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Ashan Arif

Partner

Ashan Arif

Partner

“With clear, concise and timely advice and management, Ashan and his team helped us navigate complex arrangements and seamlessly bridged the gap between the legal and commercial issues”

BMW Legal Affairs UK & Ireland (AJ-UK)

Ashan Arif is head of corporate and commercial team and Director of forburyTECH, a tech start-up advisory of Clarkslegal.

Ashan provides corporate, company and banking advice to a wide range of businesses including start-ups, owner-managed businesses, SMEs and large listed corporates.

His expertise includes mergers & acquisitions, private equity, corporate, investments, restructurings, asset and business transfers, joint ventures, commercial agreements, banking, finance, alternative finance, fund raisings, general company and corporate matters.

Ashan acts for clients from across a range of sectors with a particular focus on the technology, media & entertainment, motor and hotel industries.

Experience

Start ups, university spin-outs and early stage

Ashan advises start-ups, mainly in the technology sector, university spin-outs and early stage companies, finding ways to help grow the business quickly and efficiently through Clarkslegal’s relationships with investors and financiers.

Mergers, acquisitions and disposals

Ashan regularly advises clients on mergers, acquisitions and disposals, including management buy-outs and buy-ins, advising clients from a commercial and strategic perspective, as well as legal, getting involved in transactions as early as possible.

Fundraising – angels, private equity, venture capital

Ashan has extensive experience and understanding of raising equity finance, from angel investment, private equity or venture capital.

Owner managers

Ashan regularly acts for exiting owner managers and shareholders of SMEs on the sale of their company.

Banking and finance

Advises clients on debt finance and related security documentation, whether as part of a corporate transaction or a stand-alone financing. This includes advising on loan agreements, debentures, charges, guarantees and other forms of security as well as satisfying the lender’s requirements, and Islamic Finance.

Reorganisations and demergers

Ashan works closely with the client’s accountants and tax advisers during the reorganisation of a company, group of companies or a specific part of their business.

Business divorce

Ashan has advised numerous clients on successfully settling shareholder disputes aiming to preserve the integrity of the ongoing business.

Shareholders’ agreements and joint ventures

Ashan regularly advises on shareholders’ agreements and joint venture arrangements, helping clients to understand the importance of documenting key issues governing the relationships of the parties.

What our clients say

“Ash offers really good advice and is very good at explaining options as well as the best way to structure a deal. He simplifies what needs to happen and makes it happen.”

Chambers 2024

“Ash is a very competent all-round corporate lawyer.”

Chambers 2024

“Ash is calm and responsive, and instils confidence with a broad knowledge of commercial law and sensitivity to safeguarding. He’s a pleasure to deal with.”

Chambers 2024

“Ashan Arif is very detailed and methodical.”

Legal 500 2025

Ashan is receptive, knowledgeable and very professional, meeting deadlines and following up on matters where required.

Chambers and Partners 2025

Read, listen and watch our latest insights

art
  • 11 April 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Share Sale – An Exit Strategy

If you’re planning to exit your business and want to sell your company to a third party, you should consider a share sale.

art
  • 17 March 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Deal Announcement: Clarkslegal’s corporate lawyers advise on the sale of Cryostore Limited to hVIVO plc

Clarkslegal’s corporate team is pleased to have advised Malcolm Wilkingson and the exiting shareholders on their multi-million pound sale of family-owned business, Cryostore Limited, to listed company hVIVO plc.

art
  • 10 March 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Are You Sale Ready?

If you’re at the stage of considering the ‘What Next?’ for your business then it is probably time to consider whether your business is ready to go through a partial or complete sale process.

art
  • 25 February 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

A brief guide to business exiting strategies

In this article, we explore business exiting strategies commonly found in practice as well as alternative strategies to consider.

art
  • 18 February 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Deal Announcement: Clarkslegal’s corporate lawyers advise on the sale of cloud-hosting and cyber security business

Clarkslegal’s corporate team is pleased to have advised the exiting shareholders of cloud-hosting and cyber-security businesses SIRE and GIBVault on their multi-million-pound sale.

Pub
  • 07 February 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Talk & Golf : Thinking of Exiting your Business?

Join Stuart Mullins, Partner at Clarkslegal, and Nicky Goringe Larkin, Managing Director at Succession Planning, for a morning breakfast talk on preparing your business for exit, followed by a round of golf at the Eyston Course at Caversham Golf Club.