Paul Pignatelli

Experience

On the corporate side, recent transactions include:

• Advising Betasoft Document Solutions on its May 2019 merger with SharePoint specialist, Nimbus 365;
• Advising management on the May 2019 MBO of Dewar Brothers, one of Scotland's leading providers of corrugate, foam, timber and specialist packaging;
• Advising Aliter Capital in bringing together Glasgow-headquartered Boston Networks with North Wales-headquartered Pinacl Solutions and Pinacl GDA to create a £50m turnover UK-wide network infrastructure and integrated technologies business;
• Advising the shareholder sellers in connection with the March 2019 Maven Capital Partners-backed MBO of CMS Window Systems, a leading provider of premium window and door solutions and one of Scotland's fastest growing manufacturing business with a turnover in excess of £36m;
• Advising Ipsum Group, backed by Aliter Capital, on its February 2019 acquisition of Euro Environmental Utilities Group, the national provider of drainage maintenance/repair, civil engineering, asset management and flood prevention;
• Advising Aliter Capital-backed Boston Networks on its December 2018 acquisition of 20/20 Vision Systems, a security integrator with a focus on high-end security systems involving IP connectivity;
• Advising Capita plc on its June 2018 sale of Supplier Assessment Services, including its Construction Line operation, for £160m, to funds affiliated with global private equity fund Warburg Pincus following a sales/auction process driven by Goldman Sachs;
• Acting for Chris Trainer and Marc Keenan on their June 2018 £32m sale of Forrest Media, the market-leaders of large format outdoor media solutions in Scotland, to Ocean Outdoor, the UK's leading out-of-home advertising company;

On the sports side, Paul deals with a range of corporate and commercial matters for many sporting organisations. He has particular experience acting for clubs, companies and other professional organisations on constitutional issues, board and committee guidance, corporate governance and compliance matters as well as issues involving stakeholders (fans, shareholders, funders, community and sponsors).

Examples of sports experience include:

• Having been the principal adviser to Celtic FC for over 15 years, Paul advised on director duties, contract negotiations, FIFA/UEFA/SFA/SPL/SFL regulatory compliance, maintenance and amendments to articles of association, AGM attendance and related shareholder communications and all other matters of a constitutional or board/shareholder nature;
• As principal adviser to the Scottish Golf Union (the governing body for amateur golf in Scotland), he provided general advice on almost all aspects of its operation and advised on all structural and procedural aspects of its historic unanimous vote to merge with Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association to create a new governing body for amateur golf in Scotland; and
• Establishing the national governing body responsible for Team GB (golf) for the Olympic Games 2016, as required by the IOC and BOA.

Testimonial

Legal 500 inducted Paul into its Hall of Fame in 2018 to recognise "receiving constant praise by clients for continued excellence" and to highlight "partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession".  Chambers and Legal 500 rank Paul as a "leading individual" in both Corporate and Sports specialisms and further comments (2006-2019) include:

• "Paul is 'a fantastic lawyer with very good instincts'";
• “Paul is ‘passionate about what we as a client do.  He turns things around very quickly, gives top-quality advice and takes a pragmatic view, which is valuable for us’”;
• “Paul is ‘an exceptional lawyer, very commercially-focused and excellent at debating and negotiating the key point’”; 
• "Pignatelli has 'an excellent ability to identify key issues and find a commercial resolution'";
• "clients enthused about Paul Pignatelli as a lawyer who is 'absolutely spot-on, proactive and a great deal-doer'";
• "Paul Pignatelli gathers praise for being 'responsive, practical and empathetic to our requirements; he is very good at explaining things to lay people who can be suspicious of change'";
• "Paul Pignatelli stands out for 'engaging with clients responsively, knowledgeably and thoughtfully";
• "'Knowledgeable and enthusiastic' practice head is recommended"; 
• "Clients say: 'Paul's a very commercial guy who works constructively to get things done."; and
• "very responsive and commercial".