Karen Davies is a partner in our corporate practice and Ashurst's global chair
Karen has wide experience in advising both corporate clients and investment banks on a full range of domestic and cross-border corporate finance transactions. She specialises in merger and acquisitions and equity capital markets work, advising on acquisitions and disposals as well as corporate finance matters (Official List and AIM).
In 2023 Karen was recognised by Financial News as one of their Fifty Most Influential Lawyers for the third consecutive year (2023, 2022 and 2021), and was named as one of their 100 Most Influential Women in Finance in both 2021 and 2022. She has also been acknowledged at the Law.com Women, Influence & Power in Law UK in both 2020 and 2021, and was previously pinpointed as one of the strongest emerging female leaders in the City, featuring in The Lawyer Hot 100 in 2017 and topping the MergerMarket lawyer rankings for both the number of M&A deals in 2017 and number of deals by value in H1 2019.
Karen is ranked in Chambers UK 2023 for Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability, with clients acknowledging her 'pragmatic' judgment. The Legal 500 2023 also ranks Karen in the Hall of Fame for M&A: Upper Mid-Market and Premium Deals (£500M+).
As Global Chair, Karen is accountable for the leadership and effective functioning of the Board and for upholding the reputation of the firm and ensuring its integrity, values and governance procedures. Together with the Board, Karen is also responsible for oversight and accountability of the Executive Team and oversight and approval of the firm's strategy.
Karen has served as a member of the Ashurst Board since 2017, and prior to her appointment as Global Chair she led the firm's Corporate Division in the UK.