Whale Rock recruits Nabarro partner Elliot Shear to enhance multi-disciplinary offering

Niche City accountancy and legal firm Whale Rock has recruited Nabarro LLP equity partner Elliot Shear to bolster its multi-disciplinary accounting and legal offering to AIM clients, as well as those within the natural resources and international trade sectors.

In his new role as managing director of Whale Rock’s legal arm, which he takes up on 1 July 2011, Elliot will be responsible for further developing the relationship between the two disciplines to enhance the joined-up commercial service that Whale Rock offers to corporate listed clients.

With both in-house and private practice experience, Elliot is ideally placed to oversee the expansion of the firm’s outsourced in-house legal services to companies who do not require their own full time in-house lawyer, as well as specialist support to existing in-house legal departments.

Commenting on his new role, Elliot said: “I am excited at this opportunity in a changing legal market when many clients are becoming more sophisticated purchasers of legal services.

“There is always a role for the large firms, but Whale Rock Legal provides the niche support which enables clients to conduct their business efficiently and in a more cost-effective manner. I am looking forward to being able to take this highly specialised offering further forward.”

Elliot specialises in mergers and acquisitions for public and private companies, undertaking a full range of transactional work for corporate clients and financial institutions. He has a wealth of experience in acquisitions,
disposals, joint ventures, AIM-listed companies and takeovers.

James Ward, founder and Director and Group Chairman of Whale Rock Accounting, said: “The ability of Whale Rock to attract someone of Elliot’s calibre is a testament to our client base, business model and ability to think outside the box and provide a joined-up professional services offering.”

Listed in The Lawyer magazine’s prestigious ‘Hot 100’ lawyers of 2009, Elliot’s numerous professional highlights include advising on corporate matters and defence issues for General Dynamics UK Ltd, including on the £2 billion FRES programme with the Ministry of Defence.

A recognised authority in the area of the AIM market, Elliot has also written a chapter headed ‘An introduction to the AIM Rules for companies’ for the next edition of ‘A Practitioner’s Guide to the AIM Rules’, which is due to be published imminently.

Prior to joining Nabarro in 2006, Elliot was a senior associate at Baker & McKenzie and an associate at Linklaters, as well as gaining considerable experience working in an in-house capacity.

Whale Rock Legal CEO Nigel Kushner said: “We are delighted to have someone of Elliot’s calibre joining the firm. He brings with him considerable experience in both the private practice and in-house sectors which will help us further strengthen our legal offering and, together with Whale Rock Accounting, provide a much more rounded commercial service to our clients.”

For more information, please contact Nigel Kushner on 0844 893 0811 or email nigel.kushner@whalerocklegal.com. Further information on Whale Rock Legal is available by visiting www.whalerocklegal.com.

Whale Rock Legal is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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