Transactional
Private Equity
A premier private equity practice representing many of the largest and most active financial sponsors around the world
65+ private equity partners worldwide
Tier 1 Private Equity Capability in the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia
95+ private equity associates worldwide
$283 billion+ in deal value for completed deals in 2024
Overview
Gibson Dunn’s Private Equity Practice Group is among the most highly regarded legal advisors in the private equity sector, with a wealth of experience since the inception of the industry across multiple jurisdictions and transaction types.
As a leader in the space, we represent some of the world’s largest and most active financial sponsors and investor groups, and their respective portfolio companies, on a variety of transactions ranging from growth capital transactions and cross-border carveouts to middle-market platforms, add-on transactions and multibillion-dollar take-private transactions. We provide a full-service global solution for our private equity clients as we advise on all matters from initial investments to disposals and exits, including business and financial restructurings, add-on acquisitions, minority investments, “club” transactions and leveraged recaps. Our extensive experience with a broad range of transactions allows us to advise our clients on the latest market trends and practices.
Senior lawyer involvement is prioritized through all matters and we emphasize working hand-in-hand with clients taking the time to truly understand their business so that we can focus on the real issues and achieve outstanding results. This emphasis allows us to address matters and issues in a practical and efficient manner with the client’s broader goals in mind.
We also work closely with Gibson Dunn’s regulatory, litigation, capital markets, financing, tax and investment funds practices to provide in-house expertise on issues such as antitrust, disputes, financial services regulatory, healthcare, cyber and data protection and fund management and structuring. Leveraging our international network, including in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, our Private Equity team provides a “one stop shop” to our clients on cross-border transactions. This collaborative and full-service approach to legal services allows us to provide our clients with comprehensive solutions to a variety of matters through the life-cycle of their investments.
“The Gibson team has the expertise and creativity to handle our most complex and important matters with fantastic results. I am consistently happy with Gibson's understanding of market terms and their practical approach to understanding and helping us achieve our business objectives.”
Chambers Global, client quote
Experience
Recent representations include:
- Elliott Investment Management: Advised on (1) Elliott’s $17 billion sale of athenahealth, a provider of cloud-based enterprise software solutions for medical groups and health systems, to Hellman & Friedman and Bain Capital; (2) $16.5 billion acquisition of Citrix Systems, Inc. (with a private equity consortium); (3) $16 billion acquisition of Nielsen Holdings plc, a marketing services company; (4) the $7.1 billion acquisition by a private investment consortium of Syneos Health, a biopharmaceutical solutions organization.
- ATL Partners: Advised on its $1.7 billion agreement with co-investor British Columbia Investment Management Corporation to sell Pilot Freight Services to A.P. Moller – Maersk.
- Veritas Capital: Advised on (1) the recapitalization of Cotiviti, a healthcare data and technology business, with affiliates of Veritas and investment funds managed by global investment firm KKR; (2) its acquisition of Wood Mackenzie, an energy business and provider of data, analytics and insights to the natural resources industry, from Verisk, a data analytics provider to the insurance and energy industries; (3) its acquisition of CAES Space Systems, a leading independent supplier of high-reliability electronic solutions for space, defense, healthcare and industrial applications, from CAES; (4) its acquisition of Verisk’s energy business, Wood Mackenzie, a globally recognized industry leader that provides quality data, analytics, and insights used to power the energy, renewables, and natural resources industry; and (5) its acquisition of Sequa Corporation, parent company of Chromalloy, a global technology company and a leading solutions provider for aircraft engines and gas turbines.
- TPG: Advised The Rise Fund, TPG’s multi-sector global impact investing strategy, in its majority investment in Presence Learning, a provider of teletherapy and software for special education and mental health providers in K-12 schools.
- Motive Partners alongside CPP Investments: Advised on a $1.4 billion investment in FNZ, a leading global provider of wealth management solutions.
- KKR: Advised on its $4.6 billion acquisition of KnowBe4, a security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, by Vista Equity Partners, an investment firm.
- Investcorp: Advised on its acquisition of Investis Digital from ECI Partners and a group of minority investors.
- MidOcean Partners: Advised on its $1 billion sale of a majority stake in Florida Food Products, a vegetable juice concentrates and derivatives maker, to Ardian.
- Platinum Equity: Advised Platinum Equity and its portfolio company Solenis, a specialty chemicals supplier to water-intensive industries, on Solenis’ $4.6 billion acquisition of Diversey Holdings, a hygiene, infection prevention and cleaning solutions provider.
- Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners: Advised these private investment firms on their €200 million investment, representing a 24% equity stake, in Alpine Racing, a Formula One (F1) team.
- RedBird IMI: Advised on its GBP£1.15 billion acquisition of All3Media, a UK television production company, from its owners Warner Bros. Discovery, an entertainment provider, and Liberty Global, a telecom company, a joint venture of investment firm RedBird Capital and Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments building high-growth media, entertainment and sports companies, on its GBP£1.15 billion acquisition of All3Media, a UK television production company, from its owners Warner Bros. Discovery, an entertainment provider, and Liberty Global, a telecom company.
- Aurora Capital Partners: Advised on its acquisition of Universal Pure, a provider of high-pressure processing (HPP) and cold chain solutions for food and beverage customers.
- CenterOak Partners: Advised CenterOak Partners and its affiliate, COP Foundations Acquisitions, Inc. on the acquisition by COP Foundations Acquisitions, Inc.