Private Equity

We’ve been advising on successful private equity platform investments, private equity platform sales, national and cross border private equity add-on transactions and management team rollovers/reinvestments for over 20 years and we are embedded in market practices as they evolve.

In fact, we’re passionate about success, and that passion extends beyond the deal. We’re aligned with our clients on value creation through strategic advice and we aim to be more than just ‘an adviser’. We’re vested stakeholders in your business and ultimately become brand ambassadors for our PE sponsors through their investments. We devote time and effort into the whole investment life cycle, from initial platform deals, acting for portfolio companies and their management teams throughout their private equity-backed partnership to exit and beyond.

Our lead private equity lawyers are supported by their specialist colleagues from all parts of the firm. If your transaction needs a complicated tax structure, advice on merger control, sanctions, national security investment compliance or international employee arrangements – to name a few – we pull in the right team of lawyers to assist you. And because of our independent one office strategy, we all know each other well and can consult quickly on issues as they arise. For you, that delivers joined up advice, which saves time and cost.

What makes us – and our clients – successful?

We always ask the same question. Why? Why should you invest? Why should this business exist? Why will it succeed? Understanding that “why” – whether it’s about saving jobs, building a bigger and better business, protecting a brand or maintaining a consumer favourite – is essential for us to deliver the strategic and goal oriented advice required.

We build relationships. We’ll get to know private equity sponsors, management teams and portfolio companies so that we’re all aligned behind what success looks like.

We look for improvements, all the time, at all stages of a transaction. Sometimes, fundamental change comes about, often driven by technology and other software to drive efficiencies and ensure our deal lawyers are focused on strategic and value enhancing advice. Sometimes, we see marginal gains to be made as we challenge our own internal processes in areas like due diligence. If it makes things better, we’ll do it.

We’re fiercely independent, and so when our clients need advice from lawyers overseas, we involve, high quality independent firms from the required jurisdictions who we know and regularly work with. We know our clients, and so we’re always able to involve a firm that’s right for the transaction, and right for them.

We care. Our reward is seeing your success, knowing we’ve been your partner along the way.

Shortlisted – Private Equity Team of the Year, Legal Business Awards 2022

The team is recognised in industry and was shortlisted for Private Equity Team of the Year Legal Business Awards, 2022.