Jason Varney

Jason is a Corporate / M&A lawyer who specialises in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance and other corporate advisory and transactional work. He acts for a full range of corporate clients; from owner-managed businesses to large private companies. He also acts for angel, venture capital & private equity investors.

Jason is the head of the firm’s Technology Sector Group.

Before joining Thomson Snell & Passmore in July 2020, Jason spent five years at the magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and just over five years at the mid-city London firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.

During his career Jason has been seconded to:

Hong Kong, SAR
Ebury Partners (a London-headquartered FinTech company)
Barclays bank M&A team
HSBC Bank (in London, Vancouver and New York).

Jason won Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the Insider Dealmakers Awards 2025.

He supports a range of clients including private limited companies, owner managers, entrepreneurs/investors, AIM listed companies and UK subsidiaries of international businesses.
M&A - mergers, acquisitions & disposals
Private equity, venture capital & angel investments
Exit & succession planning
Cross border transactions
Joint venture & shareholder agreements
Group reorganisations & demergers
Corporate advisory & governance
Employee ownership trusts.

Advising the shareholders of JR Pet Products on its sale to the PE-backed AlphaPet Ventures. JR was founded in 2012 and is the UK’s leading premium dog treat brand

Advising the Nurture Group on its 50th and largest acquisition to date on its purchase of the Tivoli Group. Tivoli was the fourth largest player in the grounds maintenance and landscaping sector with an annual turnover in excess of £70m. The deal marks the emergence of Britain’s largest integrated landscape and grounds maintenance business

Advising Sysco GB on its acquisition of specialist meat supplier Campbell’s Prime Meats. Sysco GB is the leading foodservice provider in the UK and has been part of the Sysco Corporation, the global foodservice distribution company, since 2016.

Achievements & other appointments

Jason was shortlisted for the Corporate Lawyer of the Year Award at the Insider Media South East Dealmakers Awards 2023. Jason was also part of the team that won Corporate Law Firm of the Year 2022.

In 2017 Jason was nominated as a “stand-out lawyer” by an independently surveyed client, and he now features in the Acritas Stars database.

Jason was the Corporate Lawyer of the Year Award at the South East Dealmaker Awards 2025.

Education

Jason received a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from the University of Birmingham in 2008, before then undertaking the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School, Holborn (London). Whilst at University, Jason was awarded the Smalley-Baker Jurisprudence Prize (2007) and was elected ICSA Law Society Chair (The Holdsworth Club) (2007-2008).

Jason trained and then qualified at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 2012; and later joined the Partnership at Thomson Snell & Passmore in 2020.

Partner, Corporate & Commercial

Specialisms & expertise

Examples of work