Catherine Hayes

Expertise

Investments, financing and joint ventures: debt and equity financing acting for both lender and borrower and acting for one or more shareholders in the negotiation of joint venture arrangements and shareholders’ agreements
Acquisitions and disposals: in relation to both share capital and company assets
Commercial contracts: drafting, negotiating and advising on general commercial agreements, such as agreements for the supply of goods and services, hire agreements, loan agreements, sponsorship agreements, software licensing agreements, confidentiality agreements, consultancy agreements and standard terms and conditions
Corporate governance: advising companies, directors and shareholders on corporate procedures and compliance with constitutional documents and applicable legislation, including drafting articles of association. In particular, advising a boutique employment law firm and various property management companies on governance issues and disputes and providing company secretarial services to a portfolio of companies
Property: providing corporate law support to the firm’s commercial, residential and estates property departments

Advise to a property development company on the re-financing of its secured mezzanine and junior debt financing
Advice to a private equity house on various debt and equity mixed investments in start up businesses including, most recently, a smart technology company, environmentally friendly insulation system and a bar and restaurant in London’s West End
Advice to an architectural practice on its intra-group loans and advice to the owners of the practice on their shareholders’ agreement
Advice to a high net worth individual on her debt and equity mixed investments in a Spanish technology company
Advice to a magazine publisher on a mixed debt and equity investment in the company
Advice to a party to a joint venture for the establishment of a restaurant business, including the negotiation of a shareholders’ agreement and a number of loan agreements
Advice to an online clothing boutique on an equity investment in the company

Advice to various sellers on the ‘corporate wrapper’ sales of underlying commercial and residential property assets
Advice to a Spanish technology company on the sale of software to a UK company
Advice to the former employees of a clothes and lifestyle company on the acquisition of the publishing arm of their former employer’s business

Advice to a technology company, which supplies technology and production services to sports federations and broadcasters, on a range of commercial contracts including the preparation and negotiation of complex services agreements for website building and live streaming of numerous sports events
Advice to an online clothing boutique on terms and conditions of sale and purchase, website terms of use and website privacy and cookie policies
Advice to a leading independent public school on its school policies including its data protection policy
Advice to a large property estate on preparing a set of standard terms and conditions of purchase
Advice to both property management companies and property owning companies on property management service agreements

Advice to the participants to numerous claims under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for the collective purchase of the freehold of their properties including advice to participants on the incorporation of a nominee purchaser company, appointment directors and directors’ duties and drafting agreements between the participants and articles of association of the nominee company
Advice to investors on the corporate law aspects of taking security over properties
Advice to residential freehold and property management companies and the members of those companies on a variety of corporate governance issues including:
- the remedies available when there is a dispute between shareholders;
- the rules on the transfer of shares;
- the consequences of the death of a sole shareholder/director of a company; and
- the procedure for the restoration of a dissolved company holding a property

2012 – to date: Solicitor, Pemberton Greenish LLP
2010 – 2012: Trainee solicitor, DAC Beachcroft LLP (including a secondment to Unilever)