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Private Equity 

The global nature of Linklaters’ private equity practice is a reflection of the globalisation of private equity houses.

The team’s experience includes advising on transactions across the major jurisdictions of Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Private equity houses, investors, funds, banks and financial institutions rely on Linklaters’ market leading global experts. Linklaters’ private equity lawyers advise clients at all stages, from establishing the fund and making investments, to ongoing portfolio assistance including restructuring advice, to exiting from those investments.

Clients benefit from market-leading funds, corporate M&A, restructuring and finance experts and their understanding of both the fund-raising, fund structuring, buyout and restructuring market. Linklaters helps clients structure the best investment methods for them, from helping sponsors position themselves to ensure they are the lead equity sponsor when looking at M&A situations to clubbing together to compete for distressed assets

Clients can also rely on the proven track record of lawyers from Linklaters’ pensions, IP and tax groups to support their private equity transactions. Sector experience covers the full spectrum of industry, from telecoms to utilities, leisure and retail. 

Recent private equity transactions include advising:

  • Triton on the sale of Bravida to Bain Capital
  • Montagu Private Equity on the acquisition of the College of Law and the acquisition of the CAP business from Emap
  • Actavis Group and a consortia of stakeholders, including Novator, DB, Landisbanki and Straumir on the sale of privately owned Actavis to Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for approximately €4.25bn
  • Bridgepoint on the acquisition of Quilter, one of the UK’s largest wealth management providers, from Morgan Stanley – one of the first deals where private equity is acquiring a FIG asset
  • HgCapital on the combined acquisition of the Iris Software Group ("ISG") and Computer Software Group ("CSG"), two separate businesses structured as one operating group
  • Terra Firma on the acquisition of Rete Rinnovabile - the largest solar energy transaction in Italy in 2010 and one of the biggest deals in the photovoltaic sector in Europe in 2010.
  • The Carlyle Group on the acquisition of Spanish media and telecommunications company, Telecable
  • The consortium of Axa Private Equity and Permira on the acquisition of online travel agency Opodo and subsequent integration with eDreams and Go Voyages
  • China Investment Corporation on its acquisition of a 8.86% stake in Thames Water
  • DP World on its acquisition of P&O and on the partial sale of their Australian ports business
  • IPIC on the acquisition of CEPSA
  • Istithmar on its acquisitions of Inchcape Shipping Services Ltd and DV3 Properties Delake Limited
  • Rio Tinto on the proposed US$19.5 billion investment by Chinalco, one of the largest foreign investments by a Chinese state owned entity

Contact

Richard Youle

Partner

(44 20) 7456 4817

richard.youle@linklaters.com

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