Freeths has appointed corporate director Joe Lythgoe to support the expansion of its national and international M&A practice. With more than a decade of experience in both private practice and in-house roles, he will play a key part in the firm’s international M&A and private equity team while advising founders and management teams on their transactional activity.
Lythgoe, recognised as a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 (2026 edition), has a strong focus on the creative industries, including marketing services, PR and television. He has acted on several high-profile deals and private equity investments in these sectors, adding further depth to Freeths’ growing mid-market capability.
Corporate partner and head of international Emily Settle said Lythgoe’s arrival ‘marks another step in the continued growth of our exceptional M&A team,’ adding that his sector insight will ‘bring fresh perspective for Freeths’ market reach’. She noted the firm’s commitment to building a team that ‘challenges convention and drives growth’.
Lythgoe said he was ‘really pleased to have joined the successful and talented corporate team at Freeths,’ praising the firm’s values, people and reputation in mid-market M&A. He added that he was ‘super excited’ to join its ‘entrepreneurial and rapidly growing’ practice, saying Freeths ‘has a real buzz about it’.
