David is a senior corporate partner with wide experience in all areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and joint ventures. He also has a strong background representing overseas clients on a variety of inward investments to the UK. Most of the transactions on which David has worked have involved multiple jurisdictions. Previously, David was the global chair of Reed Smith’s Business and Finance Department.
David is a member of the firm’s global ESG practice. He has a particular focus on the social and governance aspects of ESG. This work includes advising companies on governance audits focusing on ESG, and counseling individuals and groups of directors on their roles and responsibilities related to ESG considerations.
David also supports and works on a pro bono basis for various organisations devoted to education in developing countries. He is a founding trustee and secretary of the charity Theirworld, which supports projects to improve opportunities for children and young people, and a director of the Global Business Coalition for Education which helps to deliver quality education for children and young people around the world. In addition, David represents the Global Business Coalition for Education as representative of the private sector on the board of the Global Partnership for Education, which is a US$5 billion fund supporting education in over 65 developing countries and hosted by the World Bank. He spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2018 to launch the International Finance Facility for Education which is expected to raise $10 billion to help educate 700 million children.
In June 2017 David was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to children’s charity and advocating corporate involvement.
