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Max Baird-Smith

Max-Baird-Smith
Partner
T: 020 7465 4300
Max-Baird-Smith

Max Baird-Smith is partner and head of corporate/M&A. 

Max advises on a broad mixture of strategic corporate and commercial transactions across a range of sectors, including consumer and retail, education, energy, financial services, infrastructure, media & telecommunications, natural resources, property and technology.  

He has represented sovereign wealth funds, significant groups and private capital funds across his career and brings this experience to the firm’s family office and high-net-worth client base.  

He has extensive experience handling complex cross-border matters, regularly working across Europe, the US, the Middle East and Africa. 

Max speaks French and is qualified in England and Wales (solicitor) and a member of the French bar (non-practising). A partner since 2013, Max is a graduate of Oxford University and qualified at Slaughter and May in 2005. 

Max is recommended in The Legal 500 UK 2025. 

“Max Baird-Smith stands out for his razor-sharp intellect, vast experience, and deal-friendly approach, as well as his considerable charm and good humour.” 

Max’s representative matters include advising: 

Eon Productions Limited and the Broccoli family in relation to their joint venture with Amazon MGM Studios 

Merck Mercuriadis, founder of Hipgnosis Song Management, in connection with Blackstone’s £1.3 billion takeover of Hipgnosis Songs Fund  

A trading group on its joint venture with Tower Research Capital LLC 

A family office on its co-investment in Storal with Graphite Capital  

Sia Partners on various acquisitions in the consulting and technology sector 

Cerno Capital Partners on its purchase of the business of Alvarium Investment Managers  

Medtech in connection with its inspection services partnership with the Liberian Government 

Vectura Group plc on the management buy-out of its oral manufacturing subsidiary, Skyepharma Production

Lactalis on the squeeze-out and delisting of its Croatian subsidiary, Dukat

EDF on its equity investment in Standard Microgrid, a leading solar microgrid developer based in Zambia

Chenavari Investment Managers on the disposal of its leasing subsidiary, Geolia Leasing Solutions

Carlisle Companies Incorporated on its acquisition of Draka Fileca SAS, a supplier of high-end cable solutions to the aerospace, space and defence sectors, from Prysmian Group

Bpifrance on the initial public offering of Verallia group (a global glass bottle manufacturer) on Euronext Paris, one of the largest recent IPOs on Euronext Paris

KKR on its strategic partnership with Tivoli Capital to develop Newton Offices’ new generation of offices in France

Cahiers du Cinema (UK) on the disposal of film magazine Cahiers du Cinema to a group of French investors

Vinci on the disposal of the London Olympic stadium operator

Crédit Agricole Assurances on the acquisition of Indigo car parks alongside Ardian (enterprise value €1.96 billion)

Crédit Agricole Assurances on the acquisition of a minority stake in the gas pipeline company TIGF (enterprise value €2.4 billion)

Crédit Agricole Assurances on the acquisition of a minority stake in motorway concession company, Atlandes

Stockdale Capital Partners on its acquisition of CEIT

DeA Capital on its disposal of a majority stake in Générale de Santé for €788 million

Bpifrance on the acquisition, alongside Apollo, of Verallia (enterprise value €2.945 billion)

Bpifrance on the disposal of the French activities of TDF (enterprise value €3.6 billion)

Bpifrance on the acquisition of a minority stake alongside Apax in INSEEC higher-education group

Safran on its space-launcher joint venture (Airbus Safran Launchers) with Airbus Group - this significant and complex joint venture created a European champion for space launchers

The French State on the merger of tank and armored vehicle manufacturers Nexter (company owned as to 100% by the French State) and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (combined enterprise value of €2 billion)

VimpelCom on its sale of a 51 per cent controlling stake in Omnium Telecom Algeria (formerly known as Djezzy), held by its Global Telecom Holding (GTH) subsidiary, to the Algerian National Investment Fund (FNI) for US$2.6 billion

Matter handled prior to joining PHB 

Partner PHB 2022 to present. 

Partner Gide Loyrette Nouel (London) 2017 – 2021 

Partner PHB 2016 – 2017 

Partner BDGS Associes (Paris) 2013 – 2016 

Associate Gide Loyrette Nouel (Paris) 2007- 2013 

Associate Slaughter and May 2005 – 2007 

Trainee Slaughter and May 2003 – 2005 

Nottingham Trent Law School 2001 – 2002 

College of Law 2000 – 2001 

Oxford University (St Hugh’s College) 1997 – 2000 (BA History)