Project Description
BP Marsh and Partners PLC
BP Marsh is a specialist private equity investor in early stage financial services businesses, working with a portfolio that covers companies serving the United Kingdom, Australia, Europe, North America and elsewhere.
The company typically invests amounts of up to £2.5m in people businesses with good management and also provides follow-on funding for successful companies in their portfolio when required for further growth.
Jo Probert has provided services as a corporate lawyer to BP Marsh for over 6 years. This has included investment negotiation, equity re-structuring, loan financing and securities, as well as managing other aspects such as tax and employment.
Group Company Secretary Sinead O’Haire says: “As our corporate lawyer, Jo has a wonderful ability to make complex legal matters simple and straightforward. She explains everything extremely clearly. This is especially important to us, given that the businesses in which we are investing may not have previous experience of private equity involvement. Jo is brilliant at explaining things to the other side and bringing them on board. As well as being clear and straightforward, Jo has a highly personable friendly manner, which helps foster a constructive positive relationship in any negotiation.
“Jo doesn’t come back with ‘management speak’ as many corporate lawyers have a tendency to do. She cuts through any complexity and jargon, getting straight to the point and creating clarity for everyone. There are often some quirks in the agreements that we have to manage with existing shareholders and we know we can rely on Jo to handle this with aplomb.
“Another aspect which makes Jo Probert stand out is that she has a quite outstanding grasp of our business and our business priorities. Because she is so in tune with what our business is about, you are always completely confident that she will do her utmost to help us achieve our objectives. And because she has such a great understanding of our business, it means I don’t have to spend time explaining what we want in detail – Jo gets it straightaway. She will immediately be able to get on to whatever work is required to move the business forward.
“Everything we need is carried out swiftly to an incredibly high standard and where we have deadlines to meet, we know that Jo will move mountains to ensure we meet them. We really could not ask for anything more in our corporate lawyer.”