Transitioning from a privately owned business to one listed on one of London’s exchanges involves an enormous shift in the way an organisation is directed and controlled. Our Governance team plays a critical role in preparing the board for this new environment, advising on the framework, policies and procedures you’ll need to ensure an appropriate level of corporate governance post-IPO.
The comment we constantly hear from institutional investors is their wish for companies to come to market having already implemented and demonstrated operating the required governance framework before IPO. This sentiment is starting to resonate with investment banks who are, thankfully, now engaging with us earlier in the process to help their IPO candidates adopt governance procedures many months ahead of their planned admission.
We’ll work with you to set the cadence and content of board and committee meetings appropriate to the business, backed up by tailored ‘matters reserved for the board’ and committee terms of reference. Among other policies and procedures, we’ll draft your Share Dealing Code and inside information manual and will provide your persons discharging managerial responsibilities (PDMRs) with the training, tools and support they’ll need to implement and embed these policies on a day-to-day basis post-IPO.
Our Governance team has been the market leader in providing governance support to London’s IPOs over the last five years across a range of sectors including retail, financial, resources, technology and SPACs – several of those in conjunction with our Financial Reporting and Transaction Support Department (see Finance – IPO and Capital Markets). Most companies retain us as their Company Secretary post-IPO (see Provision of Plc Company Secretary), which helps to smooth the transition from private to public.
The Governance team’s pre-IPO support services include but are not limited to:
- Establishing an appropriate corporate governance framework and advising on the corporate governance environment generally
- Preparation of a comprehensive suite of policies and procedures in a form consistent with the requirements of the UK Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and the QCA Code or UK Corporate Governance Code, reflecting the needs and particular circumstances of the company
- Drafting policies and procedures for the company’s FPPP memorandum at IPO
- Working with the executive team and relevant chairs to develop board and committee agenda cycles
- Delivering MAR training to directors and PDMRs
- Setting up a digital inside information management portal
- Setting up a digital board and committee paper portal
- Working with your legal team in relation to any pre-IPO structuring work
- ‘Soft launching’ the Plc board to enable directors to test the Board processes and smooth the transition to the post-IPO world
Is your company considering embarking on a London IPO? Contact us to discuss how we can assist.
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Please feel free to reach out with any questions or enquiries using the link below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
