Matthew Hearn

Matthew is a partner based in London. He advises domestic and international clients across a broad range of corporate transactions and advisory matters, with particular experience in public takeovers and complex private M&A. Matthew’s public takeovers practice encompasses advising targets as well as UK and overseas bidders in recommended, hostile and competitive situations. He co-manages the firm’s UK Public M&A practice and is a member of the City of London Law Society’s Takeovers Working Group.

Matthew is ranked as an “Up and Coming” Partner and Notable Practitioner for Corporate/M&A: 800m+ in Chambers and Partners 2024, and a Key Lawyer in UK Legal 500 (M&A: Upper Mid-Market and Premium Deals) 2024. He is noted as “a top quality technical lawyer and super bright and super hard working” who “skilfully guides us through tricky issues” and “is all over the detail, not matter what it is.” He “is extremely responsive and is making his mark as a new partner.”

Matthew also spent time on secondment to the Group Acquisitions & Divestments team at BHP, where he worked on a number of strategic transactions.

Matthew is Co-Chair of Linklaters’ HeForShe Committee and is a member of the firm’s Gender Equality Network Steering Committee.

Work highlights

Matthew’s experience spans many high-profile corporate transactions, including:

• Mondi in relation to its possible all share combination with DS Smith
• Spirent Communications on its £1.16bn competing takeover by Keysight Technologies and its £1bn takeover by Viavi Solutions
• Ageas on its proposed takeover of Direct Line
• PIMCO on its proposed sale of Hellenic Bank to Eurobank and associated mandatory takeover offer
• Vistry Group on its £1.25bn recommended cash and share combination with Countryside Partnerships
• WSP Group on its £600m proposed takeover of RPS Group as well as its US$1.9bn acquisition of John Wood Group’s E&I business
• Uni-Select on its US$2.1bn acquisition by LQK Corporation 

• Metro Bank on its takeover defence against The Carlyle Group

• Tate & Lyle on the US$1.7bn separation and sale of a controlling stake in its primary products business to KPS Capital Partners and the establishment of associated joint venture arrangements
• Advent on its £4bn recommended takeover for Cobham

• Ophir on the £400m recommended takeover by Medco

• Sibanye-Stillwater on its £285m recommended takeover for Lonmin
• Friends Life Group on the £5.6bn recommended takeover by Aviva

Prior to joining Linklaters in 2014, Matthew practiced a lawyer at Allens in Melbourne, Australia.

Matthew has also advised:

• The Jardine Matheson Group on various matters, including its sale of the Jardine Motors Group to Lithia
• Old Mutual plc on the £12bn managed separation of its four constituent businesses into independent businesses and related initial public offering of Quilter
• Schroders on its acquisition of a majority stake in leading impact investor BlueOrchard
• intu properties (in administration) on its financial restructuring
• Santander on the acquisition of a majority stake in UK fintech Ebury (and subsequent investments)
• The Carlyle Group in relation to the acquisition of a 30% interest in CEPSA
• Rothesay Life on various matters, including the buy-out of Goldman Sachs by Blackstone, GIC and MassMutual and the creation of a £1.5bn capital pool for future investment, the acquisition of UK annuities and supporting assets from Scottish Equitable and the issuance of £250m subordinated notes qualifying under Solvency II
• Lloyds Banking Group on various matters, including the implementation of UK ring-fencing legislation, UK Government sell-down, share buyback programme and various other transactions

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Hons) from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He also holds a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the College of Law, Melbourne, Australia.