About
Ed is a sought-after lawyer who understands the challenges clients face when executing complex, cross-border mandates. He focuses on giving practical advice that helps clients achieve their goals with the minimum of fuss.
With broad experience across Europe, Asia and the US, the transactions Ed works on are often technology driven, in regulated environments (particularly insurance, banking and infrastructure) or are first of a kind.
A fluent Japanese speaker, Ed also works with Japanese investors looking at opportunities overseas, as well as international investors coming to Japan.
Ed has been seconded to a multinational technology company, where he helped with its most substantial M&A transactions.
His clients include Lenovo, Deutsche Bank, Marubeni, Meiji Yasuda and Pepsi Co.
- Advising Deutsche Bank on the disposal of its prime finance business to BNP Paribas.
- Advising London Stock Exchange Group on its proposed acquisition of Refinitiv.
- Advising Knorr-Bremse on its acquisition of Hitachi’s integral power steering business for commercial vehicles.
- Advising Interoute, the owner-operator of one of Europe’s largest networks and a global cloud services platform, on its acquisition by the leading global cloud-networking provider GTT Communications for €1.9bn.
- Advising Lenovo on its PC joint ventures with NEC and Fujitsu.
- Advising the Japanese state owned New Kansai International Airport Company on the privatisation of Osaka and Kansai international airports. Read more about the deal in our case study
- Advising CVC on the acquisition of TechnoPro, the largest engineering staffing business in Japan.
- Advising the underwriters on the issue by SoftBank of its $4.5bn subordinated notes.
- Advising Etex on the sale of its UK roofing tiles business (Harley Ltd) to Inflexion.
- Advising Citizen Watch on its acquisition of Switzerland-based Prothor, a leader in the field of high-quality mechanical movements and components for the mechanical watch industry.
- Advising Sompo Japan Insurance on its acquisition of insurance businesses in the UK, Brazil and Turkey.
Edward Cole
100 Bishopsgate