Geoffrey Kittredge

Partner

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London

Tel: +44 20 7786 9025

Overview

Geoffrey Kittredge, a London-based partner and Chair of Debevoise’s European Funds/Investment Management Group, focuses his practice on private investment ... Read Full Biography

Education

New York University School of Law, 1996, J.D.
Columbia University, 1992, M.B.A.
University of Virginia, 1984, B.A.

Geoffrey Kittredge, a London-based partner and Chair of Debevoise’s European Funds/Investment Management Group, focuses his practice on private investment fund formation. Mr. Kittredge represents a broad range of international private equity and other private investment funds and their sponsors, including buyout, infrastructure, energy, credit, real estate, secondaries and venture funds, as well as funds of funds. Among his recent third-party reviews:

Labelled a “private equity ace” by Legal Week.

Ranked as a Band 1 lawyer for Investment Funds by Chambers UK (2024) and listed in the guide’s Private Equity: Secondaries and Private Equity: Credit Funds Spotlight tables, clients say “for commercial sense, Geoffrey is second to none” and he is “who you want on speed dial for bet-the-company moments.” The guide has previously stated that he “provides a great combination of technical and market knowledge applied in a practical way" and “he focuses on what is important to the client.” Clients have described him as “a powerhouse of technical ability and industry” and noted that he has “tremendous experience, he is innovative when needed and he is a savvy negotiator.”

Listed as a “leading individual” for investment funds by The Legal 500 UK (2024), and included in the guide’s Hall of Fame, he has been described as “a dean of the private funds industry” and “one of the dominant figures on European fundraisings” who is “entirely composed and unflappable.” The guide has also described him as “an absolutely outstanding fund lawyer” and “a hugely experienced partner who has an immense history assisting major private equity clients. His technical knowledge, industry nous and commercial focus wrapped up in a charismatic character makes him a formidable lawyer.” Sources are quoted praising his “good funds knowledge and industry understanding, and excellent client relationship skills” and his ability to “figure out the right legal answer and the right commercial answer.”

Ranked by Chambers Global (2024) as a leading lawyer for Investment Funds – Africa-wide.

Noted by Chambers Europe (2024) as a Band 1 lawyer for investment funds. The guide describes him as “one of the most established lawyers in the London market” and “a highly skilled negotiator.” It has also said that he is “a very smooth operator who runs his team extremely well. He is always available for those knotty issues and gets to very sensible, reasonable and commercial positions with them.”

Listed as a “key lawyer” for his work in India by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2022).

Recommended as a Market Leader for Private Equity Funds by IFLR1000 (2022).

Recognised by the International Who’s Who of Private Funds Lawyers, which states that he “continues to garner worldwide praise for his private equity and investment fund formation practice. His name is ‘instantly recognizable’ and carries with it an ‘immense amount of prestige and value.’”

Listed by Expert Guides amongst the UK’s leading investment funds and private equity practitioners.

Resident in Europe since 1999 and in London since 2002, he is a member of the Legal & Regulatory Council of the Global Private Capital Association (previously the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association), and is also a member of the Legal & Accounting Committee of the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association.Mr. Kittredge represents a wide range of sponsors in their fund formation and related activities, including:

AlbaCore Capital

All Seas Capital

Apera Capital

Baring Vostok Capital Partners

Canson Capital

Centricus

DBAY Advisors

Development Partners International

DH Private Equity Partners

DN Capital

ENGIE New Ventures

Exponent Private Equity

FitzWalter Capital

Glendower Capital

Helios Investment Partners

Intermediate Capital Group

Keen Venture Partners

LCM Partners

LeapFrog Investments

Metric Capital Partners

Morgan Stanley

Park Square Capital Partners

Prudential Financial

Shorelight Partners

Temporis Capital

TPG Capital

He has published numerous articles on private investment fund related topics including “Key Developments in Fundraising in 2021,” Evercore – State of the Market (January, 2022); “Case Law update,” BVCA Technical Bulletin (November, 2020); “Emerging Managers Barometer,” BVCA (April, 2020); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,” BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising (September, 2019); “Governance in Emerging Market Private Capital,” Emerging Markets Private Equity Association(April, 2019); “First-Time Fundraising Barometer,” BVCA Report (July, 2018); “Debevoise On Brexit: The ‘No-Deal Deal’,” The Columbia Law School Blue Sky Blog (February, 2018); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses Contingency Planning For Brexit,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (December, 2017); and “Expense Allocation: The SEC Brings Down The Hammer,” Vol. 16 No. 1, Journal of Investment Compliance (May, 2015).Mr. Kittredge is a regular speaker at the Fundraising Masterclasses held by the Emerging Market Private Equity Association, including delivering sessions in Mumbai and London. Other recent speaking engagements include “Co-Investment Trends and Best Practice in Emerging Markets,” Global Private Capital Association (November, 2023); “SEC Private Funds Proposals: Developments from the United States,” BVCA: Tax, Legal and Regulatory Conference 2022 (November, 2022); “How has the LP-GP Relationship Changed?,” BVCA Private Debt Forum (March, 2022); “First Time Funds – The Legal Perspective,” First Time Fundraising Digital Workshop (February, 2021); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,“ BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising Workshop (October, 2020); “The Legal Perspective,” BVCA First Time Fundraising (February, 2020); “Latest Trends in Fund Terms and How These May Evolve,” BVCA Summit 2019 (October, 2019); “Legal Strategies: Balancing GP Interests and Maintaining Marketable Positioning to LPs,” EMPEA Masterclass – London (October, 2019); “Does the Structure Fit the Purpose?,” EMPEA Sustainable Investing in Emerging Markets Summit (October, 2019); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2019); “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2019); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,” BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising (September, 2019); “Latest Trend in Fund Terms and the Implications for Managers and Investors,” Invest Europe Investor’s Forum (March, 2019); “International Real Estate Investment Vehicles: Debt Fund Structures,” Geneva Investors' Forum (March, 2019); “The conflicts of interest LPACs are addressing. What are the current hot issues?,” BVCA Roadshow (March, 2019); “The Legal Perspective,” First Time Fundraising (February, 2019); “The current state of the secondaries market,” BVCA Secondaries Roundtable (December, 2018); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” and “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2018); “PE Funds 101,” International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) 2018; Advanced Training (September, 2018); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” and “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (March, 2018).A regular contributor to the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report, he has contributed to articles including “EU Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: Are the Trialogues Almost Over?,” “Spinouts of Private Equity Funds,” “UK Freedom of Information Act Could Spell Trouble for Private Funds,” “Advisory Committees in US and European Private Equity Funds” and “Emerging Markets Shine in a Difficult Year.”Mr. Kittredge received his B.A. in 1984 from the University of Virginia, his M.B.A. in 1992 from Columbia Business School at Columbia University in Finance and Business Economics and his J.D. in 1996 from New York University, where he was an editor of the Law Review.

Geoffrey Kittredge

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Geoffrey Kittredge

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Education

Practices

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Regional & Other Practices