About

Rob is a Senior Associate in our Corporate & Commercial team.

He advises clients on a wide range of matters relating to day-to-day business activities and business sales & acquisitions. Rob’s clients include the owners, managers and often founders of SMEs across a diverse range of sectors.

Rob has significant experience in business sales and has completed a number of successful transactions in recent years. In particular, his effective management of large scale due diligence exercises, for both buyers and sellers, has been praised by clients who have faced demands on their time from the sale and running of their businesses.

Along with Nikhil Vyas, Rob is a key contributor to Collyer Bristow’s games practice, advising clients on setting up appropriate corporate structures, shareholder agreements, raising finance for their business, protecting their investments and looking to buy or sell a company or business within the games industry.

Contact Robert

Recognition

  • chambers-uk-2024-firm

Robert's work highlights

handshake
Fountain Pen Signature.

Acquisition of a company

Acted for the shareholder of Specific Environments Limited, an expert in cleanroom engineering, on their acquisition by Angstrom Technology.

Acted for shareholders on sale of business

Acted for the shareholders of Socrates Ltd., the largest independent screening company in Latin America, on their sale of the business to Sterling Check Corp. a leading global provider of background screening and identity services listed on NASDAQ.

Managing due diligence and disclosure process

Acted for founding shareholders in the management buyout of ABL 1Touch by Mobeus Equity Partners LLP, managing the due diligence and disclosure process throughout 2020.

Spotlight

  • podcast

    Boardroom conversations podcast channel

    Conflicts of interest

    Senior Associate Robert Watson and Associate Valentina Falicheva discuss how conflicts of interest for directors can be identified and the ways in which they can be resolved.

    Dec 8 · Boardroom Conversations

    PlayListen in fullSubscribe

Publications

  • Share-Classes-Corporate-guide-cover

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Share Classes

    Creating new share classes can be a useful way of attracting new participants, allowing a company to offer shares that are particularly focussed towards their desired investors. Whether you are considering re-organising the ownership of your business or are keen to understand the most suitable structure for a planned investment, this guide can help you with some common questions in relation to share classes.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Getting a business ready for sale-Corporate guide-Cover

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Getting a Business Ready for Sale

    Prior to approaching the market or agreeing terms with a prospective buyer, undertaking adequate preparations for sale can contribute to a smoother transaction for all parties. In this guide, we look at some key questions to consider in respect of the readiness of a business for a potential sale.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Corporate-know-how-guide-share-buybacks-cover

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Share Buybacks

    Put simply, a share buyback is where a company purchases its own shares from an existing shareholder. In this guide, we will look at some key aspects of share buybacks in relation to private limited companies incorporated in England & Wales.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • corporate-know-how-guide-heads-of-terms-visual

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Heads of Terms

    In this guide we will look at heads of terms as they relate to the sale of a business or assets in England & Wales. Whether identified as “heads of terms”, a “letter of intent” or “heads of agreement”, these documents summarise the key terms of a proposed transaction.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Corporate-know-how-guide-shareholder-rights-cover-visual

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Shareholder Rights

    Whether you are a minority shareholder concerned about what influence you can exert over a company’s affairs, or a founding shareholder, considering the amount of equity you would be prepared to sell to investors without losing control – this guide is here to help you understand what shareholders can do and when.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Share v asset sales guide visual

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Share v. Asset Sales

    Share and asset purchases are the two methods of acquiring a business in the UK.

    Do you know their differences? The business of a sole trader or unregistered partnership can only be acquired through an asset purchase as there is no owning entity for the assets which can be acquired, while a share purchase can be used for the acquisition of all or part of the shares in a company which owns and operates a business.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Shareholders' agreement guide visual

    Corporate Know-How Guides: Shareholders’ Agreements: the Basics

    Did you know that a shareholders’ agreement is a written agreement, between the shareholders of a company, as to the relationship between them and how the company should be managed. By including the company as a party, the shareholders can ensure that it is both bound by and able to enforce the terms of the agreement against contravening shareholders.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Corporate Know-How Guides: Selling a Business

    We look at the flip side of price structuring, instead focusing on how a seller could secure elements of the purchase price that are delayed – or at least obtain comfort around the buyer’s ability to pay them.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Corporate Know-How Guides: Buying a Business

    When making an offer for a business, the question of when the consideration will be paid can often be just as important as how much will be paid. We look at four of the most common options available to prospective buyers (beyond upfront cash payments) and the risks/rewards posed by them.

    Discover our new series of Corporate Know-How guides.

    Download now

  • Close up image hand using mobile phone

    Estate planning for digital assets

    Fundamentally, digital assets are the possessions you access on a digital device. These assets are normally stored online and accessed via a personal online account run by a third-party provider. How should you manage these assets?

    Download now

Robert's colleagues

Robert Watson

Qualification 2018

Specialising in...

About

Rob is a Senior Associate in our Corporate & Commercial team.

He advises clients on a wide range of matters relating to day-to-day business activities and business sales & acquisitions. Rob’s clients include the owners, managers and often founders of SMEs across a diverse range of sectors.

Rob has significant experience in business sales and has completed a number of successful transactions in recent years. In particular, his effective management of large scale due diligence exercises, for both buyers and sellers, has been praised by clients who have faced demands on their time from the sale and running of their businesses.

Along with Nikhil Vyas, Rob is a key contributor to Collyer Bristow’s games practice, advising clients on setting up appropriate corporate structures, shareholder agreements, raising finance for their business, protecting their investments and looking to buy or sell a company or business within the games industry.

Recognition

  • chambers-uk-2024-firm

work highlights

handshake
Fountain Pen Signature.

Acquisition of a company

Acted for the shareholder of Specific Environments Limited, an expert in cleanroom engineering, on their acquisition by Angstrom Technology.

Acted for shareholders on sale of business

Acted for the shareholders of Socrates Ltd., the largest independent screening company in Latin America, on their sale of the business to Sterling Check Corp. a leading global provider of background screening and identity services listed on NASDAQ.

Managing due diligence and disclosure process

Acted for founding shareholders in the management buyout of ABL 1Touch by Mobeus Equity Partners LLP, managing the due diligence and disclosure process throughout 2020.

Spotlight

  • Boardroom conversations podcast channel

    Conflicts of interest

    Senior Associate Robert Watson and Associate Valentina Falicheva discuss how conflicts of interest for directors can be identified and the ways in which they can be resolved.

    Dec 8 · Boardroom Conversations

    PlayListenSubscribe

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