Chris Haynes is a corporate partner in the London office of Gibson Dunn.
Chris has extensive experience in equity capital markets transactions and mergers and acquisitions including advising corporates, investment banks and shareholders on initial public offerings (including multi-track processes), rights issues and other equity offerings as well as on public takeovers, private company M&A and joint ventures. He also advises on corporate and securities law and regulation.
Chris is recognised as a leading lawyer by Chambers, IFLR1000, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers. In Legal 500 2024 he is described by clients as being “absolutely excellent” and “knowledgeable, responsive and a pleasure to work with”, and the team is praised for being “absolutely first class”. In prior editions he has been described as being a “standout partner”, and “one of our most trusted business advisers”. In Chambers 2024 clients note that he is “an expert in his field”, “extremely knowledgeable and pragmatic”, “creative when the situation calls for it” and “easy to work with”, and the team is described as “always incredibly responsive, with very high service levels”. In prior editions he has been described as providing “excellent client service”, having “strong commercial acumen”, and being “hugely capable in all corporate and transactional matters”, “really good, commercial and gets stuff done”, “extremely user-friendly”, “a pleasure to work with”, “excellent” and “extremely strong when situations are stressful”.
Chris practiced with Herbert Smith Freehills LLP from 1998 to 2016 and became partner in that firm in 2002. Prior to that he was a solicitor with Bell Gully in New Zealand.
Selected experience includes*:
- Trustpilot Group – £1 billion London listing and IPO (for the company)
- THG – £5.4 billion London listing and IPO (for the banks)
- Network International – £2.2 billion London listing and IPO (for its parent company, Emirates NBD Bank)
- THG – various matters including its $350 million acquisition of Dermstore.com, $255 million acquisition of Bentley Laboratories and pre-IPO equity issuances to BlackRock, Merian and Sofina (for the company)
- Sophos Group – placings of shares by Dr. Peter Lammer and Dr. Jan Hruska raising $582 million, in connection with the takeover offer by Thoma Bravo (for the selling shareholders)
- CMR Surgical – $240 million series C financing (for the banks)
- AO World – £1.2 billion London listing and IPO, on its subsequent placing and on its class 1 acquisition of Mobile Phones Direct (for the company)
- Hostelworld - £176 million IPO and London and Irish listings and on its subsequent placing (for the banks)
- The Weir Group - £363 million placing in connection with the acquisition of ESCO Corporation (for the banks)
- J2 Acquisition - $1.12 billion London listing and IPO (for the banks)
- Ocelot - $425 million London listing and IPO (for the banks)
- Photobox Group - sale by way of auction to Exponent and Electra (for the company)
- Permanent TSB - €400 million capital raising and London and Irish listings (for the banks)
- Trainline - proposed IPO (sold to KKR pursuant to a M&A track) (for the banks)
- Sky - £1.36 billion placing in connection with the acquisition of Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia (for the company)
- Zoopla - £918 million London listing and IPO (for the banks)
- Just Eat - £1.47 billion High Growth Segment London listing and IPO and on the step up to a London premium listing (for the company)
- National Grid - £3.3 billion rights issue (for the banks)
- MoneySupermarket.com - £840 million London listing and IPO and £87 million acquisition of MoneySavingExpert (for the company)
*Includes matters prior to joining Gibson Dunn
Capabilities
- Capital Markets
- Emerging Companies / Venture Capital
- Fashion, Retail, and Consumer Products
- Financial Institutions
- Fintech and Digital Assets
- Media, Entertainment, and Technology
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance
- Technology Transactions
Credentials
Education:
- University of Auckland - 1995 LL.B. (Hons)
- University of Auckland - 1995 Bachelor of Commerce
Admissions:
- England & Wales - Solicitor