Commenting on the deal, Alan McDermott said: “This is an exciting new chapter for Wushu. Joining Keywords allows us to maintain our creative independence while gaining access to a wealth of resources and expertise. It allows us to further enhance the services we offer our long-term clients with an extensive resource network and broad skillsets. Keywords shares our ambitions for continued growth, and their investment in Wushu will help us continue to remain faithful to our people-first approach to development. We look forward to collaborating with the broader Keywords network and taking on ever more ambitious projects in the future.”
Alan McDermott and the management team will remain with the business post-sale as they look to continue Wushu’s growth.
On working with us, Alan McDermott commented: “Harbottle’s team was exceptional throughout, guiding us with expertise and ensuring every step of the process was smooth. Their unwavering support and dedication made us feel like we were always their top priority.”
Our team was led by Tom Macleod (partner), Charlie Leveque (partner) and Katerina Capras (senior associate), with support from Elizabeth Compton (associate) and Anna Traherne (trainee). David Scott (partner) advised on corporate tax matters and Sarah Verrecchia (managing associate) advised on employment matters.
Outside of his management roles, Charlie advises on a wide range of corporate transactions from private and public mergers and acquisitions to investments, joint ventures, fundraisings and shareholder arrangements involving private equity, venture capital, family office and strategic parties. He has advised on a number of IPOs on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
His clients comprise investors, funds and companies of all sizes, from startups to international corporations in a wide range of industries; he is particularly experienced in advising clients in the technology, media, entertainment, retail and leisure sectors. He is also passionate about advising entrepreneurs, accompanying them from the inception of their ideas to exit.
Charlie is a member of the British Screen Advisory Council and the EIS Association.
Tom advises founders, growing entrepreneurial businesses, venture capital funds and angel investors on a broad range of corporate matters including acquisitions and disposals, exits, all forms of financing rounds (S/EIS, venture capital, venture debt, VCT, growth capital), joint ventures, corporate restructurings and share incentivisation schemes.
He is seen as a rising star in the industry and is known for combining excellent technical skills alongside a pragmatic, commercial approach. Tom has a particular focus on advising high-growth technology companies and is equally adept advising on early stage investments or later stage transactions for both investors and investees alike. Tom is also part of the firm’s international strategy group, with a particular focus on the USA.
Tom trained at CMS, before joining the corporate practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a newly qualified solicitor. He joined Harbottle & Lewis in February 2017.
She has experience in advising on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder arrangements, early-stage fundraisings, share incentive schemes and joint ventures, with particular expertise in the media, entertainment and technology sectors and the wider creative industries.
She also has a particular interest in working with charities, social enterprises and philanthropic individuals and organisations and has extensive experience advising on charity formation, governance, regulatory compliance and corporate transactions involving charities and not-for-profit entities.
Katerina is recognised as a "Leading Associate" for M&A in The Legal 500 2025 as well as a "Key Lawyer" (The Legal 500 2025) and "Associate to Watch" (Chambers UK 2025) for her charities and not-for-profit work. She has been described as having “fierce attention to detail and vast knowledge, combined with a good dose of pragmatism.”
She is a member of the Charity Law Association.
He has a wealth of experience providing corporate and personal tax advice to the full range of the firm’s clients and his core practice involves tax advice for entrepreneurs and their businesses. David has considerable experience advising on the tax aspects of M&A transactions and expertise in all aspects of share incentive arrangements.
David works closely with businesses at varied stages of growth and size, advising both investors and investee companies on tax efficient fundraising, including EIS and SEIS, through to an exit.
He also advises on a range of employment tax issues, including share based incentives and option schemes ranging from the implementation of EMI and CSOP share schemes to highly tailored share-based arrangements for senior management such as growth shares. He also advises on the use of employee benefit trusts (EBT) and employee ownership trusts (EOT).
As the head of the charities and philanthropy group, he advises not-for-profit organisations and individual philanthropists on all charity law issues, including commercial arrangements and corporate governance issues, as well on specific charity tax issues.
David is member of the International Tax Specialist Group (ITSG).