Mark Jones

Mark represents high-growth companies, investors and management teams in a range of corporate matters, centered primarily on M&A, emerging companies and venture capital, and corporate reorganisations. He has experience counselling emerging life sciences and tech companies on their formation, corporate governance and general life cycle, including private and public exits.

Mark received the Financial Rising Star award at the 2024 LMG Life Sciences EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Awards ceremony for his work in the life sciences industry and was nominated as a ‘Rising Star in Private Practice’ at the British Legal Awards in 2025. He is also recognised by The Legal 500 UK in its Corporate and commercial – M&A: lower mid-market deals (£50m-£500m) category.

Mark has spent time on secondment at Medicxi, a leading life sciences investment firm.

Mark’s recent transactions/matters include advising:

Emerging companies/venture capital

• AviadoBio on its exclusive option and licence agreement with Astellas Pharma worth up to $2.18 billion and simultaneous Series B round
• Bain Capital (as lead investor) on its investment in OMass Therapeutics as part of its $310 million Series C round
• Ottimo Pharma on its $140 million Series A round
• Slate Medicines on its $130 million Series A round
• Sling Therapeutics on its $123 million Series C round
• Artios Pharma on its $115 million Series D round
• Sofinnova Partners, Gilde Healthcare and Forbion on their investment in Purespring Therapeutics as part of its $105 million Series B round
• New Enterprise Associates, F-Prime Capital and Lightstone Ventures on their investment in Amber Therapeutics as part of its $100 million Series A round
• Snyk, the world leader in developer-led security, on its $196.5 million Series G round, $530 million Series F round, $300 million Series E round and $200 million Series D round
• Orchard Therapeutics on its $150 million Series C round
• Ascend Advanced Therapies on its $130 million Series A round
• Accel on its £85 million investment in Monzo
• 4BIO Capital, Abingworth, LifeArc, Sound Bioventures and Criteria Bioventures on their investment in Cytospire Therapeutics as part of its $83 million Series A round
• Proximie on its $80 million Series C round
• Immutrin on its £65 million Series A round
• Balderton Capital on its investment in Lindus Health as part of its $55 million Series B round
• Bit Bio, a cell coding company, on its $41 million Series A round
• Gymbox, a London-based gym chain, on its £39 million investment from BGF and HSBC
• LoQus23 Therapeutics on its £35 million Series A round
• Manual, a wellness platform, on its $30 million Series A round
• Petalion Therapeutics on its $25 million Series A round
• Rooser, an online seafood marketplace, on its $23 million Series A round
• Biofidelity on its £10 million Series A round
• General Catalyst on its investment in Beauty Pie, an online beauty platform
• Several early-stage life sciences and tech companies on their Series Seed, A, B and C rounds

M&A

• The management team of software company Calypso Technology on the company’s sale to Thoma Bravo, a US-based private equity house, for $3.4 billion
• Redx Pharma on its reverse merger with Skye Bioscience and concurrent aggregate financings of ~$125 million (pending)
• EsoBiotec on its ~$1 billion sale to AstraZeneca
• Ascend Advanced Therapies on its acquisition of Advanced BioScience Laboratories and simultaneous equity investment from EW Healthcare Partners
• Medicxi on the sale of one of its portfolio companies, Versanis Bio, to Eli Lilly and Company for up to $1.925 billion
• Medicxi and certain other shareholders on the sale of one of their portfolio companies, Vicebio, to Sanofi for up to $1.6 billion (pending)
• UTILITY Therapeutics on its sale to Alembic Pharmaceuticals
• Kpler, a leading provider of technology-led data, analytics and market insight, on its strategic growth investment of more than $200 million from Five Arrows and Insight Partners
• Eagle Pharmaceuticals on its recommended acquisition, by way of a scheme of arrangement, of Acacia Pharma Group
• Pizza Hut Restaurants UK and its senior leadership team on the management buyout of the business from Rutland Partners
• Susquehanna Private Capital on its £70 million purchase of thebigword Group, a leading provider of language translation services
• Primary Capital Partners on the sale of Leisure Pass Group to Exponent Private Equity
• Blue Minerva Limited, an HG Capital-backed acquisitive company, on the £40 million purchase of PS Financials (Holdings) and various other portfolio companies
• Journey Group on its $24 million scheme of arrangement and recommended offer from Jaguar Holdings
• Thrasio, the world’s largest Amazon aggregator and fastest-ever profitable US unicorn, on several acquisitions of UK-based companies

Capital markets/holding company re-organisations

• Immunocore, a leading UK biotech company, on its $273 million initial public offering (IPO) on Nasdaq
• Autolus Therapeutics, a leading UK biotech company, on its $173 million IPO on Nasdaq
• Entasis Therapeutics on its $75 million IPO on Nasdaq
• Medicxi on the corporate re-organisation and integration of the platforms and assets from six of its portfolio companies – Aldena Therapeutics, Graegis Pharmaceuticals, Granular Therapeutics, KliRNA Biotech, Nira Biosciences and Vimela Therapeutics – into Alys Pharmaceuticals
• F-star Therapeutics on its corporate reorganisation