Richard Ward is Chair of the firm’s UK Tax practice. A broad-gauged UK corporate and transactional tax lawyer, Mr. Ward has advised an array of multinational ...
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Experience
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- OCS Group, a global facilities services business and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice portfolio company, in the £1.08 billion refinancing of its existing term and revolving credit facility.
- Bain Capital in its investment in Oak Reinsurance, and in its cornerstone investment in the Oak RE’s Lloyd’s Syndicate 2843, which will focus on global reinsurance.
- FitzWalter Capital in the formation of FitzWalter Capital Partners II, a c.$1.4 billion fund.
- Ambac in its acquisition of a majority stake in Beat Capital Partners in a transaction valued at approximately $282 million.
- ICG in the formation of ICG LP Secondaries I, a $1 billion fund specializing in acquiring buyout fund interests from limited partners.
- Morgan Stanley Capital Partners in its sale of World 50 and its related subsidiary companies to a single asset GP-led continuation fund investment vehicle managed by an affiliate of MSCP.
- Prudential Financial in the formation of Prismic Life Reinsurance, a licensed Class E Bermuda-based life and annuity reinsurance company.
- Glendower Capital in the formation of its Secondary Opportunities Fund V, a $5.8 billion global secondary private equity fund.
- Apera Asset Management, a UK-based pan-European private debt manager in the mid-market space, in Kudu Investment Management’s minority investment in Apera through an Apera affiliate.
- Global Atlantic, a retirement and life insurance company, in the closing of its $2.4 billion Ivy II reinsurance co-investment vehicle.
- LCM Partners in the formation of Credit Opportunities 4 Strategy, a €4.1 billion private credit fund.
- Gedeon Richter, the specialty pharmaceutical company, in its acquisition of OC Distributors, an Ireland-based company holding the marketing and distribution rights of a number of women’s healthcare products.
- All Seas Capital in the formation of All Seas Capital I, a $400 million debut pan-European private fund.
- Baring Vostok Capital Partners in over $185 million of sales of global depositary receipts representing common shares of Kaspi.kz, the Kazakh tech and financial services company, through accelerated bookbuilds and block trades.
- Helios Investment Partners, the leading Africa-focused private investment firm, in its acquisition of a majority stake in Maroc Datacenter, a carrier neutral data center in Morocco.
- Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, in its acquisition of a controlling interest in Arcmont Asset Management, a private debt management firm.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the financing aspects of its acquisitions of Atalian and OCS to create a global facilities management platform.
- Apera Asset Management in the formation of Apera Private Debt Fund II, a €1.27 billion pan-European mid-market private debt fund.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of a majority stake in the industrial businesses of Roper Technologies, which operates market-leading businesses that design and develop vertical software and application-specific products, in a transaction valued at $3.7 billion.
- FitzWalter Capital in the formation of FitzWalter Capital Partners I, its $920 million inaugural fund.
- Smartly.io, the leading social advertising platform, in its acquisition of Ad-Lib.io, the creative optimization platform.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the sale of its investment in Belron, a worldwide leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement, valuing the company at €21 billion, including the formation of a new special purpose vehicle formed to continue CD&R’s partnership with Belron. The transaction was named “Secondaries Deal of the Year” by Buyouts magazine.
- SPB Exchange in its $175 million initial public offering of shares to Russian and international investors with listing on SPB Exchange.
- PJSC Polyus in its issuance and placement of new ordinary shares by way of closed subscription for approximately $81 million.
- PJSC Polyus in its $700 million Eurobond offering of 3.25% notes due 2028 and a related tender offer for outstanding notes due 2023 and 2024 for the aggregate principal amount of $605.3 million.
- Development Partners International in the formation of African Development Partners III Fund, a $900 million fund investing in innovation-led companies in Africa.
- Glendower Capital in its strategic partnership with CVC, creating a combined group with total assets under management of approximately €113 billion.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in financing aspects of its £7 billion recommended cash offer for Morrisons.
- Naviera Ultranav in the combination of Ultragas ApS’s fleet business with Navigator Holdings. The combined entity will have an aggregate net asset value of approximately $1.3 billion.
- PGIM in its acquisition of Montana Capital Partners, a European-based private equity secondaries asset manager.
- American International Group in its strategic partnership with Blackstone Group for its Life & Retirement business.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Solenis in the sale of Solenis to Platinum Equity at an implied enterprise value of $5.25 billion.
- Ant Group in its agreement to form joint ventures with Mail.ru Group, USM, MegaFon, and RDIF in payments and financial services.
- GoDaddy in its acquisitions of the .club and .design domain extensions, as well as 28 domain extensions (and certain other business assets) owned and operated by Minds + Machines Group Limited (MMX).
- CANDRIAM and its affiliate New York Life Investments Alternatives in their strategic partnership with Kartesia Management, a private credit manager, and the related acquisition of a minority stake in the firm.
- Burgundy Technology Acquisition Corporation in its $300 million initial public offering.
- Exponent in a £125 million preferred equity facility for Exponent Private Equity Partners III, a £1 billion buyout fund.
- Metric Capital Partners in the formation of MCP Private Capital Fund IV, a €1.2 billion European special opportunities fund.
- GreyCastle in its sale to Monument Re, advising on the complex offshore UK / Bermuda life insurance structure. Debevoise also advised on the original establishment of GreyCastle.
- The Marandi family in its acquisition of The Conran Shop.
- A consortium of private equity investors in the proposed acquisition through a competitive auction of equity interests in a privately-held insurance company in China.
- Providence Equity Partners in its majority investment of €200 million in Smartly.io.
- GHO Capital Partners in the formation of GHO Capital Fund II, a €975 million fund which was Europe’s largest ever healthcare fund at the time of closing.
- HarbourVest Partners as lead investor in the GP-led restructuring of Bridgepoint Capital’s €4.8 billion crisis-era fund, Bridgepoint Europe IV.
- Lovell Minnick in its take-private deal for Charles Taylor, a leading provider of professional services to the global insurance market.
- Glendower Capital in the formation of Glendower Capital Secondary Opportunities Fund IV, a $2.7 billion global secondary private equity fund.
- FWD in its acquisition of MetLife Hong Kong.
- Capital Group Private Markets and other selling shareholders in the $1.85 billion sale of Eaton Towers to American Tower. The deal won the “M&A Deal of the Year” category at the IFLR1000 Sub-Saharan Africa Awards.
- The Marandi family in its acquisition of ASHS Limited, the company operating under the Anya Hindmarch brand, from Mayhoola for Investments.
- AmTrust Financial Services in the merging of its Lloyd’s business with Canopius. The transaction will create a top-five insurer at Lloyd’s with combined premiums of approximately $2.2 billion.
- AmTrust Financial Services in the sale of its domestic and international surety and credit reinsurance operations to Liberty Mutual.
- DBAY Advisors in the formation of DouglasBay Capital III Fund, a European fund making investments in small and micro-cap listed companies.
- Hamilton Insurance Group in its acquisition of Pembroke Managing Agency and Ironshore Europe DAC from Liberty Mutual.
- Apera Asset Management in the formation of its €750 million private debt platform, focussing on senior secured loans to lower mid-market businesses in German-speaking Europe, France, Benelux, the UK and Northern Europe.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of a controlling interest in Westbury Street, a leading independent contract caterer and hospitality services provider in the UK.
- Hanover Insurance in its $950 million sale of Chaucer, its Lloyd's-focused international specialty business, to China Re.
- OEConnection, a Providence Private Equity portfolio company, in its acquisition of Bluegrasscoms.
- Tishman Speyer in the formation of Tishman Speyer European Real Estate Venture Fund VIII, a €750 million Europe real estate fund.
- Canson in the formation of its $100 million co-investment fund, which will co-invest in the acquisition of a majority stake in the Financial and Risk division of Thomson Reuters.
- A leading Chinese private equity firm in a $170 million umbrella subscription line facility with Citibank N.A.
- Helios Investment Partners in fund arrangement aspects of the IPO on the London Stock Exchange of Vivo Energy, the company that distributes and markets Shell-branded fuels and lubricants to retail and commercial customers in Africa.
- Tristan Capital, the pan-European real estate investment manager, in its sale of a 40% interest in Tristan to Candriam, a New York Life affiliate.
- PJSC Polyus and its indirect subsidiary Polyus Finance in the issue of $250 million senior bonds convertible into global depositary receipts representing ordinary shares of PJSC Polyus.
- PJSC Polyus and its indirect subsidiary Polyus Finance in the $500 million Eurobond offering of 4.70% guaranteed notes due 2024.
- Norilsk Nickel in its up to $2.5 billion syndicated term loan facility with an international syndicate comprising 17 banks and financial institutions.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of a 40% ownership interest in Belron, which valued the company at €3 billion.
- Atkore in its acquisition of Flexicon.
- PJSC Polyus in a public offering of shares and depositary receipts pursuant to Regulation S/Rule 144A and listing of depositary receipts on the LSE.
- EQT in the formation of EQT Real Estate I, a €420 million Europe real estate fund.
- Bregal Freshstream in its investment in TrueNoord, an independent aircraft leasing business that specialises in the regional aircraft market.
- AIA Group in its $500 million offering in Taiwan of 4.47% senior unsecured fixed rate notes due 2047.
- Adveq in its sale to Schroders.
- Metric Capital Partners in its €100 million subscription facility with Citibank.
- Metric Capital Partners in the formation of MCP Private Capital Fund III, an €850 million European special opportunities fund.
- Argenta in the sale of Syndicate 2121 at Lloyd's and the Argenta members' agency to Hannover Re.
- Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in its investment in Datamars.
- Polyus Gold International in its $800 million Eurobond offering of 5.25% guaranteed notes due 2023.
- American International Group in its sale of its Japan life insurance business to FWD.
- Polyus Gold International in its $500 million Eurobond offering of 4.699% notes due 2022.
- Norilsk Nickel in its $500 million credit facility with a syndicate of international banks.
- American International Group in several transactions with Fairfax Financial, a leading global property and casualty insurer and reinsurer, as part of a strategic partnership in 12 jurisdictions across Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe.
- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in its $1.1 billion acquisition of Ascot from American International Group.
- MBIA in the sale of its UK subsidiary to Assured Guaranty.
- HarbourVest Partners in its £806.6 million acquisition of the investment portfolio of SVG Capital, a publicly listed investment fund. The acquisition followed an initial £1,015 million takeover offer by HarbourVest Partners for SVG Capital. The deal has been recognized by various industry award schemes, including the PEI Awards and being named Private Equity Deal Of The Year at the IFLR European Awards.
- EQT in the formation of EQT Ventures, a €566 million Europe technology/venture capital fund.
- Carlyle in the formation of Carlyle Europe Partners IV, a €3.75 billion Europe buyout fund.
- AmTrust Financial Services in its $219 million acquisition of ANV Holding, a Lloyd's platform.
- Park Square in the formation of Park Square Capital Partners III, a €1.2 billion subordinated debt fund.
- Helios Investment Partners in its acquisition of a majority stake in Telkom Kenya from The Orange Group.
- NLMK in its $400 million pre-export finance facility.
- Standard Chartered in a 15-year distribution partnership providing Manulife the exclusive right to offer its Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) product to Standard Chartered’s customers in Hong Kong, and the acquisition by Manulife of Standard Chartered’s existing MPF and Occupational Retirement Schemes Ordinance businesses.
- Park Square in the formation of Park Square Capital Credit Opportunities II, a $2.4 billion senior debt programme.
- American International Group in the sale of its Taiwan consumer and SME businesses to Nan Shan Life Insurance in Taiwan.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the financing aspects of its approximately £500 million acquisition, alongside management, of Motor Fuel Group.
- NLMK Europe Plate Division in its €250 million revolving collateralized credit facility.
- Exponent Private Equity Partners in the formation of Exponent Private Equity Partners III, a £1 billion UK buyout fund.
- TA Associates in its acquisition of Access Technology Group.
- Ares Management in the formation of Ares Europe Real Estate Fund IV, a $1.3 billion Europe real estate fund.
- Management of Sky Bet in the sale of a controlling stake in the company by Sky to funds advised by CVC, in a transaction valuing Sky Bet at £800 million.
- AXA in the sale of its mandatory pension business in Hong Kong to the Principal Financial Group.
- Temporis Capital in a £200 million lending programme for community scale renewables.
- GreyCastle in its $570 million acquisition, backed by a consortium of investors, of the run-off Life Reinsurance operations of XL Group.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice as the majority shareholder of Exova in the company’s £220 million initial public offering.
- Petroleum Equity in acquiring the operating assets of ATP’s non-debtor UK subsidiary, gaining sale approval in the U.S. Chapter 11 cases of ATP's U.S. parent and the follow-on successful CVA proceedings of ATP UK.
- AIA Group in its landmark exclusive bancassurance partnership with Citibank to distribute its insurance products to 11 countries in the Asia Pacific region. This was the largest ever bancassurance deal in Asia.
- PSAV, a Kelso & Company portfolio company, in its acquisition by affiliates of Goldman Sachs.
- The executive management and certain other shareholders of Arrow Global Group in the company's £357 million initial public offering.
- A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway in its acquisition of Hartford Life International Limited, an Irish domiciled variable annuity writer, for approximately $285 million.
- TIAA-CREF in its partnership with Henderson Group PLC to create TIAA Henderson Real Estate Limited, a new global real estate investment management company.
- One of Deutsche Bank's private equity platforms in its acquisition of interests in Calastone, Graze, Secret Escapes and Zoopla Property Group from Octopus, a leading specialist fund management company.
- Management of Vue Cinemas in the £935 million sale of the company by Doughty Hanson to OMERS Private Equity and Alberta Investment Management Corporation.
- Norilsk Nickel in its $750 million Eurobond offering of 4.375% notes due 2018.
- Uralkali in its debut $650 million Eurobond offering of 3.723% notes due 2018.
- Polyus Gold International in its debut $750 million Eurobond offering of 5.625% notes due 2020.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of a significant stake in B&M Retail.
- Cunningham Lindsey in its recapitalization by CVC Capital Partners.
- AIA Group in its $1.7 billion acquisition of ING's insurance businesses.
- Management of Novus Leisure in the company's £100 million acquisition by LGV Capital and Hutton Collins.
- Polyus Gold International in its $9 billion premium listing on the London Stock Exchange.
- Global Infrastructure Partners in the formation of Global Infrastructure Partners II, an $8.25 billion infrastructure fund.
- Stone Point Capital in its sale of an interest in Securis Investment Partners, an insurance-linked securities manager.
- Omega Insurance Holdings Limited in the partial cash offer by Haverford (Bermuda) to acquire up to 25% of Omega's common shares listed on the London Stock Exchange. (Terminated)
- Omega Insurance Holdings in its agreement with Canopius Group on the terms of a recommended £164 million all-cash bid for Omega by Canopius.
- Exal Corporation, an Ontario Teachers portfolio company, in the sale of its European division to Ardagh Group.
- Park Square Capital in the formation of Park Square Capital Partners II, an €850 million mezzanine debt fund.
- Hanover Insurance in its £313 million public bid for Chaucer Holdings.
- Helios Investment Partners in the acquisition of a controlling stake in Interswitch, Nigeria’s largest electronic transaction switching and payment processing service provider, from several Nigerian banks.
- Novae Group plc on its return of £32.9 million of surplus capital to shareholders through an innovative B and C share scheme.
- Exova in its £155 million high-yield offering of 10.5% senior notes.
- Rockefeller Group International in its acquisition of a majority interest in the European real estate fund management group Europa Capital.
- American International Group in the proposed sale of AIA Group Limited to Prudential plc for $35.5 billion. (Terminated)
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of British Car Auctions.
- Rexel in its concurrent €650 million offering of 5.125% senior notes and $500 million offering of 5.250% senior notes, both due 2020.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its £417 million acquisition of Bodycote Testing Group (now Exova) from Bodycote.
- Pacific Life Insurance in its acquisition of the International Life Reinsurance segment of Scottish Re Group Limited.
- Aetna in its acquisition of the Middle Eastern, Pacific and UK operations of Goodhealth Worldwide.
- Stone Point Capital in its acquisition of a controlling interest in Cunningham Lindsey.
- Rank Group in its $3.2 billion acquisition of SIG, a Swiss packaging company.
- Catlin Insurance Company in its $600 million offering of non-cumulative perpetual preferred shares.
- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its £1.3 billion sale of Brakes, a leading foodservice distributor in the UK and France, to Bain Capital.
- Brake Bros in its £275 million PIK financing and associated return of capital to shareholders.
- Stone Point Capital and Lockton in their $170 million acquisition of the international insurance broking operations of Alexander Forbes Limited.
- Alternative investment management groups in various restructuring transactions.
Education
- University of Oxford, 1982, B.A.