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Biography

George Weston
George Weston Harneys front portrait image

George is a sensible lawyer. He's always good to work with.

Chambers and Partners, 2024

George Weston

Partner | Banking & Corporate | British Virgin Islands
+1 284 852 4333 george.weston@harneys.com
Biography

George Weston is a partner in our Corporate practice group and advises on all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, downstream private equity investments, joint ventures, public and private share offerings, capital raisings, and corporate reorganisations. Although he works with clients in a wide range of industry sectors across the globe, George has particular expertise working with leading law firms and private equity investors on cross-border corporate acquisitions and joint ventures with a technology or real estate element (including hotels and hospitality). He leads our SPAC practice ...

George Weston is a partner in our Corporate practice group and advises on all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, downstream private equity investments, joint ventures, public and private share offerings, capital raisings, and corporate reorganisations. Although he works with clients in a wide range of industry sectors across the globe, George has particular expertise working with leading law firms and private equity investors on cross-border corporate acquisitions and joint ventures with a technology or real estate element (including hotels and hospitality). He leads our SPAC practice group in the Americas and has considerable experience of both IPOs and business combinations.

Prior to joining Harneys, George spent seven years in the London office of Paul Hastings, where he worked on a number of high profile corporate transactions. He also completed a secondment in an ECM team at JP Morgan Chase.

George has been widely quoted and published in a variety of media including CNBC, MergerMarket, Legal Business, Asian Business Law Review, Business Law Today, Practical Law Company Magazine, the British Tax Review and the International Financial Law Review. George is a member of the International Bar Association, and he serves as an industry elected director of BVI Finance. He is also a member of the statutory Company Law Advisory and Review Committee and consults regularly with the BVI government and regulators on the development of corporate law in the BVI.

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Recommendations

George is ranked for his BVI Corporate & Finance including Investment Funds expertise. He is noted for his extensive experience advising on M&A transactions and joint ventures. Sources say "George has proved a great partner for our business."

George is ranked for his BVI Corporate & Finance including Investment Funds expertise. He is noted for his extensive experience advising on M&A transactions and joint ventures. Sources say "George has proved a great partner for our business."

George is recognised as a "next generation partner" in the Corporate & Commercial rankings. He is noted as "the future of Harneys. George is one of the leading figures in the market from a M&A perspective and an overall, excellent lawyer. Responsive, commercial, and easy to work with. His aptitude to always get things right is impressive!"

George is ranked as "highly regarded".

George is ranked for his BVI Corporate & Finance including Investment Funds expertise. He is noted for his extensive experience advising on M&A transactions.

George is recognised as a “next generation partner” in the British Virgin Islands Corporate and Commercial rankings.

George is noted for his “extensive experience advising on transactions in the technology and real estate spaces” and is ranked for his Corporate and Finance expertise.

George is ranked as an up and coming lawyer for his BVI Corporate & Finance expertise. Clients say "his corporate and capital markets knowledge is fantastic and we can always expect thoughtful responses from him to any complex problems that arise."

George is recognised as a “next generation partner” in the British Virgin Islands Corporate and Commercial rankings. Clients describe George as "responsive, easy to deal with, and extremely knowledgeable on corporate matters."

George is recognised as a “rising star” in the British Virgin Islands Corporate and Commercial rankings. Sources have said he is “a responsive and thoughtful lawyer who digs in and takes the time to understand and solve complex cross-border legal questions”.

George is ranked as a “rising star”.

George has been ranked for his BVI Corporate & Finance expertise. Peers agree he is an up-and-coming figure in the jurisdiction and "quite highly thought of" in the legal community.

George is ranked as a “next generation lawyer”.

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Representing DXC Technology Company (NYSE: DXC) on its US$2 billion merger acquisition of Luxoft (NYSE: LXFT), the then largest ever takeover of a publicly listed BVI company by transaction value.

Acting as BVI legal counsel on the merger of third-party logistics companies UTi Worldwide Inc and DSV in a US$1.2 billion public takeover of a listed BVI company.

Advising a group of private investors on the reorganisation of their holdings in a UK PLC through the establishment of a new BVI joint venture company holding equity assets valued in excess of $1.5 billion.

Advising a BVI incorporated e-commerce firm on its sale for approximately US$600 million.

Representing the existing owner of a hotel chain on the disposal of majority ownership (through the issue of notes convertible into 51 per cent of its shares) to create a BVI joint venture with a potential value of more than US$1.2 billion.

Acting for SOCAR and its wholly owned subsidiary Sermaye Investments Limited (SIL) on the repayment of a US$1.3 billion loan from Goldman Sachs International (GSI) to SIL, the repurchase acquisition of shares by SIL from GSI, and a corporate restructuring and refinancing with a new US$1.3 billion secured debt from a portfolio of lenders.

Advising Latin American softgel maker Procaps Group on its business combination with Nasdaq listed Union Acquisition Corp. II (a Cayman incorporated SPAC) for an enterprise value of US$1.1 billion (named "Deal of the Year, Columbia 2021" by Transaction Track Record).

Advising Maxpro Capital Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) on its US$899 million definitive agreement for a business combination with late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, Apollomics Inc.

Advising Saitech Limited, a Eurasia-based energy saving bitcoin mining operator, on its business combination with TradeUP Global Corporation (a SPAC).

Advising ACG Acquisition Company Limited (ACG), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) incorporated in the BVI, on its initial public offering and standard listing on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market – the first BVI SPAC incorporated in London.

Advising Aura FAT Projects Acquisition Corp, a SPAC targeting new emerging technology companies with an acute growth potential in Southeast Asia and Australasia, on its successful Nasdaq IPO.

Advising on the fully subscribed initial public offering (IPO) of Pono Capital Three, Inc., a SPAC, raising US$115 million dollars.

Advising Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the internationally renowned hotel chain, on the BVI aspects of its takeover of Two Roads Hospitality for US$480 million.

Advising the global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group on BVI aspects of its US$250 million strategic investment in the hotel chain YOTEL.

Advising LeniGas Cuba Limited on its reverse takeover of Knowlton Capital Inc by way of a BVI scheme of arrangement.

Representing Talon Metals Inc., a TSX-listed base metals company, on several offerings of shares, warrants and units.

Advising Road Town Wholesale Trading Ltd, a BVI-based retail and wholesale conglomerate, on the acquisition of 76.1 per cent of its issued shares by a wholly owned subsidiary of The North West Company Inc. The deal is believed to be the largest-ever M&A transaction involving a company operating and trading domestically in the BVI.

Advising a hotel owner/operator on the disposal of a hotel chain held through several BVI vehicles for a consideration of approximately US$350 million.

Advising Hyatt Hotels Corporation in relation to the acquisition of preferred shares (and related joint venture arrangements) in a BVI company owning a major hotel and resort in Latin America in a transaction valued at more than US$100 million.

Representing an investor on a series of portfolio investments and divestments of UK property held through BVI companies and related financing arrangements for a total value of more than £200 million.

Representing Polaris Infrastructure Inc., a Toronto-based company engaged in the operation, acquisition and development of renewable energy projects in Latin America, on its acquisition of 100 per cent of the issued and outstanding shares of Union Energy Group Corp., which is incorporated in the BVI in 2018 and on its 2020 refinancing through a facility provided by the Brookfield Infrastructure Debt Fund, a global credit-focused fund managed by Brookfield Asset Management Inc (NYSE: BAM).

Advising iSmash, a high street technology repair service, on several fundraising rounds through its BVI incorporated holding company iSmash Group Limited, including on a significant investment from, and a commercial joint venture with, Sky in 2019 and an investment from TELUS in 2021.

Advising AlTibbi, an emerging medical technology company targeting the Middle East and North Africa, on two successful fundraising rounds.

British Virgin Islands
2015

England and Wales (not practising)
2010

College of Law of England & Wales (LPC)
2008

Southampton Solent University (GDL)
2007

University of Southampton (BA)
2006

George is a sensible lawyer. He's always good to work with.
Chambers and Partners, 2024

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