Jon Lawley

Senior Partner

Corporate Healthcare Team

About

Jon Lawley is a highly experienced corporate healthcare lawyer. His practice is built on long-standing relationships, and he manages the relationship with many of Acuity’s most significant clients. His combination of expertise and experience makes him an invaluable asset, consistently delivering outstanding results.

He has  a strong presence in the dental sector and heads up the largest dedicated dental M&A team of any law firm in the UK. He advises other healthcare providers including GPs, pharmacists and vets, on their businesses. Jon brings significant value to healthcare groups and their funders, with his experience enabling him to advise on group and deal structures and growth strategies.

In addition to his work with corporate providers, Jon has also advised on several multi-million-pound practice disposals to corporate acquirers. Thanks to the high-profile nature of the work, Jon and his team have become the ‘go-to’ legal team for dental M&A in the UK.

He is a member of the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers, the pre-eminent centre of excellence for accounting, tax and legal matters for dentists. He is also recognised by The Legal 500 as a Leading Partner.

Through his extensive work in the sector, Jon has built strong relationships with healthcare accountants, legal advisers, agents, and other key referrers, enabling him to provide targeted and effective solutions for his clients.

Work highlights

Jon is the lead adviser to PortmanDentex, one of the largest privately focused dental groups in the UK, and has advised it on the purchase of over 150 practices,

Acting for Envisage Dental, a UK-based, patient-centred dental group, on its acquisition strategy.

Advising DeNovo Dental Partners on its journey from incorporation to acquisition, including DeNovo’s purchase of six dental practices in February 2025. In this time Jon advised DeNovo on its unique shared ownership model for dental practices which allows principals to sell their practice while remaining as minority shareholders.

Advising on large group acquisitions and disposals, including the purchase of a 12 practice dental group and the sale of an 11 practice dental group by a large corporate provider.

“
As a longstanding adviser to MYPINPAD since its incorporation in 2012, Jon is our lead adviser and has guided us through a number of multi-million pound funding rounds and strategic international transactions. He understands our business and is always present, focused, and responsive with a pragmatic, commercial and risk-based approach to negotiations. From its base in Cardiff, MYPINPAD is now a global leader in secure payments and Jon’s advice has played a key role in our development.
“
We have been delighted with the support provided to us by… Jon and the rest of the Acuity team over the years, with their commercial insight and ability to get deals done quickly proving invaluable to the ongoing success of our acquisition programme. We consider Acuity to be an extended part of our team and find the Acuity Counsel service to be an effective tool by which our day-to-day legal needs can be met quicky and effectively.
“
Jon Lawley has become a very trusted adviser to our firm. Jon knows what our business needs are and is always willing to advise and support on a wide range of issues. This collegiate approach is refreshing and helps us move quickly through challenging issues.
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Jon’s ability to bring clarity to the legal procedure of establishing the ownership trust and transferring control of the business to it was a critical factor. Jon has played a key part in a process that has fundamentally shaped the future of the company for many years to come.
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Thank you very much for your support, advice and guidance through the process. To say we could not have done it without you is just stating the blindingly obvious. But more than all that, I was grateful for HOW you worked. It is really a pleasure to work with people who retain their senses of both perspective and humour – an unusual combination.

Expertise

  • Corporate deals and transactions
  • Dental business structures (including partnerships, expense sharing arrangements and incorporations)
  • Commercial contracts
  • Banking and finance structures
Corporate Healthcare practice area

Accolades

  • Jon is listed as Leading Partner by The Legal 500 for their Corporate work
  • The Corporate & Commercial Team is ranked Tier 1 in the Legal 500
  • The Corporate / M&A Team is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners