Investment Funds: Private Equity | UK

A commanding force in the private equity space, Kirkland & Ellis handles an exceptional volume of high-profile formation work. Its funds group is well versed in raising for buyout funds, funds of funds real estate and infrastructure funds, as well as large secondary transactions. The firm represents a large number of the leading European asset managers and private equity sponsors. Its practice is complemented by tax, regulatory, securities and ERISA expertise at the firm. The department is also able to draw on the experience of a wide range of international teams to assist on cross-border matters for global clients. Kirkland & Ellis has enjoyed notable growth in its real estate funds capabilities in recent years.

Among the dominant forces in the big-ticket buyout space, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett exclusively handles the largest European fund formation mandates. The funds team offers managers an excellent platform for multibillion-pound launches in London, with innovative structuring solutions. Additional areas of expertise include secondaries transactions. Its enviable client list includes the largest US and European private equity firms, and the department continues to advise these clients on their most significant fundraisings.

With a dominant private funds group, Clifford Chance has expertise across the range of structures and asset classes. The team is well known for debt, real asset and upper mid-market private equity fund formation work, and especially for its market-leading real estate debt offering. The firm's global resources are fully utilised by the London team, which is able to offer advice to clients from around the world. It acts for an impressive list of clients, including high-profile UK, European and global fund managers.

Debevoise & Plimpton has a strong private equity funds practice that is regularly called upon for large pan-European formations by managers, large secondary transactions for buyers or sellers, and complex alternative capital raises. Debevoise's funds team also has additional experience in acting for investors in private funds. Funds targeting assets in emerging markets continue to be a core focus for the department, which offers sponsors full compliance and tax advice for both the US and EU regulatory landscapes.

Fried Frank frequently advises clients on fund formation matters across a broad spectrum of asset classes. The team is adept at advising on a wide array of fund work, from fundraisings and acquisitions to secondary investments and co-investments. The London office is able to leverage the firm's strong New York funds offering to advise its client base of European alternative asset managers and private equity sponsors.

Goodwin has a strong presence in the London real estate funds market, with a bench of respected specialists and an ever-increasing workload of European formation matters. The team also offers a notable team of experts in the private equity funds sphere. With the additional strength of the firm's sizeable US platform, Goodwin offers a full service for leading real estate managers looking for transatlantic coverage and expertise. The team is also adept in handling everything from fund establishment to restructurings and closures.

Proskauer Rose has an impressive global client base consisting of sponsors and institutional investors. The team maintains a standout buyout fund formation practice as well as a flourishing buy and sell-side secondaries practice that acts for some of the largest funds of funds. The firm is also notable for its work relating to debt and venture funds.

Akin has a notable private funds group that advises on hedge and private equity fund formation, as well as advice on regulation. The team has broad experience across an array of asset classes, including real estate, infrastructure and credit. It comes highly recommended in the hedge fund space, where it boasts deep expertise in US and EU regulations, tax and complex restructurings. Akin also advises many large alternative asset managers as well as startups.

Macfarlanes boasts a respected investment management group that acts for sponsors and investors. Its impressive team covers a broad array of fund mandates. Macfarlanes is notable for its work advising UK managers looking to raise mid-market buyout funds, with a team that includes regulatory experts and fully integrated tax specialists. Real estate and real estate debt funds form a core focus of the group, as do open-ended structures for retail funds.

Paul Hastings' investment funds team is known for its substantial private equity and investment funds offering. It ably assists clients on fund management, raising, closing and other corporate and transactional mandates. The team readily advises on debt and equity funds, as well as providing extensive support to clients setting up venture capital funds. The investment funds group is further known for its work with investors and LPs.

Weil has an exceptional private funds team that is active across EMEA and the USA, offering integrated and holistic fund services in formation, marketing, tax and secondary transactions. Private equity, real estate and infrastructure are the focuses of the team. The department counts large fund managers among its client base.

Ashurst has a noted private funds practice that acts for private equity sponsors on both high-cap and mid-market fund launches. Private equity, infrastructure and credit are among the areas in which the team has strength. It also advises large institutional investors.

Dechert is a respected player in the alternative asset management space and a well-established and active participant in the hedge fund area for both startups and large institutional clients. The firm has global capability, with experience advising on fundraising across the USA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The team provides comprehensive compliance and regulatory expertise, as well as regional expertise through its offices in Ireland and Luxembourg.

Latham & Watkins advises on fundraises for some of the largest funds in the market, while also working with sovereign wealth funds and cornerstone investors. In addition to fund formation, the team advises on co-investments and secondaries matters. Its client base is truly international, receiving instructions from clients in the Middle East, South America and Asia.

Linklaters boasts a comprehensive investment funds group with a global reach, bolstered by significant teams in Luxembourg and Frankfurt. It is regularly called upon to advise on complex and high-value mandates across a broad range of asset classes. The department focuses on real assets and private equity formation, alongside fund restructuring work. It represents some of the largest international asset managers and sovereign wealth funds in both GP and LP mandates. The funds group is known to be a leader in the debt fund space, with an excellent direct lending funds practice.

Willkie maintains a global investment funds practice group. Its London office is able to advise on the formation of secondary funds and has experience of secondary transactions, secondary directs, co-investment deals, management spinouts, managed accounts and joint ventures. The group has acted on multiple portfolio acquisitions and dispositions for a range of institutional investors, including investment banks, pension funds, endowments and fund-of-fund investors.