Join our firm, and you’ll learn so much more than the practice of law. We’ll give you all the experiences you need to become a business leader of the future.
All our lawyers are sector specialists. Soon, you will be too. You’ll learn about the areas that matter most to everyone’s future – from healthcare and technology to the financial forces that power our world.
Make a smarter choice, with us.
Financial institutions
Help us re-write the future.
When we say financial institutions, you might think of traditional banks that are stuck in their ways. But at Simmons & Simmons, you'll find there is so much more to discover about the work of these fantastic organisations.
The truth is, the world of banking is changing every day. Geopolitical shifts, including military conflicts and elections, are driving changes in sanctions regimes and trade policies, creating complex compliance challenges for financial institutions. Anti-money laundering (AML) systems remain under scrutiny, with regulators imposing substantial penalties and linking sanctions breaches to money laundering.
Technological innovation is transforming payments, with advancements in digital wallets and open banking. However, rising fraud risks have prompted new liability regimes in jurisdictions like the UK and EU. Consumer protection is also a growing priority, with regulators embedding redress mechanisms and addressing mass claims.
Non-financial misconduct, such as harassment, is drawing regulatory attention, particularly in the UK. Meanwhile, a shift towards deregulation is evident, with jurisdictions prioritising growth and competitiveness. Artificial intelligence offers transformative potential but poses compliance challenges under varied regulatory frameworks. Additionally, cryptoassets are gaining regulatory clarity, with the US, EU, and UK advancing frameworks to support adoption.
Our financial institutions sector is known for our work with top international banks and insurers across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. And we’re delivering breakthrough projects that are shaping the markets in which our clients operate. So, as this sector shapes the world around us, you can be sure that our firm is leaving its mark.
Case study: Advancing innovation
Simmons & Simmons advised one of the world’s largest banks as the arranger in a first-of-a-kind carbon finance transaction with Carbonaires, a leading London-based carbon finance specialist, and carbon management specialist The Carbon Removers.
This transaction involved the issuance of notes aiming to provide returns to investors from the sale of carbon removal credits which are generated by removing carbon dioxide from the production process and supply chain of the Scotch whisky industry.
This first-of-a-kind transaction is expected to generate approximately 134,000 carbon removals credits over a time span of several years, based on analysis conducted by Carbonaires. The product, which is available to professional investors only, offers returns from carbon removal credits, which are measured, managed and verified with due diligence developed from the financial services and insurance sectors. The credits will be verified by Puro Earth, a specialist carbon removals certifier and registry. The investment structure makes use of a capabilities of the Carbonplace platform, a carbon credit transaction network and settlement technology originally founded by nine banks.
The transaction was supported by a cross-border team from Simmons & Simmons, comprising: Structured Finance and Derivatives (SFD); Energy, Natural Resources; Infrastructure (ENRI); Tax; and Financial Services Regulatory (FS Regulatory) teams in London and Banking and Finance and Tax teams in Luxembourg.
Our collaboration across different practice areas and locations highlights the firm's integrated approach to transactions, and our ability to leverage our deep industry knowledge within the FI and ESG sectors.
Asset management and investment funds
Making the future, present.
Asset managers wield a surprising amount of influence on global affairs. You might not realise it yet, but by joining our firm, you'll discover how this sector is a driving force behind many of the world’s headline-making developments.
We have a broad network which spans the globe, breaking through geographical barriers. Our expertise and collaborative efforts stretch across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, ensuring we deliver outstanding service to a diverse and international client base.
Our client roster speaks volumes about our depth of expertise. We work with over 85% of the top 50 global asset managers, the leading hedge funds in Europe and the US, a wide range of private fund managers, and some of the world’s most significant institutional investors.
Staying at the forefront of the asset management industry demands continuous innovation. Our solutions, such as LaunchPlus, underscore our commitment to providing hedge funds with the essential tools they need to navigate the complex legal and business environment from the start. Furthermore, our involvement in the broader conversation on the retailisation of private funds (making it easier for retail investors to engage in long-term investments) establishes us as thought leaders in the investment community.
We are actively engaged with key financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and trade associations, including the Investment Association, AIMA and MAS, across our international network, highlighting our central role in the sector and our dedication to advancing the asset management industry.
Joining our firm is more than starting a new job. It’s an opportunity to be part of a team that’s at the forefront of shaping the future of global finance, devising the strategies that will navigate the evolving landscape of asset management.
Case study: Brookfield Infrastructure's acquisition of Data4 from AXA IM
As a Simmons trainee, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to transformative projects. Take, for example, our involvement with Brookfield Infrastructure's acquisition of Data4 from AXA IM. Brookfield, a leading global alternative asset manager with assets under management totalling approximately $800 billion, aimed to expand its portfolio by acquiring Data4, a prominent data centre firm based in Paris. Data4 is known for its extensive operations across France, Italy, and Spain, and is actively developing projects in Poland and Germany, serving a diverse clientele including cloud operators and various companies, with this deal therefore positioning us well for advising on future such matters. The acquisition, which completed in Q3 2023, required significant regulatory approvals, showcasing the deal's complexity and significance.
Our trainees played a pivotal role in this extensive cross-border transaction, which was recognized as the Europe Datacentre Deal of the Year at the TMT M&A Awards EMEA for its size, complexity, and impact on the market. The involvement spanned multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Spain, and required coordination across various practice groups and cross-sector, including TMT, AMIF, and with Adaptive, demonstrating our firm's comprehensive capabilities and dedication to excellence. Our trainees were deeply involved, undertaking responsibilities that included managing projects, drafting due diligence reports, finalising contractual agreements, and co-ordinating with local counsel across different jurisdictions. This deal not only highlights the firm's strategic focus on Transactions for Funds (T4F) but also exemplifies the high-calibre work we undertake for our clients, thanks to the collaborative effort of all 183 timekeepers involved.
Healthcare and life sciences
Be part of something, with us.
We often take day-to-day healthcare for granted. But next time you check a fitness app on your phone or book a GP appointment online, take a second to think about the work that made it happen. Chances are we were involved.
The advance of technology means the healthcare and life sciences sector is changing. Fast. We help clients keep up. Our advice influences everything from the discovery of drugs and the delivery of care to how businesses invest sustainably.
For decades, we have stood by our clients, who are committed to delivering better healthcare for all. As they push the boundaries to address the unmet needs of millions of patients, they have to navigate an increasingly complex and constantly evolving legal environment.
At Simmons, you’ll guide some of the world’s top companies in pharmaceuticals, medtech, consumer health and biotech to help them answer the legal questions thatarise on their path to innovation. In other words, you’ll be part of a revolution that leads to smarter and more sustainable services for patients around the world.
Our multidisciplinary team, covering all areas of business law, consists of lawyers, legal engineers, data scientists and health experts. This combination of expertise, unique to the market, allows us to offer incomparable legal services to the sector.
Together, let’s empower healthcare innovators.
Case study: Multi-million-dollar licensing deal.
Our team has advised biopharmaceutical company Ascendis Pharma on its multi-million dollar licensing deal with Novo Nordisk.
Under the deal, leading global healthcare company Novo Nordisk is granted exclusive world-wide rights to Ascendis’ TransCon Technology – an innovative produg and sustained release platform – to develop its GLP-1 products, as well as its other proprietary products that target metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. In exchange, Ascendis will be eligible to receive total payments of up to $285 million in upfront, development, and regulatory milestone payments for the lead program, a once-monthly GLP-1 receptor agonist that will initially target obesity and type 2 diabetes.
For each additional metabolic or cardiovascular disease product candidate, Ascendis will be eligible to receive payments of up to $77.5 million in development and regulatory milestone payments. Ascendis will also be eligible to receive sales-based milestone payments and tiered royalties on global net sales.
Commenting on the deal, Michael Gavey said: “This is an exciting deal focussed on developing Novo Nordisk’s therapies using Ascendis’ innovative platform for the benefit of patients. It has been a pleasure to bring our leading health and life sciences licensing expertise and advise the Ascendis team on another major transaction.”
The Simmons team advising Ascendis Pharma was led by intellectual property licensing partner Michael Gavey, supported by Fred Nicolle (managing associate).
Technology, media and telecommunications
Bring innovation to life.
The Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) sector has a powerful influence on our way of life. Thanks to digital innovations, almost every industry is transforming day by day. At Simmons, you’ll be at the cutting edge of this revolution.
Wherever you look, we’re advising the companies behind major breakthroughs – from the giants of today’s tech world to the major players of tomorrow’s. That’s the level of our influence throughout this fast-moving industry.
Soon, you’ll be dealing with patent wars, or helping a telecoms operator build a new network. Or perhaps you’ll get involved in landmark cases with some of the biggest names in tech. Whatever the project, you’ll impact some of the most ubiquitous devices and digital services on the planet.
So, whether you’re advising clients on new technology such as blockchain or artificial intelligence, or helping them to enter new markets, you’ll see your work – and your career – come to life here.
Case study: Advising BT In a £1.3billion claim. The first opt-out class action to reach trial in the UK.
In December 2024 we successfully defended BT, the first opt-out class action to reach trial in the UK - a landmark, excessive pricing action. Brought by over 3 million customers seeking over £1 billion in damages, this case has been instrumental in testing and implementing the collective proceedings regime.
The collective action is based on an Ofcom review in 2017 and alleges that BT has overcharged millions of standalone landline customers for line rental services. The claim is novel, not only in the sense that it will be first opt-out collective action to reach trial, but that it is also both standalone and for excessive pricing (a particularly complex competition law infringement).
The proceedings were certified in October 2021 and appealed to the Court of Appeal. That appeal, on which we advised, was the first of its kind, dealing specifically with the CAT’s approach to the certification of collective proceedings as opt-out rather than opt-in (meaning all members of the class would have to opt-in to be included).
Throughout every stage of proceedings, the case has grappled novel issues, including: the status of the CAT Guide; the CAT’s ongoing case management duties; and the adequacy of funding/ ATE insurance.
We are advising BT on all aspects of the claim, providing integrated Litigation and Competition advice on the range of complex legal and procedural issues involved. Given the novel nature of the claim, it is being followed closely by the media and practitioners.
As a result, we were also shortlisted for The Lawyer’s “Team of the year: Litigation” award.