About Me

I head up our London Corporate team and am co-head of our International Corporate Group. I am also a member of our London Management Team.

I specialise in public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, venture capital and equity capital markets work. I support clients in a number of different sectors, particularly those that are being changed or disrupted by technology. With over 20 years' experience working in the energy industry, my primary focus is on energy and utilities transactions, both renewable energy as well as traditional oil and gas, electricity and mining.

I also have strong and longstanding experience in the tech and comms sector, another sector experiencing significant disruption. And in sports law, having acted for a number of sporting bodies and associations, as well as sports investors and teams. Having done a law and language degree, I've always loved my work to be international. I work with clients all over the world, and have spent a number of years in Hong Kong practicing English and Hong Kong corporate law.

You'll find me ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 legal directories, in the fields of both Corporate and Energy.
Experience
  • Pioneer Point Partners: advising on the acquisition of UK energy platform, Brockwell Energy Limited which owns a range of energy-from-waste and onshore wind projects.
  • Bluefield Partners: advising Bluefield on their acquisition of various solar farms in the UK between 2011 and 2017.
  • PSH Holdings Limited: advising on the merger of the solar operation and maintenance businesses of each of Push Build, Push Energy and PS Renewables.
  • Abbey Renewables: advising on its disposal of 14 wind farms across England and Scotland.
Education

Studied

  • University of Surrey and Université Jean Moulin III, Lyon, BSc, Law and French, Double First

Admissions

  • Law Society of England & Wales in 1998
  • Law Society of Hong Kong in 2003
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Testimonials

The 'highly pragmatic' Matthew Bonass focuses his practice on transactions in the energy and natural resources space, alongside his strength in sports-related matters.

Chambers UK 2018

'Clients appreciate that he is very calm and very experienced' and 'they have a lot of confidence in him'.

Chambers UK 2018

The 'very switched-on' Matthew Bonass is able to 'cut through the fluff to deal with the matter'.

Chambers UK 2017

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Bird & Bird advises Goldbeck Solar Ltd on the sale of Sandridge solar farm to Foresight Solar Fund Ltd for £56m

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