Industry
Weekly round-up: changes at the helm
N+1 Mercapital CEO resigns; Andrew Steel leaves HIG Capital; traditional corporate finance advisory fees fall under fire...
Hogan Lovells merges with South Africa's Routledge Modise
Hogan Lovells is to merge with South African law firm Routledge Modise, with the combination set to go live on 1 December.
GE Capital and Ares refinance Astorg's Ethypharm
GE Capital and Ares Management have provided Astorg Partners portfolio company Ethypharm with a €170m unitranche facility.
Women still under-represented in French investment teams
Although French private equity houses are increasingly trying to address the situation, women remain vastly under-represented in investment teams and in more senior roles, according to the latest survey by Deloitte and trade body AFIC.
UBS puts Reid in charge of secondaries
Following a string of departures, UBS has named Rodney Reid as its latest head of European private equity secondaries.
CVC exec acknowledges court case delay in F1 IPO
CVC co-founder Donald Mackenzie has acknowledged that the delay to the planned flotation of CVC's stake in Formula One can be attributed to the high court's ongoing legal battle with Bernie Ecclestone, according to the Financial Times.
Corporate finance fee structures: still working?
Corporate finance fees
FSN hits SEK 5.25bn final close
Pan-Nordic investor FSN Capital has reached a final close for its FSN Capital IV fund on SEK 5.25bn (€600m).
Oakley passes €300m mark for new fund
Oakley Capital has raised more than €310m towards its second fund, Oakley Capital Private Equity II.
Lloyds sells SWIP to Aberdeen Asset Management
Lloyds Banking Group has sold asset manager Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) to Aberdeen Asset Management in exchange for Aberdeen shares currently worth £560m.
German VCs struggling to raise funds, says survey
A survey published by German bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and local trade body BVK shows that German VCs are feeling increasingly gloomy about fundraising prospects.
3i continues focus on disposals
Listed private equity firm 3i is continuing to boost divestment activity, while new investments remain subdued, according to the firm's latest half-yearly results.
Partners Group raises $800m for debt programme
Partners Group has raised more than $800m for its senior secured leverage loan-focused Private Market Credit Strategies and private debt mandates.
Industry reputation failing to improve in eyes of LPs
New research has revealed that a worryingly large proportion of LPs continue to view private equity in a poor light.
Argos Soditic opens Benelux office
Mid-market private equity house Argos Soditic has officially announced the opening a new office in Brussels to better take advantage of the Benelux market.
JZCP targets Spain with new joint venture Toro Finance
Listed private equity fund JZ Capital Partners (JZCP) has teamed up with Avenue Capital Group to launch a new €400m finance company in Spain.
Ardian provides unitranche for Européenne des Desserts buyout
Ardian (formerly Axa Private Equity) has arranged a €70m unitranche facility to finance Equistone's buyout of Européenne des Desserts from Azulis Capital and Céréa Partenaire.
Babson Capital provides mezz for Teachers’ Busy Bees
Babson Capital Europe has provided a mezzanine facility to support the £220m acquisition of UK nursery chain Busy Bees by Teachers’ Private Capital last week.
Flying the nest: New wave of French spinouts
Following a decade of French spinouts from banks and insurance companies, the last few weeks have seen some of the most high-profile carve-outs to date. Greg Gille reports
Innovative GPs setting off fundraising fireworks
Innovation rewarded
Q3 Barometer: European deal volumes drop to 2005 lows
Findings from the latest unquote” Private Equity Barometer, published in association with SL Capital Partners, reveal a worrying drop in deal volumes, falling to the same level as Q4 2005.