UK and German Advisors Team Up in Private Equity

As new players continue to flood into the German private equity market, London law firm SJ Berwin & Co and Frankfurt-based Knopf, Tulloch & Partner have teamed up to service growing opportunities in Germany and throughout Europe.

SJ Berwin senior partner David Harrell said “This is a unique opportunity to combine our skills in the private equity market with those of Knopf Tulloch & Partner, which has built a specialist reputation advising private equity clients on investments in Germany”. Anthony Tulloch of Knopf, Tulloch added “Together with SJ Berwin & Co we can provide the German business community with an unmatched combination of international and local expertise”.

Jonathan Blake, head of SJ Berwin’s private equity practice commented: “The growth in investment by UK-based private equity funds in Continental Europe is fuelling a need to provide cross-border legal and tax advice. Furthermore, cross-border issues are involved in growing numbers of European buyouts. Germany is one of the most important markets for these activities”.

SJ Berwin has been active in advising private equity groups since the birth of the European industry and has been closely involved with both the British and the European Venture Capital Associations. It has one of the largest dedicated private equity teams of any European law firm. Although SJ Berwin already has close ties with many European law firms, the link with Knopf Tulloch & Partner represents its first direct presence in Continental Europe.

Knopf, Tulloch & Partner, established by Rudiger Knopf and Anthony Tulloch in 1990, is a multidisciplinary practice that provides a full service on private equity transactions to a strong client base. As such, it represents a natural partner of SJ Berwin’s European expansion.

UK-based biotech and IT specialist Abingworth Management has moved to Princes House, 38 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6DN, tel +44 171 534 1500, fax +44 171 287 0480.

Alchemy’s German office is at Topas 2, Mergenthaler Allee 79-81, 65760 Eschborn.

Its telephone and fax numbers are, respectively, +49 6196 4755 10 and +49 6196 4755 99.

Rita Springett has joined Coller Capital as an investment director. She was previously held the position of Manager, Private Equity with Mitsubishi Corporation Finance.

Coller Capital is building its team of multinational investment professionals in the run up to the final close of Coller International Partners II. This global secondaries fund, which has a target of $200 million, held a $100 million first close in February.

CVC Capital Partners has appointed Malcolm Offord as a director. He joins CVC’s London office from Bankers Trust Company, where he was managing director of European structured finance and worked on deals including William Hill, Generale de Sante and Intertek Testing Services. He previously worked at 3i and in the European M&A department of Lazard Brothers.

This is the latest in a series of appointments to CVC offices across Europe and takes the group’s investment team to 57.

CVC has also appointed a new marketing manager, Suzy Wayne, to its London team.

She was previously marketing services manager with Business Link London. In her new role, she will be responsible for the planning and implementation of marketing, advertising, investor relations and internal communications projects for CVC’s network of nine European offices.

Jeremy Gough is returning to private equity after a year’s break to become a director of Foreign & Colonial Ventures (F&CV).

As a founding director of Morgan Grenfell Development Capital, Jeremy Gough spent the seven years leading up to his sabbatical concentrating mainly on larger buyouts. Jeremy Gough describes F&CV’s approach to investments as “much more entrepreneurial”, because of its focus on smaller, generally more complex deals, including turnarounds and longer-term, staged development capital deals. He added “The big deal market had become increasingly process-driven – very much a tombstone culture. I was missing the creativity”.

F&CV managing director James Nelson commented: “Jeremy will be an invaluable addition to the team. He is one of the most respected names in the business”.

Jeremy Gough, who spent time at 3i and Close Brothers before MGDC was established, has 16 years’ experience in the UK venture industry.

As part of its recent expansion drive (story, page 3), Mezzanine Management has recruited three investment professionals to its London office. All three are experienced international financiers. Jeremy Tebbutt joins from Deloitte & Touche; Martin Strasser has just completed his MBA at INSEAD; and Martin Dineen moves from Bank of Boston in the US.