Harry Hecht

Harry has a broad corporate practice, both transactional and advisory, with particular transactional experience in public and private M&A, joint ventures and equity capital markets work. On the advisory side, Harry is one of the partners leading our sustainability practice, which comprises a dedicated team of sustainability lawyers as well as a number of other lawyers from the firm’s various practice areas.

Harry is recognised as a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 directory for M&A and a Leading Individual for ESG in the Chambers Crisis and Risk Management Guide, as well as being a member of the City of London Law Society ESG Committee.

Transactional highlights include advising:

• BHP on various transactions, including:
• the unification of its dual-listed company structure, implemented via an English scheme of arrangement
• the merger of its oil and gas assets with Woodside to form Woodside Energy, a top 20 ASX-listed group, as well as the related issue, and in-specie dividend, of new Woodside shares to BHP shareholders
• the disposal of its 33.3% interest in Cerrejón, a non-operated energy coal joint venture in Colombia, to Glencore
• AngloGold Ashanti plc on its recommended acquisition of Centamin plc for approximately £1.9 billion
• Redrow Plc on its recommended all-share combination with Barratt Developments plc for approximately £2.5 billion
• Whitbread PLC on a range of matters, including its rights issue to raise gross proceeds of approximately £1 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic
• INEOS on various transactions, including:
• the acquisition by INEOS Enterprises of Eramet Titanium & Iron
• the proposed acquisition by INEOS Enterprises of the MBCC Group’s Admixture Business from Sika AG
• the disposal by INEOS Enterprises of INEOS Baleycourt and INEOS ChloroToluenes to Valtris Speciality Chemicals
• the formation of the INVOYN joint venture
• Cineworld plc on various matters, including the Chapter 11 cases for its US, UK and Jersey businesses
• Spectris plc on various matters, including the disposal of BTG Group to Voith GmbH for €319 million
• Arm Limited on the establishment and ongoing operation of a US$1.5 billion joint venture for its semiconductor technology in China
• Actelion Ltd on its US$30 billion acquisition by Johnson & Johnson and related demerger of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
• Non-Standard Finance plc on its all-share takeover offer for Provident Financial plc
• Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. on its recommended £4.3 billion cash takeover of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc
• Countrywide plc on various matters, including:
• its capital refinancing plan, including a placing and open offer
• the proposed strategic investment by Alchemy Partners and related recapitalisation
• the recommended cash acquisition of Countrywide’s entire issued and to be issued share capital by Connells Limited for approximately £134 million

Advisory highlights include advising:

• Asda Stores Limited on the Competition and Markets Authority’s first greenwashing investigation into environmental claims made by three fashion brands, ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda
• A number of FTSE and major global listed companies, including Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, Whitbread PLC, Northrop Grumman and others, on a wide range of sustainability-related matters, including:
• reporting and disclosure obligations (such as under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), UK Listing Rules, Companies Act, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards and Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD));
• supply chain-related obligations (such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Forced Labour Regulation, Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), Modern Slavery Act and German Supply Chain Act); and
• systems, procedures and broader governance arrangements to mitigate risks associated with sustainability-related issues
• A leading asset manager on a review of its governance and stewardship structures, policies and procedures in relation to sustainability-related issues
• A number of leading companies, including one of the world’s largest global food companies, on current and upcoming obligations under ESG-related laws and regulations in the UK and across the EU, including CSRD, CS3D and EUDR
• International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) on its combination with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board to form the Value Reporting Foundation, a precursor to the creation of ISSB