WHO I HELP 

Business owners. Founders. Shareholders. Management teams. Investors. SMEs. Acquisitive companies. Growth-focused businesses. Companies preparing for sale. Businesses raising investment.

HOW I HELP

Corporate law. Mergers and acquisitions. Business sales and acquisitions. Debt and equity funding. Investment rounds. Shareholder agreements. Joint ventures. Corporate restructuring. Share incentive arrangements. Commercial contracts. Intellectual property matters. Employment law support. General Counsel services. Transaction management. Commercial legal advice. Risk assessment. Multi-disciplinary deal coordination. Helping clients make confident decisions during significant business events and providing day-to-day legal support as businesses grow. 

SECTORS/SUPPORT 

Technology, media & telecoms. Professional services firms. Health & social care. Construction & real estate. Industrial & manufacturing.  

“Clear legal direction for important business decisions.” 

Matt Sutton is Law Partner, specialising in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, investment transactions, and strategic business advisory. Working closely with founders, business owners, investors, and management teams, Matt helps clients navigate some of the most important moments in a company’s lifecycle, from acquisitions and disposals to fundraising, restructuring, and long-term growth planning. In addition to supporting clients through major corporate transactions, Matt oversees the delivery of General Counsel services, providing businesses with ongoing legal support across commercial contracts, intellectual property, employment matters, governance, and wider day-to-day legal requirements. Combining strong technical legal expertise with commercial awareness and a practical approach, Matt works alongside colleagues across law, corporate finance, tax, accountancy, and advisory services to deliver joined-up solutions that help clients achieve their objectives with confidence. 

Guiding Businesses Through Key Moments

“My role sits at the intersection of legal advice and commercial decision-making. Much of my week is spent supporting clients through transactions and strategic projects that have a significant impact on their business. That could involve advising on the sale or acquisition of a company, reviewing investment documents, structuring a shareholder arrangement, negotiating a joint venture, or helping a management team navigate the legal aspects of growth. Alongside transactional work, I also oversee the delivery of General Counsel support to a wide range of clients, providing practical day-to-day legal advice on matters such as commercial contracts, intellectual property protection, employment issues, governance, and wider business risk management. For many businesses, having access to experienced legal support without the need for a full in-house legal team creates significant value and helps them make decisions with confidence. 

Alongside client work, I spend time leading the Law team and working closely with colleagues across the wider AAB Group. One of the strengths of our model is the ability to bring together expertise from multiple disciplines, ensuring clients receive advice that considers not only the legal position but also the financial, tax, and commercial implications of a decision. My role often involves coordinating those different perspectives and helping clients navigate what can otherwise be a highly complex process.” 

TRUSTED THROUGH EVERY STAGE 

“The attraction of corporate law has always been its proximity to important business moments. Whether a client is selling a business they have spent years building, raising investment to support growth, or bringing new people into ownership, these are decisions that affect not only the company but also the people behind it. Equally, helping businesses manage the day-to-day legal challenges that arise as they grow can have a significant impact on their success. Being trusted to support clients through both major milestones and ongoing operational challenges is something I find both challenging and rewarding.” 

Making a Positive Impact

“One of the most satisfying aspects of my role is seeing legal advice translate into a tangible outcome for a client. Transactions often involve months of planning, negotiation, and decision-making, so reaching a successful completion and knowing the client has achieved their objective is incredibly rewarding. 

Many clients will only go through a sale, acquisition, or investment process once or twice in their careers. These can be unfamiliar and often high-pressure situations, so providing clarity and confidence throughout the process is a key part of my role. I believe the best advisers are those who not only solve legal issues but also help clients feel informed, supported, and in control of the decisions they are making. 

While transactions are often highly visible milestones, much of the value we create comes through ongoing legal support. Helping a client negotiate a critical supplier contract, protect valuable intellectual property, manage an employment issue, or put the right governance structures in place can have just as much impact on the long-term success of a business as a major acquisition or investment round. Supporting clients throughout their entire business lifecycle is something I find particularly rewarding.” 

SIMPLIFYING COMPLEX TRANSACTIONS 

“A common example of the work I undertake involves helping clients structure transactions where the legal route needs to support a wider commercial objective. This can include negotiating shareholder arrangements, addressing due diligence issues, coordinating specialist advisers, and ensuring the transaction remains focused on achieving the client’s long-term goals. My focus is always on simplifying complexity and helping clients move forward confidently.” 

Commitment & Dedication

“Building strong client relationships starts with understanding the bigger picture. The legal instruction is often only one part of the story. To provide meaningful advice, I need to understand the client’s objectives, timescales, commercial pressures, and what success looks like from their perspective. That context allows me to deliver advice that is practical, proportionate, and aligned with their wider goals. 

For me, the non-negotiable element of any client relationship is clarity. Clients should never have to translate legal advice into business language themselves. My responsibility is to explain complex issues clearly, outline the available options, and help clients understand the implications of the decisions they are making. Whether supporting a major transaction or advising on a day-to-day legal matter, clear communication remains essential. 

The strongest client relationships are often built during challenging transactions. Tight deadlines, difficult negotiations, and competing stakeholder interests create pressure, but they also create opportunities to demonstrate value. By remaining responsive, maintaining clear communication, and taking ownership of the process, I aim to give clients confidence that their objectives remain the focus throughout.” 

A Compassionate Approach

“One of the most valuable lessons I have learned throughout my career is that momentum matters, but not at the expense of good judgement. Transactions can move quickly, and there is often pressure from multiple directions. While progress is important, clients also need the time and clarity to understand the decisions they are making and the risks involved. 

That lesson has shaped the way I approach both client work and leadership. My role is not simply to keep a transaction moving but to ensure clients have the information they need to make informed decisions. Remaining calm under pressure, identifying the issues that truly matter, and helping clients focus on the bigger picture are all important aspects of that responsibility. Whether advising on a complex acquisition or a sensitive employment issue, the same principles apply. 

I also value the collaborative culture within AAB. The ability to work alongside specialists from different disciplines creates better outcomes for clients and allows us to support increasingly complex projects. It is a model that reflects how businesses operate in the real world, where legal, financial, tax, employment, and strategic considerations are rarely separate issues.” 

Tackling the Challenges

“One of the greatest challenges in corporate law is balancing speed, precision, and commercial judgement. Clients want progress, but they also need to manage risk and ensure decisions are properly considered. Transactions frequently involve legal, tax, accounting, funding, employment, and operational issues simultaneously, so maintaining focus on the client’s objectives is essential.” 

BRINGING CLARITY TO COMPLEXITY  

“A common misconception about corporate lawyers is that they complicate deals or create unnecessary obstacles. In reality, good legal advice should bring order and clarity to a transaction. The objective is not to create problems but to identify risks, explain them clearly, and help clients find practical solutions that allow them to move forward confidently. The same applies to day-to-day legal support, where proactive advice can often prevent issues from becoming larger problems in the future.” 

THE FUTURE OF LEGAL SERVICES 

“Looking ahead, I am particularly interested in how technology can continue to improve the delivery of legal services. Advances in project management tools, due diligence technology, knowledge management systems, and AI-supported review processes have the potential to improve efficiency while allowing advisers to focus more of their time on strategy, negotiation, risk assessment, and client support. Ultimately, technology should enhance the client experience while preserving the professional judgement that remains at the heart of effective legal advice.”