Addleshaw Goddard (AG) has appointed experienced M&A lawyer James Dawson as the latest Partner to join its City Corporate Team, adding further weight to this growing practice. 

James has a proven track record in M&A for large corporates and brings with him a significant volume of clients and contacts across several of the firm's key sectors including Financial Services, TMT/Digital and Energy, as well as extensive cross-border experience. 

James' appointment will enable the firm to target further mid to upper market M&A and wider corporate transaction instructions from blue-chip corporates across a wider range of sectors and geographies.

James returns to AG after previously being a corporate Partner at the firm until 2012. Most recently, James was a Consultant with legal technology start-ups ObjectiveManager and DealScoper, focusing on scoping and pricing software applications for law firms. 

James' innovation skills will be put to good use as AG develops its reputation as a market leader for innovative M&A processes through the use of IT platforms – part of the firm's award-winning Intelligent Delivery offering. The firm recently developed AGMax, an online M&A toolkit which houses guidance, shares information, improves project management and drives strategic purpose through transactions, which was recognised at the Legal Week Innovation awards.

Yunus Seedat, Corporate & Commercial Divisional Managing Partner, said: "We are delighted to welcome James back to the firm. His appointment supports our continued growth and core strengths in M&A, particularly with large corporates across our key sectors. James' knowledge of the application of legal technology is an added dimension, as we seek to innovate in the ways we can support our clients with M&A transactions."

AG's London Corporate team has an impressive deal record across public and private M&A, recently advising on: GVC Holdings plc's £3.9bn takeover of Ladbrokes Coral; Artilium Plc's $104.7m acquisition by Pareteum Corporation; and Kerridge Commercial Systems' takeover of Electronic Data Processing.