Edward Craft

Partner

Corporate
Profile Image

Expertise

Edward leads on the most complex and innovative transactions delivered at Wedlake Bell and provides technical leadership to both the team and the profession.

Edward has sat on the Company Law Committee of The Law Society since 2013 and served as chair 2019-2022. In that role, Edward was responsible for the guidance to solicitors in conducting verification under the new register of overseas entities. The 2021 practice note and Q&A on electronic signatures in the context of COVID has proven a very valuable resource to practitioners.

Edward has a long-established practice focussed on governance and transparency, including PSC, ROE and TRS.

Edward has twice been the author of the Corporate Governance Code issued by The Quoted Companies Alliance, which is used by the vast majority of companies on AIM.

Chambers & Partners said that Edward is “always thinking outside the box to come up with very clever and unusual ideas.”

Recent Experience

  • Farm-in transactions for significant Southern African exploration rights;
  • Successful fundraising for AIM-admitted oil exploration company operating on the South Atlantic;
  • £350m sale of seven companies for a trust involving a complex reorganisation and a total of 23 capital reductions, involving well over 500 documents;
  • Sale of holding company in consideration for a £4.25b loan note;
  • English advice on the structuring and joint venture establishment of a Luxembourg special limited partnership;
  • Sale of a portfolio of African embedded generation and low-carbon energy assets;
  • Private wealth management through corporate structures.

Career History

Edward joined Wedlake Bell as a partner in 2010. Before that, he spent twelve years at Nabarro (now CMS), where he qualified as a solicitor in 2000.

Edward studied law at the University of Nottingham (graduating in 1997) and obtained his post-graduate qualification at Nottingham Law School.

Publications

Edward is a regular author of consultation response and thought leadership pieces.

Edward’s officially published work includes:

  • QCA Corporate Governance Code, 2018 and 2013
  • QCA Remuneration Committee Guide for Small and Mid-Size Quoted Companies, 2016
  • Delivering Proportionate and Effective Corporate Governance in Small and Medium-Size Quoted Companies (chapter in A Practical Guide to Corporate Governance), 2014
  • Local Authority Joint Ventures (chapter in Local Authority Companies and Partnerships)
  • Practical Law Practice note on Local Authority Joint Ventures

Edward Craft is fantastic. Totally aligned with his client’s commercial needs and works relentlessly hard to achieve the best for his clients. Very practical, pragmatic and a real gentleman to deal with.

Legal 500, 2023

He's very committed and solutions-focused.

Chambers UK, 2021

Edward Craft – the most knowledgeable governance professional I’ve come across in my career, whose strong technical competency is expertly conveyed with a suitable degree of pragmatism that is aligned with the business needs.

Legal 500, 2021

"always thinking outside the box to come up with very clever and unusual ideas."

Chambers UK, 2018

Edward Craft is described as "incredibly intelligent"

Chambers UK, 2018

"has made our lives very easy with his dedication and professionalism."

Chambers UK, 2018

News

Electronic signatures

Commercial parties are becoming more familiar with electronic signatures. In the summer of 2016, the Law Society produced a practice note summarising the current legal position and supporting the useRead more

News

The FRC in the balance

Sir John Kingman, chairman of Legal and General plc has been charged by the government with carrying out a root-and-branch review of The Financial Reporting Council (the FRC), that ratherRead more

News

DOING REAL ESTATE DEALS UNDER THE NEW REGISTER OF OVERSEAS ENTITIES REGIME

We waited patiently for the Register of Overseas Entities (ROE), a new public transparency register of overseas corporate ownership of UK real estate, which was launched by David Cameron inRead more

News

PSC in property is one step closer

As it committed to do, BEIS has issued draft legislation for a new regime for “PSC in property”, in the form of the Overseas Entities Bill. This bill has onlyRead more

News

New narrative reporting requirements

In June 2018 the UK government laid The Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 (the new reporting regulations) before parliament and also published Q&A guidance. Upon being approved under the affirmativeRead more

Bulletins

The New UK Corporate Governance Code

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is the custodian of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the UK Code).  The FRC needed to refresh the UK Code, and it is now wellRead more

Bulletins

EU support for SMEs seeking to grow on the capital markets

Notwithstanding the stated intention of the UK government to take back control, it remains important to keep abreast of legislative and other initiatives emanating from Brussels. This is because, inRead more

Bulletins

LSE’s review of the AIM rules – Feedback statement

As reported in our Autumn 2017 In Counsel, in a call for evidence published on 11 July 2017, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) sought feedback on certain key areas ofRead more

Bulletins

Corporate governance update

As Jane Austen arrives on our fresh ten pound notes, it seems appropriate to misquote her: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a government without the good fortune ofRead more

Bulletins

What can the industry expect from the LSE’s review of AIM rules?

Since its launch in 1995, the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) has experienced many ups and downs. As recently as two years ago (the market’s 20th anniversary), investors hadRead more

Bulletins

Unmasking the truth, who owns the UK’s properties?

A new register of beneficial owners of overseas entities owning UK property – what you need to know about the proposals Why the new regime? The London property market isRead more

Bulletins

Transparency registers: The next set of changes

The summer of 2017 will bring about three notable changes to the UK Government’s transparency registers initiative: 1. UK implementation of the Fourth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive; 2. other changesRead more

Bulletins

The future direction of corporate governance – “Something must be done”

We live in a time of transition. Old assumptions and alliances are being challenged. Calm, reasoned, rational debate is lost in the cacophony. British politicians state the case that “actionRead more