George Marques
Partner
Commercial
E: george.marques@kingsley-wood.com
George is a Canadian Barrister and qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales in 2005. George began his career as software systems engineer at IBM and product manager at Motorola’s datacoms division, after which he trained as a lawyer and joined Nortel Networks’ Intellectual Property and Technology Law Department.
George is fluent in various languages (Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese, French).
George’s current practice broadly includes company, commercial and intellectual property law, with an emphasis on corporate transactions including M&A, VC and equity fundraising, debt finance (revolving credit facilities involving fixed/floating charges, debentures, and guarantees) and structured trade finance (securitising receivables and other financial assets).
about
George has extensive experience in intellectual property law including registering patents, trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs in various jurisdictions and exploiting, licensing and assigning IP rights as part of broader transactions or strategic corporate initiatives.
George has previously advised clients on UK merger control, public interest and NSI interventions, as well as FCA authorisations in connection with electronic algorithmic securities trading platforms in UK regulated markets. Established businesses see his board and operations experience as an asset in devising corporate policies and streamline processes, identifying, and reducing legal risks, negotiating critical, high-value commercial arrangements, and resolving boardroom and stakeholder disputes.
Recent Matters
my work
● Regularly advise scaleups on equity Angel/VC fundraising and EIS/SEIS advance assurance/compliance.
● Led £54M sale of Canadian veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturer to PE backed buyer. ● Orchestrated acquisition of a UK education/apprenticeship training provider on behalf of UK SME.
● Completed sale of UK-based executive recruitment company to French/EU buyer.
● Managed sale of UK-based cycling association to national UK retail group.
● Navigated FCA authorisation of a US proprietary derivatives trading firm in the UK.
● Led and completed establishment of an international M&A advisory firm in the UK.
● Regularly advise on employee incentive schemes including phantom share-option/SAR plans
Interest
about me
George is a founding member of the RespirarMelhor.org, a Portuguese NGO dedicated to transitioning away from agricultural burning practices known as “queimadas” and facilitating more sustainable and climate friendly practices across the northern (Minho) region of Portugal. In his spare time, George is a culture & travel enthusiast, amateur linguist, and would-be curator of fine art/cinema.
Awards & Experience
my expertise
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) – University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Systems Design Engineering – University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario
Spanish as a Foreign Language Certificate (B2 Level) – Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) / Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona
Catalan Language Certificate (B1 Level) – Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística / Coordinadora d’Associacions per la Llengua Catalana, Barcelona
French Language Certificate (B1 Level) – Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI), Barcelona, Spain / Français Langue Étrangère (FLE), Paris
AWARDS:
● Winner of Osler, Hoskin, Harcourt Award, For best paper in corporate/commercial law
● Selected for Case Western Reserve Law School (Cleveland, OH) International Law
Programme
