump attacks diversity
Some of the City's leading law firms have ditched rainbow-themed logos to celebrate Pride month amid pressure from Donald Trump's crackdown on diversity policies. Ashurst, Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Freshfields and Linklaters have all abandoned Pride logos on their LinkedIn pages this year having previously celebrated the event on social media. Rainbow-themed logos are also absent from the firms' pages on X, formerly Twitter. It comes after the US president issued an executive order banning companies with federal contracts from operating 'illegal' diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes. Earlier this year, the Trump administration sent letters to 20 leading US law firms, warning them that their DEI policies may be discriminatory. Mr Trump's threat prompted a flurry of law firms to line up offering free legal work to the administration in return for resolving the dispute. Kirkland & Ellis, Paul Weiss and A&O Shearman all struck deals with the US president to avoid being hit with executive orders. All of the UK law firms that have dropped their Pride logos this year have significant operations in the US, suggesting Mr Trump's policies are having ripple effects across the pond. Clifford Chance and A&O Shearman were among the law firms to scale back their support for Pride last year by scrapping the logo from their social media platforms. Slaughter & May is now the only one of Britain's 'magic circle' law firms to have kept up the practice, with the City firm having added a small rainbow column next to its usual logo in its profile picture on LinkedIn. Slaughter & May has a significantly smaller American business than all four of its magic circle rivals, who have all pursued major US expansions in recent years. Some of the City's leading professional services firms have also scaled back celebrations with PwC choosing not to update its logo for Pride month this year, having done so in 2024. KPMG updated its own LinkedIn profile picture on June 12 after being contacted by The Telegraph. EY and Deloitte have both left their LinkedIn profile pictures unchanged. A spokesman for Linklaters said it would be celebrating Pride month in other ways this year, including with rainbow-coloured lights at its City of London headquarters. Freshfields instead opted to update its Linkedin banner with a picture of rainbow-coloured stairs, while keeping its profile picture the same. A Baker McKenzie spokesman said the law firm plans to use Pride month to 'spotlight our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is accepted, valued and feels they belong'. Clifford Chance, Ashurst, DLA Piper, A&O Shearman, PwC, EY and Deloitte were contacted for comment. KPMG said their failure to update their LinkedIn profile picture was a 'genuine error'.
AU Financial Review
04-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Freehills' M&A rainmaker lands at Ashurst in law firm shake-up
Tony Damian says he hopes a personal following among clients will translate into new business for Ashurst, the top-tier firm that lured the mergers and acquisitions rainmaker from its rival last year. While The Australian Financial Review 's Street Talk column reported the move in December, Ashurst announced the appointment of Damian to staff on Wednesday. The recruitment of a high-powered partner from Herbert Smith Freehills was a major coup for Ashurst and part of a plan to build the firm's high-end corporate capabilities and jettison less profitable work.
Entrepreneur
12-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Selling Your Business? 6 Smart Tactics to Raise the Price in a Tough Market
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. According to the "UK Public M&A Update Q1 2025" report by Ashurst, "Given the significant headwinds going into Q2, we expect bidders will hold off on larger investments until there is greater clarity." In the U.S., Dealogic reported a 13% decline in M&A activity in Q1 alone, as investors react to trade tensions and growing geopolitical instability. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon warned recently that Trump's new tariffs are forcing CEOs "to tighten their belts," further dampening corporate appetite for risk. As a startup investor, I've been approached by multiple founders, especially in the past two months, looking for guidance on how to sell their companies at a fair price without sacrificing the value they've built. This article provides tips on how to maximize your exit value once a potential buyer is already interested in your company. Drawing on risk mitigation principles from Zero Risk Startup, here are six powerful strategies founders are using or can use in 2025 to increase their exit value, structure smarter deals, get faster decisions from buyers, and walk away with more. 1. Structure Performance-Based Upside Earn-outs aren't just a safety net for cautious buyers anymore-they're turning into a strategic tool for raising the sale price. Rather than turning down a lower upfront offer, savvy founders are increasingly structuring deals that incorporate earn-outs tied to clear, measurable performance benchmarks, like revenue (my top pick), EBITDA, or customer retention. Avoid using EBITDA as the primary metric if there's a risk the buyer may add overhead costs like corporate marketing fees. The earn-out should be transparent, realistic, and time-limited (typically 12-36 months). When structured well, it closes valuation gaps and increases total deal value. 2. Accept Buyer Shares-With a Minimum Guaranteed Price (Floor) If the buyer is a publicly listed company with liquidity, consider accepting a portion of the payment in shares-but with a six-month price floor. This structure gives the buyer more financial flexibility while allowing you to share in post- acquisition the upside of the shares price. The floor protects against downside risk if the stock drops after closing. In many cases, this approach speeds the closing of the deals and can increase the exit value by 10-20% without exposing you to more risk. 3. Use a Split-Off to Keep Real Estate (or Other Tangible Assets) If your business owns real estate, don't include it in the deal by default. Many entrepreneurs are now separating (or "splitting off") the property and leasing it back to the buyer through a long-term agreement. This significantly reduces the buyer's capital needs while letting you retain an appreciating, income generating asset that can be separately sold afterwards to professional real estate buyers at higher value. As described in Zero Risk Startup, this strategy is one of the most underused ways to preserve founder wealth while facilitating a transaction. 4. Offer Deferred Payment-with a Bank Guarantee Buyers facing tight liquidity may not want to bid with a high value, so you may suggest to structure payment over four to six years if the buyer is able to provide a first-tier bank guarantee. While that may sound risky, it doesn't mean you need to wait to get paid. If the deferred payment is secured by a first-tier bank guarantee, you can present it to your bank and receive the full amount upfront less small bank fees. This arrangement gives the buyer time to generate revenue or secure a long-term loan, while you enjoy immediate and secure access to your funds. 5. Present a De-Risked Transition Plan Perceived post-acquisition risk is a major reason why buyers lower their offers. The solution? Reduce that risk before negotiations start. Prepare a clear 100-day transition plan, including: - Retention agreements for key employees - Extending existing customer contracts - Tech handover documentation - Optional advisory support from the founder You should also invest in a Vendor Due Diligence (VDD) report. This independent audit of your business, shared with buyers in advance, builds trust and removes friction. It lowers buyer costs and speeds up decisions-often leading to a stronger price. 6. Capture Excess Working Capital After the Sale (Pre-Closing Invoice Carve-Out) This little-known clause can significantly boost your take-home value. It allows you, the seller, to retain the excess of cash in the company upon closing plus the cash that will be collected from pre-closing customer invoices, even if they're paid after the sale-typically within 6-12 months. These amounts are offset against supplier invoices issued or accrued before closing. In one transaction I was part of, this clause increased the sellers' net proceeds by 27%. It's a powerful and clean way to monetize short-term cash flow without requiring the buyer to inject additional working capital at closing. Final Thought: Risk Is the Enemy of Price-So Eliminate It In today's market, uncertainty is the norm. But that doesn't mean you have to accept less. It means you need to negotiate smarter. Each of these strategies is about mitigating perceived risk, creating flexibility, and reframing value-all without changing the fundamentals of your business. As Zero Risk Startup emphasizes, reducing risk isn't just a defensive move-it's one of the most effective ways to unlock higher value during a sale. If you have potential buyers lined up or have received an acquisition offer, now is the time to adopt an investor's mindset. Minimize risk, maximize your exit.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New walking group for people living alone in Ashurst
A walking group for people who live alone is set to run once a month in Ashurst. The new group will begin on June 7 and take place on the first Saturday of each month, with all walks starting at 10.30am. The group forms part of Community First's long-running New Forest scheme boasting over 400 regular walkers. Trained volunteer leaders will guide each walk, lasting around one hour, through the picturesque New Forest. Tim Houghton, chief executive of Community First, said: "We know that it can be hard to join a group when you're on your own – especially if you worry it might be full of couples or friends. "This walk is different. Everyone comes on their own and it's all about having a chat, enjoying nature, and meeting others from all walks of life." Due to limited availability, booking is mandatory for each walk. Contact ashursthw@ to secure a spot.
