Addleshaw Goddard's 'incredibly commercial' private equity team offers clients broad expertise across a range of sectors and transaction types. The practice is capable of providing a full service on transactions, with the London-based PE team acting alongside the firm's offices in Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh to handle the tax and financing aspects of deals. Mike Hinchliffe and Yunus Seedat jointly lead the team; both have decades of experience in this area and work closely with a range of buyout houses.
Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m) in London
Addleshaw Goddard
Practice head(s):
Mike Hinchliffe; Yunus Seedat
Other key lawyers:
Marc Field; Nathan Pearce; Graham Cross; Gemma Phillips
Testimonials
‘Incredibly commercial, smart, very personable and pragmatic in working through solutions. I’ve met multiple members of the team and all have a consistency of being decent human beings.’
‘Marc Field is smart, commercial, and driven. You don’t need a corporate finance adviser with Marc as your lawyer; he can play both roles. Honest and very diligent in his work, we haven’t had mistakes under Marc’s care as we have had with many other law firms.’
‘Responsive and hard-working.’
Key clients
Accel KKR
CBPE
ECI Partners
Equistone
H2 Equity Partners
Inflexion
LDC
Livingbridge
Phoenix Equity Partners
Synova Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Citation Group on its sale to KKR.
- Advised Inflexion on sale of its stake in Lane Clark Peacock.
- Acted for H2 in its MBO of Dales Engineering.
Ashurst
Ashurst ‘s ‘accessible, highly responsive and proactive’ team is active in transactions across the mid-market space, acting for UK and US-based private equity houses on both buy-side and sell-side transactions. The team’s expertise covers a wide range of sectors, including defence, financial services, energy, and media. The London private equity team frequently collaborates with other practices, such as tax, employment, and regulatory law, as well as with offices around Europe to provide comprehensive advice on cross-border transactions. David Carter leads the practice, with Bruce Hanton and Braeden Donnelly other key contacts. New additions to the team include Markjan van Schaardenburgh who joined from Linklaters LLP.
Practice head(s):
David Carter
Other key lawyers:
Braeden Donnelly; Bruce Hanton; Markjan van Schaardenburgh; Jacob Gold
Testimonials
‘The Ashurst team brings to due diligence and negotiations a good commercial understanding. The team’s work is thorough and rigorous, but is always informed by a sense of proportion.’
‘Excellent advice. Accessible, highly responsive and proactive. Commercial and strategic. We’ve worked primarily with Dave Carter’s team on a wide range of PE and corporate matters. ‘
‘Dave Carter makes the effort to know his clients well. He understands their strengths and weaknesses and is not afraid to step in when necessary. He is committed to the success not only of their individual investments but also of tbeir firm as a whole.’
‘Dave Carter is a superstar. ‘
Key clients
Agilitas
Framestore
Marco Capital Holdings Limited Management (Marco)
Aurora Energy Research
JPI Media Group
Zander Topco Limited
JC Flowers & Co LLC
QinetiQ Group
HM Treasury
Rothschild & Co
Merrill Lynch
Goldman Sachs
Work highlights
- Advised Agilitas on its agreement to back the buyout of TenCate Advanced Armour Holding B.V and its subsidiaries (together ‘TenCate Advance Armour’)
- Advised the shareholders of Aurora Energy Research Limited (Aurora), a leading provider of critical data and analytics to the power and energy industry, on CGE Partners’ (CGE) investment in Aurora
- Advised Framestore on the acquisition of Company 3 / Method Inc., a US-based post production company, and its new partnership with Aleph Capital Partners LLP and Crestview Partners
DLA Piper
DLA Piper is highly active in the mid-market private equity space, handling buyouts, exits and investments for PE houses and management teams. The practice handles a significant volume of cross-border transactions, with its team significantly boosted by the September 2020 addition of Piero Carbone from McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP. Tim Wright leads the practice and is praised by clients as ‘commercial, pragmatic and very experienced’; frequently acting for the firm’s well-known roster of buyout clients. Ed Griffiths specialises in the technology sector, while John Pryor acts for both buy-side clients and management teams.
Practice head(s):
Tim Wright
Other key lawyers:
Ed Griffiths; John Pryor; Philip Allenby; David Raff; James Kerrigan; Philip Allenby
Testimonials
‘The depth of expertise within the team is pretty much unrivalled . Clearly rising up amongst their most serious of competitors, and rightly so.’
‘Extremely experienced in commercial law and PE-backed M & A.’
‘Deep expertise, experience and resources in the sector linked with an engaging and rapid service.’
‘Tim Wright – excellent. Commercial, pragmatic and very experienced. Clearly one of the best; an excellent negotiator. Philip Allenby – up and coming. Technically excellent; clear, precise, always calm – even in the most tense of situations.’
‘Ed Griffiths is very committed and switched on and gives informed advice.’
‘David Raff is a corporate lawyer who is outstanding in negotiating and focussing on getting deals done. He’s a titanium fist in a velvet glove.’
Key clients
Beech Tree Private Equity
Bregal Milestone
Duke Street Capital
EMK Capital
Carlyle
H.I.G. European Capital Partners
Inflexion Private Equity Partners
Lloyds Development Capital
Ascot Lloyd management
Intermediate Capital Group
AcolinHolding AG management team
EQT Ventures
Work highlights
- Advised CBPE, Hudson Structured Capital and management sellers on the sale of Compre, a legacy specialist insurer and reinsurer,and subsequent reinvestment by management alongside acquiring investors,Cinven and BCI.
- Acting for the management team on sale of AVMI.
- Advised the shareholders on their sale of the entire issued share capital of Pangaea to a newly incorporated entity controlled by Inflexion Private Equity.
Macfarlanes LLP
In addition to handling acquisitions, exits, and investments in the private equity space, Macfarlanes LLP advises clients on matters including equity incentive plans related to transactions, private investments in public equity, and carve-outs. The team is active across the mid-cap and high-value space, working on both domestic UK transactions and international deals. Alex Edmondson leads the team and primarily advises on sponsor-led buyouts. Stephen Drewitt formerly served as head of PE and continues to be a key contact in the practice. Jessica Adam is also recommended, counting both PE houses and management teams among her client base.
Practice head(s):
Alex Edmondson
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Drewitt; Jessica Adam
Testimonials
‘A vastly experienced and knowledgeable PE transactional team, ably supported by Macfarlanes’ tax and private funds practices. Transactional expertise is bolstered by a deep understanding of corporate governance matters. The team is smart, responsive and sensitive to client needs.’
‘Stephen Pike is excellent. Stephen is always available, communicates complex points in a straightforward style and knows our key concerns well. Stephen has a great command of the details but is also capable of taking the 1,000 foot view and identifying what’s truly important.’
Key clients
Aberdeen Standard Investments
Alchemy Private Equity
August Equity
Caledonia
Charme Capital
Epiris
Exponent
GHO Capital
Graphite Capital
Hayfin
JC Flowers
Keyhaven Group
OpCapita
Origin Equity Group
Silverfleet Group
Waterland Private Equity
Pinsent Masons LLP
Pinsent Masons LLP's' always reliable' broad private equity practice handles the full spectrum of deals, from take-privates to secondary transactions. The team acts for clients across a varied range of sectors, including technology, retail, healthcare, and energy. Edward Stead leads the London team, which is supported on multi-jurisdictional transactions by the firm's offices around the world, as well as working closely with other offices in the UK. Andrew Masraf has a specialism in management buy-outs, while Tom Leman specialises in the consumer and retail sectors. Senior associate Ben Elliott is also praised by clients.
Practice head(s):
Edward Stead
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Masraf; Tom Leman; Ben Elliott; Joanne Ellis; Amie Norris; Kieran Toal;
Testimonials
‘The Pinsent team are fantastic across the board. They are collaborative, anticipate issues before they arise and only bother clients when they have to. They are a very high quality team.’
‘Ed Stead is fantastic at managing the whole process and negotiating on our behalf. Ben Elliott is brilliant – he owns the whole project, bringing in subject matter experts when required.’
‘Always reliable, efficient, professional, accurate and great communication.’
Key clients
Huntsworth plc
M Group Services
BIMM Limited
Big Hand
Livingbridge
MML Partners
Sovereign Capital Partners
Exclaimer
Altius
Zenobe Energy Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Agilitas, a pan-European mid-market private equity firm, alongside twenty-five management shareholders, on the sale of the Exemplar Health Care group of companies to a fund managed by the private equity group of Ares Management Corporation.
- Acted on the MBO of legal technology solutions provider Big Hand. Private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP), backed the acquisition of Big Hand from Bridgepoint Development Capital and LDC.
- Advised on the management buy out (MBO) of Exclaimer, which provides email signature management solutions. Private equity firm Insight Partners backed the acquisition of Exclaimer from its management team and existing investor Livingbridge.
Travers Smith LLP
Travers Smith LLP acts for high-profile private equity clients including Carlyle Group, Bridgepoint, and TA Associates on both high-value and mid-cap transactions. The practice, which clients praise for being 'joined up, thoughtful and focusing on what's important', is highly active in the technology sector, and also stands out for its work on GP-led secondary transactions. Practice head Paul Dolman departed the firm in early 2021 to join Latham & Watkins with the team now led by Ian Shawyer. Other key contacts in the team include James Renahan, who acts for both PE houses and management teams, Lucie Cawood, and Adam Orr.
Practice head(s):
Ian Shawyer
Other key lawyers:
James Renahan; Lucie Cawood; Adam Orr; Ian Keefe; Will Yates; Emma Havas Genna Marten; George Weavil
Testimonials
‘The Travers team are unique in their amiable, commercial approach to deals. They have real depth and a consistent culture from trainee to Partner. They are very good at working with non-legal business leaders, and this makes them well placed to work with founders and management teams to explain the transaction process in a way that makes sense and allows deals to happen quickly and without cutting corners.’
‘Ian Keefe and Lucie Cawood were a highly efficient double act, allowing them to scale and cover a lot of ground quickly and in an agile manner. They are particularly strong communicators, they don’t get emotional about points and focused on the overall goal of agreeing a deal that worked for us and the other side. They genuinely felt like advisers, not processors, which is critical for us.’
‘Highly personable. Highly commercial. Numerate. High standards of technical lawyering. Very good value for money. Relationship-driven.’
‘What I like about the Travers team is that they are joined up, thoughtful and focus on what’s important. More than that, when you work with them their attention to you is so high that you wonder if you are their only client. Obviously you aren’t but it’s great to feel you have 100% of someone’s attention – particularly a team of such calibre.’
‘Ian Shawyer and Adam Orr have been fantastic to work with, embodying all the points noted above. Ian feels like a natural leader of the business and has incorporated diversity in the way he runs it. Adam is accessible, professional, commercial in the way he brings his own skills, and those of his team, in to play.’
‘The team is smart, commercial, fair and enjoyable to work with. They aren’t seeking to point-score and are pragmatic when thinking about how the other side will engage in negotiation.’
Key clients
3i Group
August Equity
Arlington Capital Partners
Benson Elliot Capital Management LLP
Bridgepoint
CGE Partners
CBPE Partners
Equistone Partners Europe
Exponent
Graphite Capital
Horizon Capital
ICG
IK Investment Partners
Inflexion
Kester Capital
Livingbridge
Medicxi
Marlin Equity Partners
Nets
Phoenix Equity Partners
Silverfleet Capital
TA Associates
The Access Group
The Carlyle Group
Work highlights
- Advised Inflexion on its partnership investment in Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS), a leading independent unified communications and cloud platform provider, currently a division of Daisy Group.
- Advised the partners of Benson Elliot, a leading UK-based private equity real estate fund manager and longstanding client of the firm, on the sale of Benson Elliot to PineBridge Investments Holdings Europe Limited (PineBridge), a private global asset manager.
- Advised longstanding client Livingbridge and the management shareholders on the sale of a majority stake in Exclaimer.
Akin Gump LLP
Akin Gump LLP‘s private equity team has been building its reputation in London following a series of hires over recent years. It acts on a large volume of matters, including acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and disposals and has a particularly strong presence in emerging markets, with recent deals involving companies in Nigeria, South Africa, and Colombia as well as in Russia. Shaun Lascelles focuses on emerging markets, and has considerable experience acting in the energy space. Simon Rootsey advises on a range of cross-border mandates, while Weyinmi Popo is noted for his work in the African market. The practice is led by Sebastian Rice, who also leads the firm’s Hong Kong practice.
Practice head(s):
Sebastian Rice
Other key lawyers:
Shaun Lascelles; Simon Rootsey; Weyinmi Popo
Testimonials
‘Fantastic – truly collaborative.’
‘Extremely commercial and extraordinarily responsive. Akin Gump sources highly experienced solicitors from its network of associated legal firms in order to create M&A teams with complete and all-round expertise and support. This creates the certainty of top tier, sound legal support.’
‘Exceptional legal support, robust client service and business/ problem-solving approach.’
‘Akin is a terrific advisor. They provide excellent counsel for cross-border deals. Given the shifting sands of energy transition, their expertise across the energy value chain will be a blessing for their clients.’
‘Level of client coverage is excellent – there is clear collaboration amongst the partners. Ability to cover multiple topics for one firm and to tie them all together. Legal brilliance but with a commercial mind.’
‘Akin Gump’s team acts as our trusted partner on every transaction we contemplate. They have the depth of talent and resources to cover all aspects of an acquisition – they are responsive, understand the commercial imperatives and go beyond the interpretation of the law to provide options and solutions to solve issues faced during the structuring or negotiation.’
Key clients
Coller Capital
Vitol S.A.
Africa Capital Works
MBU Capital
Emerging Capital Partners
Helios Investment Partners
Cairn Capital Group
Mail.ru Group Limited
Mediobanca S.pA.
Carlyle Group
UFG Private Equity
Landsdowne Partners
Work highlights
- Acting for Helios Investment Partners, the largest Africa-focused private investment firm, in connection with its investment in Helios Towers, both on its partial exit and ongoing corporate matters.
- Advising Coller Capital in a a GP-led secondary transaction for the remaining assets of Permira IV.
CMS
CMS acts for buyout houses across the full lifecycle of private equity transactions, from initial acquisitions and investments through to eventual exits. The practice is also active in advising on portfolio company M&A and the establishment of buy and build platforms. The team handles transactions across a range of sectors, including education, real estate, and regulated sectors such as financial services. Practice head Jason Zemmel specialises in healthcare, acting for both sponsors and management teams.
Practice head(s):
Jason Zemmel
Other key lawyers:
Peter Lewis; Dipesh Santilale; Narinder Jugpal; Tom Jameson;
Testimonials
‘Excellent at communication, pragmatic and commercial with advice. Always responsive and reassuring.’
‘An excellent team – commercial, pragmatic yet risk-focused at the same time. Streamlined across multiple offices. Solutions-oriented. Very smooth execution of a complex transaction involving multiple personalities and issues, well navigated throughout.’
‘They have depth of market knowledge and transaction experience. Project management skills and visibility of senior members of the team exemplary.’
‘Narinder Jugpal is exemplary as a commercial lawyer.’
‘Dipesh Santilale is an extremely capable practitioner – speaks to issues and is always on the pulse in terms of how to work around issues and how to get the messaging right in relation to the same. Very articulate and able to explain in practical, simple terms the impact of complex legal problems. A very good manager of his team – did a fantastic job of managing input across both the London and Prague offices on this transaction.’
‘A highly commercial, pragmatic and responsive team offering a high quality product and very user friendly service.’
‘Jason Zemmel is excellent. Very responsive, commercial and pragmatic whilst also ensuring high quality technical advice underpins the product.’
Key clients
AnaCap Financial Partners
August Equity
Turn/River
Bowmark Capital
Phoenix Equity Partners
Madison Dearborn Partners
Atlas Merchant Capital
Limerston Capital
Horizon Capital
Synova Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Bowmark Capital and other shareholders of Oxford International Education Group on the sale of the company’s schools division to Nord Anglia Education and the sale of its university partnerships, online learning and languages business to a management buy-out, backed by THI Investments.
- Advised AnaCap Financial Partners on its sale of Equa bank to Raiffeisen Bank International AG.
- Advised Phoenix Equity Partners on the buy-out of Spy Alarms, a leading provider of electronic security and fire services.
Dentons
Dentons stands out for its extensive global presence, which allows it to advise private equity clients on transactions involving large numbers of jurisdictions, often with lawyers on the ground. The team also advises across a broad range of industry sectors, including real estate, technology, consumer goods, and manufacturing. Stephen Levy leads the team from London, advising PE houses, management teams and portfolio companies on transactions. Nicholas Plant is another key contact, with experience of handling complex international transactions.
Practice head(s):
Brian Moore; Stephen Levy
Other key lawyers:
Nicholas Plant; James Davison; Joseph Altendorff;
Testimonials
‘The team have a can-do attitude and are very entrepreneurial. They work with clients to overcome inevitable roadblocks in a commercial and mutually beneficial way, reducing transaction friction.’
‘The team is very responsive and has a “can-do” attitude. They were able to jump on a matter very quickly when another firm got tied up with internal process requirements.’
‘Pragmatic and hard working. Very responsive. Did a great job of coordinating counsel from various jurisdictions.’
Key clients
Allied Cigar Corporation and Gemstone Investment Holding
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co Partners LLP (KKR)
CK Holdings Co., Ltd, the KKR owned holding company of Calsonic Kansei
KPS Capital Partners
Scottish Equity Partners
Centerbridge
Blackstone
Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners
Martin Moller (billionaire founder of Nordic Aviation Capital)
Graphite Capital
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Astorg Mid-Cap
Work highlights
- Advised the private equity purchasers, Allied Cigar Corporation and Gemstone Investment Holding, on the acquisition of Imperial Brands PLC’s premium hand-rolled cigar business for £1.1 billion. The acquisition included the brands Cohiba, Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta. The business has operations in 150 countries.
- Advised global investment firm KKR on its acquisition of Citation, a leading provider of subscription-based HR and Employment law, Health & Safety, and ISO services to SMEs, from Hg, a leading European investor in software and tech-enabled services businesses. Dentons provided due diligence, warranties and disclosure advice.
- Advised global private equity firm KPS Capital Partners on its acquisition of the Lufkin rod lift solutions business from Baker Hughes.
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's private equity team is able to offer clients the benefit of its extensive international presence, including its network of offices across the US. The practice has close relationships with buyout houses such as Livingbridge, acting for sponsors and their portfolio companies across the PE transactional space. London-based James Trevis leads the global private equity team, with global head of corporate Richard Moulton also a key figure in the London office. Mark Beardmore in Birmingham is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
James Trevis
Other key lawyers:
Richard Moulton; Mark Beardmore; Robin Skelton; Catherine Eley; Louise Finnie; Richard Kyle
Testimonials
‘Being commercial is an easy description that all lawyers like to label themselves as but the Eversheds team really do stand out. Consistently knowledgeable about the details of the transactions they are acting on, they bring a calmness and flexibilty in their approach to challenging issues.’
‘Strong leadership from partner-level down; team are highly commercial; they work highly effectively across borders and move seamlessly from corporate into specialisms that the situation requires.’
‘They are highly personable and make dealing with challenging situations and counterparties more manageable and far less stressful! They have an ability to simplify complex situations and distill it to key issues to focus on.’
‘James Trevis has led the relationship throughout our many years of working together; he always delivers a team to meet our requirements; he shows outstanding client service; he is pragmatic and commercial when it comes to fee discussions; he brings strong senior associates to support the service delivery.’
Key clients
Intermediate Capital Group
Silverfleet Capital
Vitruvian Partners
Perwyn LLP
Inflexion Private Equity Partners
Equistone Partners Europe Limited
Primary Capital
CBPE Capital Partners
Sovereign Capital
Livingbridge
LDC
H2 Equity Partners
Graphite Capital
Baird Capital Partners Europe
Bridgepoint Development Capital
Bridges Fund Management
Aurelius
Phoenix Private Equity
Elysian
NorthEdge
Bregal
EMK
Limerston Capital
Newlands Capital
Arcline Capital Partners
Elaghmore
Synova Capital
Work highlights
- Advised founder Matthew Riley and the management team of the Daisy Group in relation to the terms of their reinvestment in Digital Wholesale Solutions, an independent IT, communications and cloud wholesale platform, which is currently part of the Daisy Group and their on-going relationship with Inflexion Private Equity, who made a significant minority investment in DWS.
- Acted for the Waterlogic management team on the sale of a significant minority stake in Waterlogic by Funds managed by CastikCapital Partners GmbH and the Waterlogic management team to British Columbia Investment Management Corp (BCI).
- Acted for CBPE and management on the sale of Spamedica to Nordic Capital.
Goodwin
Goodwin‘s City private equity team is reaping the benefits of significant expansion in recent years. The firm added a team from Sidley Austin LLP led by Christian Iwasko and Erik Dahl in September 2020, having already recruited James Grimwood, who previously led the private equity team at CMS, earlier on that year. It has extensive experience acting for buyout houses, porfolio companies and family offices in acquisitions and investments, as well as regularly advising management teams. The team is led by Richard Lever, with Gemma Roberts another key partner name to note.
Practice head(s):
Richard Lever
Other key lawyers:
James Grimwood; Erik Dahl; Christian Iwasko; Gemma Roberts; Sava Savov; Carl Bradshaw; Michael Miranda; Michelle Tong; John Van de North
Testimonials
‘Good market intelligence, diverse teams, commercial and pragmatic.’
Key clients
ECI Partners
Inflexion
JMI Equity
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
LionRock Capital
LDCYMayfair Equity Partners
Partners Group
TA Associates
TowerBrook Capital Partners
Work highlights
- Advised CoreHR and its shareholders, including longstanding firm clients JMI Equity and JMIServices, in connection with the sale of the entire issued share capital of Core Bidco Limited.
- Advised LionRock Capital Partners on its acquisition of a majority stake in Clarks, in connection with a £100 million equity investment.
- Advised Partners Group on the acquisition of substantially all of the business and assets of UK high street restaurant chain, Côte Restaurants, by way of a pre-pack administration sale.
Hogan Lovells International LLP
Hogan Lovells International LLP 's private equity team has been bolstered by the return of partners Ed Harris and Leanne Moezi in London and Adam Brown in Northern Virginia from Paul Hastings LLP. It is active across a range of mid-market PE transactional work, working for buyout houses and other clients active in sectors such as infrastructure, real estate, and financial services.
Testimonials
‘A very strong transactional team led by Ed Harris and Adam Brown. Driven, commercial, extremely responsive and with a client-first mindset. Use their people effectively and place a value on diversity and inclusion. Focus on getting the deal done.’
‘Ed Harris – a critical relationship for us. Trusted advisor to the business, with deep transactional experience across a range of industries and sectors. Respected by counterparties and intermediaries. Leads the team very well. Adam Brown is calm, measured and highly responsive, works tirelessly to get the deal done. Spots and resolves issues effectively. Assertive with counterparties but with a collaborative attitude.’
‘We value the strong experience of Ed Harris and his team. Very good negotiator. Not details picky but more business oriented and efficient.’
Jones Day
Jones Day has a proven track record advising private equity clients on acquisitions and disposals, drawing on its offices around the world to advise on cross-border transactions involving the United States, Europe, and Asia. The practice is particularly active in the real estate sector, particularly on transactions involving student accommodation and data centres. Patrick Stafford leads the team and co-chairs the firm's global PE practice; elsewhere, Giles Elliott handles high-value transactions for a range of clients, and Julian Runnicles has more than 20 years' experience in this sector. Laura Pembridge was promoted to partner in December 2020 and is another name to note. Ben Shribman left for Cooley (UK) LLP in 2020.
Practice head(s):
Patrick G. Stafford
Other key lawyers:
Giles Elliott; Julian Runnicles; Anna Cartwright; Liam Bonamy; Laura Pembridge
Testimonials
‘Collaboration is exemplary – they really are like an outsourced extension of our investment team.’
‘All partners – both junior and senior – know the firm exceptionally well. We would particularly call out Laura Pembridge, Liam Bonamy, and Pat Stafford.’
‘Julian Runnicles is a stand out guy. Very pragmatic and commercial.’
‘They have the willingness to help facilitate the deal getting gone rather than over lawyering.’
‘They have a very long term view on client relationships. Willing to invest time and provide ad hoc advice to create a trusted relationship.’
‘Liam Bonamy is highly commercial and understands what matters to a private equity sponsor. He is very good at simplifying complex issues down to focus on the key commercial implications. Likewise Pat Stafford is very commercial. Hugely experienced and a calm and reassuring presence on a deal.’
Key clients
AGIC Capital
Aermont Capital
ARA Asset Management Limited
Arsenal Capital Partners
CBRE Group, Inc.
DataBank
Delancey
Greystar Real Estate Partners
Goldman Sachs
Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP
J.F. Lehman & Company
Koch Equity Development LLC
Allrise Capital Inc.
Pantheon Ventures
True Capital Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised Koch Equity Development LLC (“KED”), the acquisition and investment subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc., on its investment into AIM listed Victoria plc (“Victoria”), a UK-based global designer, manufacturer, and distributor of flooring products.
- Advised the management team of Ki, the first fully digital and algorithmically-driven Lloyd’s syndicate, in the USD 500 million investment in Ki by funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.
- Advised True Capital on its investment in Hush Homewear Limited, a digital fashion and lifestyle brand.
Mayer Brown International LLP
Mayer Brown International LLP advises private equity houses on complex transactions, including carve-outs, exits, acquisitions of distressed assets, and investments. The practice is capable of offering a comprehensive service to clients through its additional expertise in restructuring, finance, and tax, as well as its offices across a range of jurisdictions. Practice head Perry Yam has decades of experience in this sector and close links to a number of the firm's key buyout house clients, who praise him for 'putting his clients first'. James West is described as 'outstanding' by one client, while Neil Evans receives recognition for his 'impressive ability to deliver commercial solutions to complex problems'.
Practice head(s):
Perry Yam
Other key lawyers:
James West; Neil Evans
Testimonials
‘Understand how to deliver a value driven proposal for clients in this space whilst still maintaining the standards expected. Have access to the full international network and work it well.’
‘The partners lead from the front not only in negotiation but even in drafting. They are there with us, their client, throughout the negotiation. They are always well informed and right across the deal issues. Like us, they want to get deals done and enable us to be pragmatic with a thorough awareness of what we are giving up to reach agreement. They are good natured, great company, highly sophisticated and client-centric. Excellent knowledge across a broad range of functions and areas. A commercial understanding and approach to all situations and a very strong network to support it.’
‘Excellent knowledge across a broad range of functions and areas. A commercial understanding and approach to all situations and a very strong network to support it.’
‘Neil Evans – great addition to the team, hit the ground running and delivers high quality work with a great personable approach. Very commercial, committed to delivering the result for clients and providing assistance above and beyond wherever he can.’
‘Neil Evans is an exceptional real estate and M&A partner whose opinion I always seek on legal matters. He has an impressive ability to deliver commercial solutions to complex problems, as well as a deep understanding of both real estate law and corporate M&A law. I seek Neil’s advice on everything from corporate matters to partnership agreements and transactional work. He is supported by a strong team around him.’
‘James West is an outstanding lawyer who has delivered for us time after time. No deal is too large or small. James has built strong rapport with my European colleagues who have also come to admire his energy, tenacity, flexibility and diligence. He is very comfortable with numbers and financial concepts which means our contracts are very robust time and again.’
‘Perry Yam puts his clients first. By reminding us of how active MB is in its market place it makes it very hard to go anywhere else. Perry’s team are amongst the most active lawyers in the Private Equity market which has the advantage that they have seen it all before. Perry will also roll his sleeves up and get stuck in. He is a very strong advocate for his team and puts them front and centre.’
Key clients
Aurelius Group
CBPE Capital
EMK Capital
Equistone Partners
Francisco Partners
Instincif Partners
L Catterton
Magnetar Capital
Melrose Industries PLC
Sovereign Capital
Stirling Square Capital Partners
The Halifax Group
Vitruvian Partners
Star Capital
Bain Capital
Inspirit Capital
Permira
Europi Capital
Work highlights
- Acted for The Halifax Group in a carve-out from packaging business Sonoco to Halifax-backed Prairie Industries Holdings.
- Advised Star Capital Partners on the acquisition of Hawksford Holdings Limited, an international provider of fund, corporate, and private client administration services to investment fund, institutional,entrepreneurial and UHNW clients across the globe. Star has acquired a majority stake from Dunedin who will retain a minority interest.
- Represented CDK Inc., in the $1.45 billion sale of its international segment to private equity firm Francisco Partners Management, L.P.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP acts on private equity transactions across a broad range of sectors, including technology, healthcare, and professional services. The practice draws on its US heritage to advise on cross-border transactions involving American clients; in 2020, this included advising on one of the first acquisitions of a European company by a US SPAC. Tom Cartwright and Mark Geday jointly lead the London office; Cartwright has a specialism in the life sciences sector, while Geday frequently advises on investments and acquisitions involving investment management businesses. Tomasz Wozniak is another name to note.
Practice head(s):
Tom Cartwright; Mark Geday
Other key lawyers:
Tomasz Wozniak; Tim Corbett
Testimonials
‘Very dynamic, commercial and happy to stand up for their clients and not take the nonsense of the profession – a breath of fresh air.’
‘Tom Cartwright is bright, energetic, full of good ideas and works very hard but without aloofness – he is the model of a City partner.’
Key clients
Far Point Acquisition Corp
MSP Sports Capital
NSM Insurance Group
Channel 3 Consulting Ltd
Winter Capital Partners
Caltius Capital
Lincoln Peak Capital
Duff & Phelps
TRS Global
Digital Colony
Work highlights
- Represented Far Point Acquisition Corp. in its $2.6 billion acquisition of Global Blue, a payment services company for international shopping owned by private equity funds managed by Silver Lake and Partners Group as well as management.
- Represented MSP Sports Capital in its £185 million ($248.6 million) investment in McLaren Racing.
- Represented White Mountain-backed NSM Insurance Group and its parent company White Mountains Insurance Group in their acquisition of Kingsbridge Group Ltd.
Osborne Clarke LLP
Osborne Clarke LLP is highly active across the full spectrum of private equity transactions, acting for buyout houses, management teams, and shareholders on acquisitons and sales. Bristol-based Alisdair Livingstone leads the team and has over 25 years' experience handling complex PE transactions. In London, Tim Hewens acts on the full range of transactions in this area, while Mark Spinner counts a number of major PE houses among his clients. Greg Leyshon in Reading is another name to note.
Practice head(s):
Alisdair Livingstone
Other key lawyers:
Tim Hewens; Mark Spinner; Greg Leyshon
Testimonials
‘Very commercial individuals who are always readily available and excellent at working with the other side.’
‘Real problem solvers with a low-key style. Low ego cuts through negotiations (and saves time and money!).’
‘They have a very collaborative and commercial approach to the legal elements of a transaction. They really understand what is important to us and what is worth fighting over and what isn’t.’
‘Very clear communicators. Strong process management/focus on key issues – drives efficiency.’
‘Tim Hewens is quite simply exceptional. He’s commercial, available, builds good teams and the epitome of a trusted advisor.’
Key clients
LDC
RJD Partners
NVM Private Equity
Synova
Growth Capital Partners
Caledonia Private Capital
Alcuin Capital Partners
Five Elms Capital
Tenzing Private Equity
Horizon Capital
Greystar Private Equity
Colony Capital Management
Firmament
Dunedin LLP
New Mountain Capital
Mobeus Equity Partners
Cadence Equity
Whitehelm Capital
ESO Capital
Work highlights
- Advising HH Global Group and its management team on the $400million acquisition of InnerWorkings, Inc and associated equity investment by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities.
- Advised Focus Group, a leading UK provider of communications and IT solutions, and its shareholders and management team, on the sale of a significant minority stake to Bowmark, the mid-market private equity firm and the simultaneous refinancing by Blackrock.
- Advised Synova Capital on the management buyout of J.M. Glendinning Group Limited.
Squire Patton Boggs
In addition to acting for a number of private equity houses on transactions, Squire Patton Boggs is also frequently instructed by management teams to handle sales to private equity. The practice has a broad geographic reach; led by Paul Mann in Leeds, it also has teams in Manchester, Birmingham and London, in addition to lawyers across the US. Besides Mann, who acts on the full range of corporate transactions, key contacts in the team include Jonathan Jones, who also serves as European managing partner. The firm has made a number of partner-level additions to the PE team since the start of 2020 including: Ben Squires , Charles Leeming , Stephen Ball ,Fergus Gallagher and Julian Thatcher.
Practice head(s):
Paul Mann
Other key lawyers:
Jonathan Jones; Mae Salem
Testimonials
‘Very good technically. Very sensible pragmatic advice. Always looked for solutions. Calm approach. Worked well with lawyers on the other side, non-adversarial.’
‘Highly commercial lawyers who understand their clients and their market as well as providing excellent legal advice.’
‘Collaboration amongst various service lines is incredibly strong i.e. corporate, banking, restructuring, property.’
‘The core team were excellent, all very pro-active, good allocation of work between them, technically very strong. Calm sensible approach to any issues, excellent planning of work streams to ensure efficient delivery of services.’
‘Paul Mann & Mae Salem – Paul as relationship partner and Mae as lead always have a considered, commercial and pragmatic view.’
Key clients
ECI Partners
Growth Capital Partners
NorthEdge Capital
Business Growth Fund
Inflexion Private Equity
H2 Equity Partners
Mobeus
Endless
LDC
Perwyn LLP
Work highlights
- Assisted ECI Partners LLP on the acquisition by funds advised by ECI Partners LLP of 100% of the issued share capital of CSL (Dualcom) Limited (a leading provider of secure connectivity for M2M & IPO devices) from ICONIQ Capital, Norland and Rothschild Trust, including a management rollover into the ECI acquisition structure.
- Advised ADEY and management sellers on the acquisition of ADEY Innovation by Polypipe Group plc for £210 million.
- Advised the Shareholders of InXpress Holdings Ltd on the Management Buy-Out of InXpress Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries, including overseas subsidiaries in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, Hong Kong and Vietnam, by Salt Bidco Limited, backed by Hudson Hill Capital and existing Management.
Stephenson Harwood
Stephenson Harwood's private equity team has significantly expanded since 2019, when the firm was joined by Adam Crossley, Richard Coleman and Malcolm Macdougall from Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. The practice handles the full range of transactions in this area, acting for private equity houses, portfolio companies, and management teams on investments, buy-outs, disposals, and bolt-on acquisitions. The practice is led by Jonathan Pittal, who has more than 20 years' experience in this area; elsewhere, Gabriel Boghossian is noted for his expertise in secondary transactions.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Pittal
Other key lawyers:
Adam Crossley; Richard Coleman; Malcolm MacDougall; Gabriel Boghossian; Lydia Zakrzewski
Testimonials
‘Good skillset and clarity of process.’
‘Richard Coleman and Lydia Zakrzewski will always make time and give us good access to the rest of their organisation.’
‘We have worked with the team over several years. They are very professional, always available and quick to respond, stick to timetables and are very commercial in their approach.’
Key clients
Bowmark Capital
Elysian Capital
Mobeus
BGF
Farview Equity Partners
FPE Capital
Apposite Capital LLP
Rockpool Investments LLP
BlueGem Capital Partners LLP
Morgan Stanley
Inspired
Five Arrows
ESO Capital
Macquarie
Standard Life Aberdeen
Schroders
Bestport Private Equity
Pelican Capital
STAR Capital
All Seas Capital
Work highlights
- Advised mid-market private equity firm Bowmark Capital LLP on its significant minority investment in Focus 4 U Ltd.
- Advised Elysian Capital, and the management team of the company, on the £103 million sale of Wellbeing Software to The Citadel Group, a company listed on The Australian Stock Exchange.
- Advised a former management team from a FTSE plc, backed by Baird Capital, on the simultaneous acquisitions of two leading tech businesses – Intevi and Karlson – to create a new brand to reimagine future workspaces, Aura.
Taylor Wessing LLP
Well-known for its experience of transactions in the technology and life sciences space, Taylor Wessing LLP is also adept at advising on public equity matters involving real estate, financial services, and industrial companies. Practice head Emma Danks is well-regarded by peers for her work acting for PE houses and portfolio companies; elsewhere, James Goold is experienced across the full spectrum of transactions in this area. Jonny Bethell was promoted to partner in November 2020.
Practice head(s):
Emma Danks
Other key lawyers:
Edward Waldron; Jonny Bethell; Dominic FitzPatrick; James Goold; Suzy Penney; Alex Walker; Nick Karangizi
Testimonials
‘Very responsive and commercial.’
‘James Goold – good tone/manner and very commercial.’
‘We have found the TW team (Emma Danks and Alan Evans [real estate] as lead partners) to be great advisers, delivering technically astute and commercially-minded advice, successfully completing a complex deal within a tight timeframe.’
Key clients
Alcuin Capital Partners
Autofutura Group (an Inflexion portfolio company)
Baird Capital
BentallGreenOak
Bridgepoint Advisers
Bridges Fund Management
Caledonia Investments Plc
Community Fibre Limited
Hometrack (part of the Zoopla Property Group), a Silver Lake portfolio company
Inflexion Private Equity
Nucleus Global
Rutland Partners
Rockpool Investments
Shareholders of PCML
The Rohatyn Group
Wireless Logic (a Montagu portfolio company)
Work highlights
- Advised Rutland Partners on its investment into JSM, a market leading infrastructure services provider to the UK’s critical digital communications and power sectors.
- Advised Bridgepoint Growth on its investment in DeHavilland Information Services.
- Advised Inflexion/Glide on the sale of the Glide group to the infrastructure fund Alinda Capital Partners.
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP 's London practice head Ian Ivory has been building up the London private equity team since he returned to the firm's City office in 2019. The team regularly works on international deals and is particularly active in matters involving Russia and CIS, given Ivory's past experience. Advising across a range of transactions, the London team regularly works with clients from the firm's core sectors such as real estate, technology and healthcare. Simon Beddow is another name to note in the practice.
Practice head(s):
Ian Ivory
Other key lawyers:
Simon Beddow
Testimonials
‘The quality of advice was exceptional.’
‘Ian Ivory was truly hands on and very much involved throughout the transaction.’
‘Highly responsive, immediate, available on call, proactive, hard working, willing to assist.’
‘Ian Ivory – Very hands on and involved. Deep experience from emerging markets and developed markets. Ability to think through difficult situations and come up with innovative solutions. His knowledge, practical advice and tenacity was invaluable and he did his work with good grace and class.’
Key clients
Baring Vostok Capital Partners
Capital Alliance Private Equity
Mubadala Investment Company
Investec Fund
Balmoral Funds
Macquarie Capital
Tattarang Group
GSH Private Capital
Clearbell Capital LLP
ITI Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Emirati state-owned Mubadala Investment Company and other investors on their investment in MEL Science. The London-based company raised $14 million in Series B funding from investors to support the expansion of its subscription-based science education business.
- Advised South Africa-based Investec Property Fund on its acquisition of a controlling interest in a €900 million pan-European logistics platform from Ares Management Corporation. The portfolio consists of 45 logistics properties across Europe.
- Advised CERF S.à.r.l., a member of the group of entities doing business as The Carlyle Group on the acquisition of senior housing developer, Beechcroft Group from a fund managed by Alchemy Partners and the company’s senior management team. The transaction is backed by investment from Carlyle Europe Realty, a €540 million pan-European real estate fund.
Cooley (UK) LLP
Cooley (UK) LLP bolstered its London private equity team in 2020 with the hire of Ben Shribman from Jones Day , further adding to the team's expertise in transactions in the technology sector. Beyond tech, the team is active in sectors including retail, sports, and hospitality, acting for UK PE houses as well as drawing on its links with the US to advise US-based funds. Stephen Rosen leads the team and, in addition to acting for sponsors, also advises on the management side of transactions, particularly for VC-funded companies.
Practice head(s):
Stephen Rosen
Other key lawyers:
Ben Shribman; Justin Stock; Michal Berkner;
Testimonials
‘Ben Shribman is super knowledgeable, calm in a storm and holds your hand through the whole process; in most cases winning over the client on the other side too. Because they have a brilliant VC practice they can straddle the track. They get growth style PE in a way that many without VC credentials don’t or can’t.’
‘Ben Shribman is the go to for me. Hard working, straight down the line dealmaker. He pays for his fees many times over with practical foresight of how the legals will affect our ability to manage the business post close.’
‘A huge amount of experience in the team in managing these type of transactions. They know and have worked with all of the PE companies, advisors, and private companies and as such have good working relationships and a great reputation. They are also very commercially focused and know when to push and when not to, what’s a risk and what’s not etc. To be honest there is no one else that comes close to Cooley.’
‘Stephen Rosen is honest, trustworthy and completely focused on getting the best result possible for you. He highlights risks ahead of time, ensures the wider team are all on the same page and aligned. He explains clauses in layman’s terms where necessary and will give his professional opinion as to whether it’s acceptable or not when asked. Nothing ever slips through the net and the end result is better than you’d otherwise get. He’s also a very genuine good guy and a pleasure to have on your side.’
Key clients
Primary Capital
Alcuin Capital
Bowmark Capital
GIC
Burda Principal Investments
Brandwatch
ContentSquare
VJ Technology
Carrick Capital
Management team of Calypso
Horizon Capital
Battery Ventures
Astra Capital Management
Management Team of CSL
Teneo Holdings
ICS Learn
Pizza Hut Restaurants UK
WeGotPOP
Work highlights
- Advised Primary Capital in connection with its significant investment in Sigma Sports, the UK’s leading premium omni-channel retailer of cycling equipment.
- Advised Burda Principal Investments (BPI) on the sale of Notonthehighstreet.com (NOTHS) to Great Hill Partners and BPI’s reinvestment of proceeds alongside Great Hill for £150 million.
- Advised the management team of Calypso Technology, Inc. on its sale to Thoma Bravo, a leading private equity investment firm focused on the software and technology-enabled services sectors, from international private equity group Bridgepoint and global growth investor Summit Partners for $3.75 billion.
Dorsey & Whitney
Dorsey & Whitney City buyout team is headed by Fabrizio Carpanini. The firm acts for institutional investors but also has a particular focus on advising management teams. In recent years it has developed a niche advising partners in professional services firms in relation to private equity backed consolidation. This work is just one plank of the firm's broader PE practice, which covers a range of sectors, including healthcare and recruitment, advising on everything from development capital deals to buyouts. Other key names to note include venture capital specialist Frances Doherty and Carsten Greve.
Practice head(s):
Fabrizio Carpanini
Key clients
Graphite Capital
Arts Alliance Ventures
Apiary Capital
Horizon Capital
TA Associates
Warburg Pincus
Nova Capital
NorthEdge Capital
Inflexion Private Equity
C5 Capital
Index Ventures
Work highlights
- Dorsey represented the shareholders of Cavendish Legal Group in its merger with O’Neill Patient Solicitors LLP (backed by Inflexion Private Equity).
- Dorsey represented the management team of Vectair Systems and Mobeus Equity Partners on the US aspects of the sale of Vectair Systems.
- Dorsey acted for Hygenia on EW Group’s acquisition of the company from private equity firm Warburg Pincus.
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG's varied practice acts for PE houses on buyouts, disposals, and investments, including transactions involving international elements. Real estate, life sciences, and energy are particular sectors of focus for the team, which acts for a number of sector-specialist funds. As well as acting for sponsors, the team also receives mandates from portfolio companies and founders involved in sales to private equity. Ian Piggin leads the team, and focuses on life sciences transactions along with Neil Hendron. Chris Towle specialises in real estate transactions and additionally handles the team's relationships with US-based clients. The London office is frequently supported by the firm's Birmingham office.
Practice head(s):
Ian Piggin
Other key lawyers:
Neil Hendron; Chris Towle; Jeremy Millington; Gareth Baker;
Testimonials
‘Commercial lawyers who listen to what you want to achieve as a client and then go all out to deliver it. Great communication among the team meaning that all of them are aware of what is happening at any point. Able to call on a large team of specialists who communicate in plain English. They’re also just nice people to deal with!’
‘Chris Towle is an experienced partner who can rapidly assimilate information and advise you of the right course of action. He is a calm influence in the heat of a negotiation or whilst dealing with any challenging issues arising during a deal. I would highly recommend.’
‘Consistent, excellent client service is delivered throughout the Gowlings hierarchy.’
‘First-class customer service and high quality advice.’
Key clients
Lloyds Development Capital Limited
Star Capital Partners
NVM PE Limited
Cairngorm Capital Partners LLP
Montreux Healthcare Fund
Mobeus Equity Partners LLP
Equiom Holdings Ltd
BGF Investments LP
The Office Group Properties Limited / The Blackstone Group International Partners LLP
Mercia Asset Management PLC
Avison Young (Canada) Inc.
Pioneer Capital Partners LLP
MXP Capital
Kyotherm
Panoramic Growth Equity
Centerbridge
Mountaingate Capital
Gyrus Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Gyrus Capital, an investment firm dedicated to investments in the health & care and sustainability sectors, on its agreement to acquire the LivaNova heart valve (HV) business, part of market-leading medical technology and innovation company LivaNova PLC.
- Advised Grant & Stone, a portfolio company of Cairngorm Capital Partners, on its acquisition of 3Counties Timber & Building Supplies Limited (3Counties), Rawle Gammon & Baker Holdings Limited, BuildIt Gloster Limited and Total Plumbing Supplies Limited to create the largest independent builders’ merchant group in Southern England. The transactions also involved the arrangement of £124,000,000 of debt facilities.
- Advised Montreux Healthcare Fixed Yield Fund on its acquisition of eleven specialist care sites from The Huntercombe Group.
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP has been building up its City private equity team, adding David D’Souza fromKirkland & Ellis International LLP in September 2020. He heads the team alongside John Taylor, with the pair advising clients across a range of mid-market PE transactions, including acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, public-to-privates and growth equity transactions. The team has a particular focus on the energy, infrastructure, and real estate sectors, as well as life sciences and financial services.
Practice head(s):
John Taylor; David D’Souza
Other key lawyers:
Mark Bardell; Gavin Williams; Joseph Dennis
Key clients
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)
Antin Infrastructure Partners
API Management
AshGrove Capital
Bain Capital
BC Partners
BGH Capital
BlackRock Infrastructure
Blackstone
Cabot Square Capital
Carlyle
Chelsfield Partners
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Crescent Capital Partners
Elliott Advisors
EQT
Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)
H2 Equity Partners
Hannam & PartnersNoHanover Investors
Hastings Funds Management Limited
Helios Investment Partners
iCON Infrastructure
Impilo
KKR
Metric Capital Partners LLP
Pacific Equity Partners
Partners Group
Sherborne Investors
Temasek
The Growth Fund
The Riverside Company
Three Hills Capital Partners
TPG
USS
VTB (Private Equity)
Winter Capita
Work highlights
- Advised CPP Investments on the establishment of a new, U.K.-based platform –Renewable Power Capital Limited (RPC). The platform is backed by CPP Investments’ multi-billion Power & Renewables investment strategy and will invest in solar, onshore wind and battery storage, among other technologies, across Europe.
- Advised the Consortium on their landmark acquisition of Kellas Midstream from Antin Infrastructure Partners. Kellas Midstream owns and operates key gas infrastructure in the UK Central and Southern North Sea comprising: (1) the Central Area Transmission System (“CATS”); (2) the Esmond Transportation System (“ETS”); and (3) the Humber Gathering System (“HGS”).
- Advised The Ardonagh Group Limited in the context of the reorganisation of its management and shareholding structure, including the implementation of a roll-up of various managers across different entities of the group and a partial liquidation event, as well as the re-negotiation of the group’s equity documents, in the context of a debt refinancing and new acquisitions for an aggregated value of US$500 million.
McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP
McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP draws on its US links to advise US private equity sponsors on transactions in Europe, including acquisitions, investments, and public-to-privates. The team has a specialism in the healthcare and technology sectors, and is also capable of providing advice on the financing of deals as well as restructurings. Tom Whelan leads the team, with Eleanor West another key contact with experience of acting for both sponsors and portfolio companies. Piero Carbone departed in September 2020, joining DLA Piper.
Practice head(s):
Tom Whelan
Other key lawyers:
Eleanor West; Arvin Abraham
Key clients
H.I.G. Capital
Great Point Partners
Covis Pharma
Eight Roads
Ampersand Capital Partners
Group Winncare
Tana Africa Capital
Five Arrows
IK Investment Partners
Searchlight Capital Partners
SilverTree Equity
Work highlights
- Advised Eight Roads in relation to the sale of the Optegra Group to H2 Equity Partners
- Advised the management team of Covis Pharma on the re-investment into the new buying group, following the sale of Covis Pharma by Cerberus Capital Management (Cerberus) to Apollo Global Management, Inc, (Apollo).
- Advising on the restructuring of the UK equity held by Groupe Winncare SAS and the Managers in Mangar Healthcare Limited and the sale of such UK equity as part of the IDI sale of Groupe Winncare SAS to new owner Siparex.
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Mishcon de Reya LLP is noted for its work acting for management teams involved in private equity transactions, including investments and buyouts. The team is active in sectors including retail, technology, and financial services. Nadim Meer leads the team, and Andrew Rimmington is active in cross-border transactions.
Practice head(s):
Nadim Meer
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Rimmington; Lucinda Brendon; Kevin McCarthy; Allison Keyse; Sam Perkins; James Paterson;
Testimonials
‘Great knowledge of current market management positions and trends and ability to compare what is being offered to what is generally available in the market.’
Key clients
Arcus Global
Cognito iQ
Corndel
Xiatech Consulting Limited
Seraphine
Xceptor
Spy Alarms
Your Parking Space
Sohonet
Calastone Limited
Autovista Group
Charles Taylor
Work highlights
- Advised the management team of Xceptor, a global leader in the end-to-end, no-code process automation market, on the secondary buy-out by private equity firm Astorg, from CBPE Capital LLP.
- Advised the management team of Sohonet on their equity arrangements on the secondary buy-out of Sohonet, led by LDC.
- Advised on the secondary buy-out of maternity fashion brand, Seraphine, led by Mayfair Equity Partners.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright‘s London private equity practice draws on the wider firm’s global connections to advise on crossborder buy-outs and exits. The practice counts international investors as well as management teams amongst its clients, and in addition acts for clients in portfolio company M&A. Bayo Odubeko is particularly focused on transactions involving emerging markets; Sophie O’Connor is another key contact.
Other key lawyers:
Bayo Odubeko; Sophie O’Connor; Mark Maurice
Key clients
Aquiline Capital Partners LLC
Carlyle
AfricInvest Capital Partners
ValueAct Capital
Denham Capital Management LP
Scottish Equity Partners
XPV Water Partners
Mobeus
Abris Capital
Champ Ventures
Shell Ventures
Development Partners International
Modern Times Group MTG AB
Bain Capital
Starling Bank
Work highlights
- Advising Aquiline Financial Services and insurer ERS on a US$350m fundraising lead by ABRY.
- Advising Modern Times Group on its acquisition of Hutch in the (active) e-gaming sub-sector.
- Advising Starling Bank on its Series D funding round.
Paul Hastings LLP
Paul Hastings LLP acts for a range of private equity houses and their portfolio companies across acquisitions, disposals, mergers, and investments. The team has been strengthening ties with a number of PE houses including Francisco Partners and Astorg and also frequently works with clients including Oakley Capital. Anu Balasubramanian leads the London team, in addition to serving as vice chair of the global PE practice. Garrett Hayes and Matthew Poxon are also active in the PE space, in addition to advising on M&A transactions and joint ventures.
Practice head(s):
Anu Balasubramanian
Other key lawyers:
Garrett Hayes; Matthew Poxon; Jamie Holdoway
Testimonials
‘Anu Balasubramanian is a top-notch partner and was extensively involved throughout our transaction. Jamie Holdoway was an excellent associate and executed flawlessly.’
‘The best M&A lawyers I have come across in Europe. Extremely knowledgeable, highly pragmatic, always available, did whatever it took to get the deal done.’
‘A strong team drawing in great experience across multiple offices. They deliver exceptional value for money compared to other legal firms. Very much focused on the most important legal issues that really move the needle for us as clients and know and understand what matters for us.’
‘The team has a very deep and considered understanding of our specific key focus areas that they have built over a long period of working with us. They have built strong relationships not just with the deal teams but also with corporate individuals that makes working with them efficient as they will not hesitate to reach out to specific individuals.’
‘Strong team, in particular at partner level. Individuals are always available, into the detail and take a real problem solving approach.’
‘Garrett Hayes and David Prowse have been providing strong support and given expert legal advice across our portfolio in recent years. Garrett’s depth of experience is significant and always welcome.’
‘Garrett Hayes has been exceptional on multiple projects that we have worked on together. He is extremely proactive and commercial in driving all workstreams and keep the team focused on achieving the ultimate end goal. He is importantly very personable which makes him a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
Brookfield
Abry Partners
Francisco Partners
Oakley Capital
Astorg Partners
Vector Capital
Symphony Technology Group
Strategic Value Partners
SICP Investments
Alpine Grove
Link Mobility Group AS
North Technology Group
Saba Software
Bregal
Benson Elliot
Work highlights
- Advised Francisco Partners on the merger of its portfolio company, Consignor, a leading Oslo-based cloud Transport Administration System (TAS) platform, with Unifaun, a leading Stockholm-based cloud TAS platform and a portfolio company of Marlin Equity Partners.
- Represented Francisco Partners in its acquisition of the international business segment of CDK Global, a leading provider of automotive retail software solutions in EMEA and Asia, for $1.45bn.
Reed Smith LLP
Reed Smith LLP 's London buyout team acts across the full spectrum of private equity transactions and frequently advises alongside the firm's network of offices around to world on cross-jurisdictional transactions. In addition to acting for sponsors, the practice has experience advising management teams and portfolio companies across sectors including energy, financial services, and life sciences. Philip Taylor and Mark Sanders lead the practice; Taylor has almost 30 years' experience, while Sanders has expertise in both private equity and private M&A. Sam Webster is another key contact in the team. Laura Brunnen departed the firm in April 2021 to launch The Legal Strategist consultancy.
Practice head(s):
Philip Taylor; Mark Sanders
Other key lawyers:
Sam Webster
Testimonials
‘In depth market knowledge and understanding. From a client perspective, having that credibility is vitally important in terms of negotiating and executing transactions in a way which causes minimal disruption to the business being acquired or invested in.’
‘Sam Webster’s ability to understand the key commercial objectives of the parties and transpose that into the core transaction documents and the overall process was invaluable. Sam was able to co-ordinate a multi-jurisdictional team to an extremely tight timetable across multiple time zones in a way which maintained the competitive nature of the auction process and ultimately, facilitated the client realising the optimum valuation for the business being sold.’
‘Great support, go the extra mile.’
Sidley Austin LLP
Sidley Austin LLP is active across the full range of private equity transactions in the mid-market space, from acquisitions and portfolio company M&A to growth equity investments. The London private equity team works alongside the firm's restructuring practice to advise on transactions involving distressed assets. In 2020, the team received instructions from prominent buyout houses including Towerbrook and KKR to act on transactions across Europe; the practice also acts alongside offices in the US on transatlantic deals. Key figures in the practice include Eleanor Shanks, who has close relationships with a range of prominent sponsors, and 'highly competent' Fatema Orjela whose practice includes acting for both US and European buyout houses. Adam Runcorn was promoted to partner in July 2020 and is another name to note. The firm announced the hire of two private equity partners - Dan Graham and Paul Dunbar , alongside finance specialist Emilie Stewart, from Vinson & Elkins RLLP in summer 2021 following a number of departures to Goodwin in 2020.
Practice head(s):
Tom Thesing
Other key lawyers:
Eleanor Shanks; Fatema Orjela; Adam Runcorn
Testimonials
‘The team is extremely commercial. I have also found their relationship building extremely effective – they do not interact at a transactional or task level, but at a human level.’
‘Years of working with our company gives them deep institutional knowledge. It’s amazing to have advisors who know when I’ll be stuck in the investment committee and can just got on with things.’
‘The team, overall, is very collegiate, helpful, engaging and friendly.’
‘The Sidley team is highly experienced and able to bring novel ideas to bear in complex transactions and negotiations. This experience runs deeper into the organisation than I would typically see at other law firms.’
‘ Fatema Orjela is a gifted and natural leader, as well as being a highly competent lawyer. What makes Fatema stand out is her ability to operate at 5mm and 30,000 feet – she has an extremely strong grasp of the detail but maintains a commercial perspective. As an advisor, while one would consider this a standard requisite, it is very rare. Fatema is also very effective at simplifying the complex and communicating very clearly. Her ability to build relationships and increase the value of the sum of the parts of her network is second to none.’
‘Eleanor Shanks gives full dedication to her clients. I fully trust her.’
‘Fatema Orjela has a fantastic approach to client service. She keeps in regular contact with her clients to ensure she can get ahead of issues, and provides and sources excellent support. She has an “ask me anything” approach that makes clients feel very comfortable with her and confident in her skills.’
‘Adam Runcorn is a fantastic rising star, great mastery of both the legal and commercial side.’
Key clients
H.I.G. Capital
TowerBrook
Apollo
KKR
GHO Capital
Great Hill Partners
Clearlake
Goldman SachsPrivate Capital
Partners Group
GIC
Bain Capital
ICG
Metric Capital
EQT
LetterOne
Asterion
OMERS
Work highlights
- Advised Apollo and its majority-owned portfolio company CareerBuilder on their sale of Textkernel, a global AI-powered HR technology provider headquartered in the Netherlands, to Main Capital Partners.
- Advised H.I.G. Capital and its portfolio company Vernacareon acquiring Infection Prevention from Frontier Medical Group.
- Advised KKR on a number of transactions, including its growth investments in global online fitness platform Zwift,music licensing platform Artlist and AI and learning technology fintech start-up Feedzai.
Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons offers asset management clients experience handling transactions across a range of sectors. The practice is particularly focused on regulated industries such as energy, infrastructure, and financial services, and benefits from a network of international offices that enables it to advise on cross-border transactions. Its team advises on transactions including MBOs, public to privates, consortium bids, portfolio exits and minority investments. The team is led by Arthur Stewart and Gideon Sharp, who is praised by clients as an 'outstanding commercial lawyer'.
Practice head(s):
Arthur Stewart; Gideon Sharp
Other key lawyers:
David Parkes; Steph Featherstone;
Testimonials
‘I get sensible, commercial advice backed by the latest market practice from the Simmons team.’
‘Gideon Sharp is very commercial and practical, provides good client care and is easy to deal with. An outstanding commercial lawyer who is highly effective in private equity transactions.’
Key clients
Brookfield Infrastructure
APG
Invesco Asset Management Limited
Nimbus
Mantoverde SA
Resource Capital Funds
Ping An Global Voyager Fund
Stone Point Capital
Francisco Partners / Sectigo Group
Paine Schwartz Partners LLC
PineBridge Investments Holdings US LLC
Work highlights
- Advised PineBridge on its acquisition of private equity real estate firm Benson Elliot Capital Management LLP.
- Advised Invesco in relation to the sale of a portfolio of private equity minority interests to various acquirers including TenCent (Chinese PE investor); Hambro Perks (PE/VC investor) and others for a purchase price in the region of £210M.
- We advised Paine Schwartz Partners LLC on its $230 million leveraged buy-out acquisition of Kynetec.
Watson Farley & Williams LLP
Energy, healthcare, and real estate are sector specialisms for the private equity team at Watson Farley & Williams LLP. The practice is active advising on investments, acquisitions and disposals in these areas, working alongside the firm's tax, projects and regulatory practices to service clients. Practice head Chris Kilburn focuses on the energy sector, including renewable energy. Andy Savage handles both UK and cross-border transactions, particularly in Africa; elsewhere, Tom Jarvis is noted for his work on the tax structuring of transactions.
Practice head(s):
Chris Kilburn
Other key lawyers:
Andy Savage; Tom Jarvis
Testimonials
‘Strong process management, commercial understanding and ease of working.’
‘Very approachable and flexible. Excellent communication skills and hard-working to deliver value for the client.’
Key clients
InfraRed Capital Partners
LeapFrog Investments
DIF
Helios Energy Investment
Bio Capital
Work highlights
- Advised leading alternative asset manager HRL Morrison & Co. on structuring and implementing an investment platform for pan-European developments.
- Advising InfraRed Capital Partners, as fund manager to The Renewables Infrastructure Group (“TRIG”), in relation to TRIG’s acquisition of a 17.5% equity interest in the Beatrice offshore wind farm.
- Advising Bio Capital 2 Ltd on its acquisition of Redstow Renewables Ltd, an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant, from Downing LLP.
Burges Salmon LLP
Bristol-based Burges Salmon LLP acts for a range of PE houses in investments, buyouts, and disposals; the practice also advises management teams on transactions. As well as handling deals in the technology and hospitality sectors; the practice has a particular focus on infrastructure, with energy, transportation, and telecommunications transactions featuring heavily in its work. Mark Shepherd leads the practice, which frequently collaborates with the Edinburgh team headed by Danny Lee.
Practice head(s):
Mark Shepherd
Other key lawyers:
Danny Lee; Richard Spink
Testimonials
‘Bristol-based with local knowledge.’
‘Richard Spink – very commercial and easy to deal with. Good understanding of client needs.’
‘We valued their depth and breadth of experience.’
Key clients
ECI Partners
Gresham House British Strategic Investment Fund
Mobeus Equity Partners LLP
LDC (Managers) Limited
BGF (formerly Business Growth Fund)
Octopus Investments Limited
Ingenious Investments
Tiger Infrastructure Partners
Bridges Fund Management
Causeway Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Embark Group on its purchase of Sterling ISA Managers Ltd, a platform provider, and Zurich Investment Services (UK) Ltd, a fund manager, from the Zurich Group, together with an associated institutional investment round.
- Advised Inverleith LLP on its acquisition of 84.55% of the share capital of, and subsequent investment in, outdoor clothing brand company Montane Limited.
- Advised the management team of Hector Rail Group in connection with the buyout by infrastructure group, Ancala, of EQT Infrastructure’s interest in Hector Rail Group, the largest private rail freight operator in Scandinavia (which also has significant operations in Germany).
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP is active in handling private equity transactions across a range of sectors. In addition to acting for PE houses and management teams in acquisitions and disposals, the practice is noteworthy for its work with private clients, advising them on investments. The team also stands out for its work in the African market. The team is jointly led by Andrew Clarke and David Coates in London, and Adrian Mayer in Cheltenham.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Clarke; David Coates; Adrian Mayer
Testimonials
‘I found CRS easy to work with. Always approachable and personable. They were transparent and explained in detail all the necessary legals required for the transaction, while taking into account our needs. They went over and beyond what I would expect from any solicitors. They were solid in their approach, and understood that this deal was very personal to us. It was a pleasure to work with the CRS team.’
‘A very strong and entrepreneurial team.’
‘Experienced and knoweledgeable, very approachable, candid.’
Key clients
TDR Capital
Battery Ventures
Limerston Capital
Kreos
Duet Private Equity
Puma Private Equity
Actis
Content+Cloud (backed by ECI Partners)
IFS (backed by EQT and TA Associates)
Acora (backed by Palatine)
Veriton Pharma (backed by Charterhouse Capital Partners)
Work highlights
- Advised Franek Sodzawiczny, founder and CEO of data centre platform Global Technical Realty (GTR), and his management team on an initial USD$1bn investment by global investment firm KKR.
- Advised TDR Capital LLP and the Issa brothers on the real estate elements of their acquisition of a majority stake in ASDA from Walmart for £6.8bn
- Advised UK headquartered managed IT services provider, Acora, on its auction process and subsequent investment round with Palatine Private Equity.
K&L Gates LLP
Under the leadership of James Cross, K&L Gates LLP handles private equity transactions for management teams, buyout houses, and portfolio companies across a range of sectors, including technology, media and logistics. Cross is supported by the firm's tax, banking, and employment teams to provide comprehensive advice on deals. He is praised by clients as 'commercial', with 'tremendous flexibility', while the team as a whole is valued for its 'pragmatic' advice.
Practice head(s):
James Cross
Testimonials
‘Their approach was pragmatic and thorough, giving us confidence that we were covered the whole time, while not presenting unnecessary difficulty around red tape.’
‘They had great flexibility to focus on key commercial matters while providing excellent support on ad hoc issues.’
‘James Cross is excellent. Commercial, hard-working and has tremendous flexibility.’
‘James Cross has an excellent ability to respond quickly to requests and mobilise the organisation.’
Key clients
ESO Capital
August Equity
Inspirit Capital
Wheatsheaf Group (PE arm of Grosvenor Estates)
BGF
Continuance Capital
Sonmarg Capital
Federated Investors, Inc.
Hudson Clean Energy Partners LP
Work highlights
- Advised ESO Capital on its investment in leading facilities management company Arcus FM.
- Acted for Inspirit Capital on an investment in Procam Group, Europe’s largest digital cinematography and hire facility.
- Acted for Continuance Capital on the acquisition of PeterLynn Limited, a leading converter of digital and flexographically printed labels.
RPC
RPC‘s London private equity practice is headed by David Wallis and James Mee and has a particular focus on the insurance industry. While insurance and financial services continues to make up a significant proportion of the group’s work, the practice has started to broaden out its offering to handle PE work in tech and retail, both of which are core sectors for the wider firm. Partners Jeremy Cunningham and Peter Sugden both work in the VC/growth capital field.
Practice head(s):
David Wallis
Other key lawyers:
James Mee; Chris Brierley; Karen Hendy
Key clients
Ebury
Shareholders of Beat Capital Partners
Mosaic Insurance Holdings Limited
JRJ Group
Mobeus Equity Partners
Food Freshness
Comhar Capital Limited
Sole Shareholder of Supreme Corporation
Azzurri Group (owner of Zizzi and ASK Italian)
The Japanese owner of Globe-Trotter
Svenska Cellulosa AB (SCA)
Work highlights
- Advised Ebury, the best-in-class trade and foreign exchange facilitator for SMEs, on its £350m strategic investment arrangement with Santander
- Supported a significant insurance transaction advising the shareholders of insurance investor Beat Capital Partners on its strategic partnership with Bain Capital Credit, a leading global credit specialist.
- Assisted in advising Mosaic on the establishment of a new underwriting business at Lloyd’s of London.
Winston & Strawn LLP
Winston & Strawn LLP stands out for its work advising US-based private equity clients, including Hudson Hill, Longshore Capital, and Water Street Healthcare, on transactions involving European companies. As well as handling buyouts, the team also counsels clients on disposals and bolt-on transactions. Paul Amiss and Nicholas Usher lead the team; Amiss acts for PE houses and family offices on cross-border mandates as well as advising founders and entrepreneurs on sales. Usher is noted for his active practice advising American funds entering the UK market. Ian Borman is the name to note on the financing side.
Practice head(s):
Paul Amiss; Nicholas Usher
Other key lawyers:
Ian Borman
Testimonials
‘The Winston team is both innovative and collaborative. They are at the forefront of developments such as the use of SPACs, have strength within the London market and have a very impressive team across the US.’
‘High technical capability, strong work ethic, very professional, great culture of problem solving and polite to deal with.’
‘Paul Amiss and Ian Borman are well-established partners with a great reputation. Nicholas Usher has a great deal of experience on public deals, which shows when you work with him.’
Key clients
ACON Investments
Blackrock Investment Management
Capdesia Group Limited
General American Capital Partners
Group Emera
Hudson Hill Capital
Kainos Capital
Longshore Capital
Stephens Capital Partners
Upper90 Capital Management
Volery Capital Management LLC
Water Street Healthcare Partners
Work highlights
- Advised French care group Emera in its acquisition of a majority stake in Irish nursing homes operator Virtue Group.
- Represented Hudson Hill Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in InXpress Holdings Ltd, an international logistics franchisor serving customers through a network of almost 500 franchises in 14 countries.
- Represented Capdesia Group Limited on their platform investment in Wasabi restaurants.