Nick Tomlinson is an English and New York qualified corporate partner based in Gibson Dunn’s London office, having joined the firm in January 2001.  He has also practised out of the firm’s New York office for two years and helped establish our Dubai office.

Mr. Tomlinson advises and leads deal teams on a wide range of UK and international cross-border transactions, principally in the Private Equity, Growth Capital, Management Equity Incentivisation, Joint Venture and M&A fields. He has also worked on international capital raisings and investment banking advisory arrangements.  Given the international nature of the transactions, he often works closely with our tax, FCPA and OFAC/sanctions specialists in London and the U.S. as well our FDI and antitrust colleagues in London and Brussels.

He regularly acts for global and regional private equity firms, investment banks, family investment companies and a range of companies across a number of sectors, which include: healthcare, education, media, IT & digital infrastructure, digital communications & marketing, gaming, retail, sports & hospitality, hotels & leisure, beverages, shipping, manufacturing & distribution, mining and oil & gas.

Mr. Tomlinson is recognised by Legal 500 UK 2022 in the field of Private Equity transactions and M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals. Mr. Tomlinson is also ranked as highly regarded in IFLR1000 2022 for M&A and Private Equity.  He authored the Thomson Reuters Practical Law publication “Private equity in the UK: market and regulatory overview”, published in October 2020.

He has been a member of The Law Society of England and Wales (since 1999), and the New York State Bar (since 2005).

Representative Private Equity Transactions:

• AGIC Capital on the 2021 sale of global medical laser business Fotona to Vitruvian Partners and the related minority reinvestment arrangements.
• Novator Capital and Verne Global, an Icelandic colocation data center campus, on the 2021 sale of Verne to Digital 9 Infrastructure plc (D9), a digital infrastructure investment trust.
• Platinum Equity and its portfolio company Cision US Inc. on its 2021 $450 million acquisition of Brandwatch, a global leader in digital consumer intelligence and social media listening.
• Investcorp on its 2021  acquisition of Investis Digital, a provider of digital corporate communications and marketing services, from ECI Partners and a group of minority investors.
• L Catterton and global fitness and lifestyle brand Sweaty Betty on the 2021 sale of Sweaty Betty to Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
• Safanad on the 2021 control investment into UK care home provider HC-One and related management incentivisation plan.
• CITIC Capital on its 2020 sale of ISI Emerging Markets Group, the leading provider of macroeconomic, business and industry intelligence on global emerging markets, through a sale to Montagu Private Equity.
• Blackstone, Fajr and Mumtalakat on its 2019 sale of its stake in GEMS Education to CVC Capital.
• CITIC Capital on its acquisition of the global markets intelligence division from Euromoney plc and related management equity arrangements.
• Investcorp on the sale of portfolio company, GL Education Group, a provider of pupil and school assessment solutions for schools, to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners.
• Investcorp and its cyber security portfolio company SecureLink on the bolt-on acquisition of Nebulas, a data security specialist.

Representative Cross-Border M&A Transactions:

• AT&T alongside WarnerMedia in the $1.4 billion 2021 sale of Playdemic, Ltd., the mobile games studio responsible for Golf Clash, to Electronic Arts.
• Investcorp on its strategic acquisition of 3iDM, a credit investment company with $12bn assets under management from the 3i Group plc.
• Legends Hospitality on its acquisition of International Stadia Group (ISG), a London-based sports and entertainment company.
• National Technical Systems, Inc. on its acquisition of the NQA global certification business in the UK, India and China.
• TMK on its acquisition of a controlling interest in GIPI, an Omani steel pipe manufacturer and related shareholder and funding arrangements.
• Verra Mobility Corporation on its acquisition of Euro Parking Collection plc in the UK.
• Zayo Group on its acquisition of Viatel’s pan European dark fiber infrastructure and enterprise businesses.
• Zayo Group on its acquisition of Geo Networks, operator of high capacity fiber network in the UK.

Representative Growth Capital Transactions:

• Baker Bros as lead investor in the 2021 Series C financing of Immunocore, a clinical-stage T cell receptor biotechnology company.
• Hutch Games, a mobile video game developer and publisher, on its Series B preferred stock capital raising.
• Initial Capital on the 2020 sale of its minority preferred investment in Hutch Games, a games studio, to MTG.
• Initial Capital on the sale of its minority preferred investment in Space Ape, a social and mobile games studio, to Supercell.
• NetEase on its Series B investment into Improbable Worlds.
• Verne Global, an Icelandic colocation data center campus, in connection with its 2020 Series D capital raise; and with a warrant issuance.
• Yupp TV on minority preferred investments by Emerald Media and various connected matters.