TOWER 42, OLD BROAD STREET, LONDON, EC2N 1HQ, ENGLAND
- Tel:
- Work 020 7786 9000
- Fax:
- Fax 020 7588 4180
- Web:
- www.debevoise.com
- Email:
James A Kiernan
- Tel:
- Work +44 20 7786 9044
- Email:
Work Department
European M&A practice group/private equity group.
Position
As chair of Debevoise’s European private equity and mergers and acquisitions groups, James Kiernan has played a key role in building the firm’s pre-eminent international private equity group. He has advised on some of Europe’s largest transactions, including the the Rockefeller Group’s acquisition of a majority interest in Europa Capital, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice’ s £1.4bn sale of Brakes to Bain Capital, and the €3.7bn acquisition of Rexel by the consortium of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Eurazeo and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity.
Career
Qualified New York 1972; Paris 1984; joined Debevoise & Plimpton LLP 1971; partner 1980; Paris office 1975- 77; head of Paris office 1984; managing partner London and Paris office 2000; currently managing partner of European offices; chair of European M&A and of European private equity M&A practice groups. Recent representations include: Rockefeller Group International in its acquisition of a majority interest in the European real estate fund management group Europa Capital; Clayton Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of British Car Auctions, Europe’s leading vehicle auctions and remarketing company; Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its £417m acquisition of Bodycote Testing Group, (now Exova); Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the £1.4bn sale of Brakes, a leading foodservice distributor in the UK and France, to Bain Capital; Brakes in its £275m capital restructuring; Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Eurazeo & Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity on the €3.7bn acquisition of Rexel. He is co-editor of ‘The Debevoise & Plimpton European Private Equity Handbook’, and has written numerous articles on the corporate and tax aspects of acquisitions and financings in the US and Europe.
Languages
French.
Member
New York and Paris Bars; Association of the Bar of the City of New York; American Bar Association; International Bar Association; The American College of Investment Counsel.
Education
Harvard University (1966 BA magna cum laude); Harvard Law School (1971 JD cum laude); John F Kennedy School of Government (1970 MPA); Fulbright Scholar in Brazil 1996-97.
