A team from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has accepted the “Private Equity Deal of the Year” accolade at the annual IFLR European Awards during a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel in London.

The award recognised HarbourVest’s £806.6 million acquisition of the investment portfolio of SVG Capital as the stand out private equity deal of 2016 in Europe.

The acquisition followed an initial £1,015 million takeover offer by HarbourVest Partners for SVG Capital. The deal attracted a great deal of media attention at the time, with HarbourVest fending off several rivals to obtain agreement with SVG, as well as a complex resulting asset transfer process. It showcased the increased sophistication, ambition and creativity of the private equity secondaries market, and has had a dramatic and potentially lasting impact on the listed funds sector.

The IFLR European Awards have been running for 18 years, and recognise the very best work being done by private practice law firms and in-house legal departments on deals which are shaping their markets.

The Debevoise team that advised HarbourVest was led by London partner Katherine Ashton, and included New York partners David J. Schwartz and Byungkwon Lim. The team also included London international counsel Vera Losonci, London associates Dominic Blaxill, Jacqueline Eaves, Laurence Hanesworth and Thomas Matthews, and New York associate Aaron J. Levy. Tax advice was provided by London partners Matthew D. Saronson and Richard Ward, and associate Ceinwen Rees.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.