Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment
UK Guide 2025 : UK-wide
Band 1
About
Provided by Goodwin
In the face of a competitive marketplace, elite private equity firms expect counsel with extensive experience and a stable of blue chip relationships. That’s why private equity firms have been entrusting their deals to Goodwin. We believe our position to be unique within BigLaw given the collaboration of our private equity team with our robust life sciences, technology and healthcare practices. With our largest and strongest practices working together, Goodwin is exceptionally suited to address whatever the future brings.
Our Private Equity team is a market leader in the expansive middle market sector, having earned a reputation for notable buyouts, growth equity deals and growth company representations in key sectors such as technology, healthcare, financial and business services, consumer and manufacturing. And with the breakneck pace of technology disrupting industries around the world, we are uniquely positioned to partner with our clients and embrace the promise and potential of innovation.
Our exceptional market insights and industry relationships help our clients secure deals and build equity value. Our lawyers represent early through late stage investors and companies, lenders and financial institutions, covering the full life cycle of their investments and financings – including growth equity, add-on acquisitions, re-financings, dividend recaps, leveraged buyouts and exits, and privacy and cybersecurity matters.
Chambers Review
Goodwin draws from a pool of established venture capital specialists to advise private equity sponsors, investment funds and emerging companies operating in the technology and life sciences arenas. It ably assists with initial fundraisings and all series financings. The firm's buyouts practice demonstrates proficiency in mid-market investments and exit transactions. Goodwin benefits from an extensive network of offices across the USA, which augments its cross-border strength.
Work Highlights
- Goodwin advised TowerBrook Capital Partnerson its acquisition of a majority stake in Team Eiffel and its subsidiaries. Team Eiffel is a provider of integrated consulting and project delivery.
- Goodwin advised Oxford Quantum Circuitson its USD100 million Series B financing, led by SBI Investment.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Goodwin is excellent. The team is incredibly in touch with market norms, and has very good technical knowledge to back that up."
"I find the team at Goodwin to be very capable and professional."
"The team at Goodwin is extremely collaborative and works towards our best interests. They are very good in providing support and walking us through what is feasible."
"Goodwin is excellent. The team is incredibly in touch with market norms, and has very good technical knowledge to back that up."
"I find the team at Goodwin to be very capable and professional."
"The team at Goodwin is extremely collaborative and works towards our best interests. They are very good in providing support and walking us through what is feasible."
Notable Practitioners
David Mardle maintains a destination practice for emerging technology and life sciences companies in their transactional matters. He also offers premier advice to investor clients on financings and M&A.
"David is well respected in the market."
"He’s extremely well known for working on high growth innovation companies."
"David has an exceptional ability to clearly communicate and argue complex issues. His pragmatic, commercial advice is based on extensive experience."
"David is an excellent counsel on many matters, from financing to investment to commercial execution."
"David is hugely experienced and innovative in all areas."
James Grimwood is deeply knowledgeable in private equity, with the ability to advise on complex M&A, buyouts and strategic investments. His practice encompasses diverse sector expertise and is global in scope.
"James is really excellent."
"James provided very strong client service throughout. He was actively involved in all the complex elements, whilst ensuring we had the appropriate level of support on the less contentious topics."
"James commands more serious clients who are doing bigger transactions. He acts for more sophisticated clients."
Richard Lever has an excellent track record of handling domestic and cross-border private equity deals. He represents private equity houses, corporates and management teams operating in a diverse spread of sectors.
"Richard he is really excellent and has the ability to close things and bring stuff to a successful end."
Sophie McGrath concentrates her practice on the representation of investors and emerging companies in an array of venture capital matters. She is particularly focused on the life sciences and technology spaces.
"Sophie is very knowledgeable when it comes to the market and I find her exceptionally skilled."
"Sophie has very good business sense. She always steps back and understands what we are trying to achieve."
"Sophie offers a lot of experience across the venture and technology spaces, in terms of legal and market knowledge. She is very commercial and pragmatic."
"Sophie always provides exceptional and well-rounded advice at every stage of our journey, and she demonstrated strong commercial awareness of the best outcome for the company."
Elizabeth Rhodes' venture capital expertise impresses her client base of institutional investors and emerging companies. She supports clients active in life sciences and technology sectors, including funds specialising in university spin-outs.
"We appreciate Elizabeth's guidance, responsiveness and the overall quality of work and legal advice."
"Elizabeth is an excellent operator."
"Elizabeth understands our position."
Ranked Lawyers at
Goodwin
UK-wide