Southern Europe
EUROPE - Nordic Mezzanine holds EUR 320m close of third fund
Nordic Mezzanine has held a final close of Nordic Mezzanine Fund III on EUR 320m, an increase in fund size of 30% compared to its predecessor.
EUROPE - EVCA appoints Roberts to chief commercial officer
EVCA has appointed Mark Roberts to the newly created position of chief commercial officer.
EUROPE - Law firms Buse Heberer Fromm and Spitzweg to merge
European law firms Die Buse Heberer Fromm and Spitzweg have agreed to merge, effective 1 April 2010.
GLOBAL - Hermes creates PE advisory service for responsible investing
Institutional investor Hermes has established a service designed to advise private equity firms on implementing responsible investment principles and good corporate governance, hiring Tom Rotherham as associate director of the new business.
US/EUROPE - Atlas Venture to consolidate in Boston
Atlas Venture has announced that during 2010, the firm will streamline all of its operations from a new office in Boston.
EUROPE - Exciting times for venture
Venture's simple business model of providing equity without relying on cheap finance or financial chicanery stands it in good stead for the future, argues Index Ventures' Ben Holmes in a recent video with unquote's Rikke Eckhoff.
Let the good times roll
Expectations are positive for the new decade and with due reason, given the year we’ve left behind. Things can only improve; at the very least partially.
EUROPE - London to be worse hit if AIFM goes through
The call for tighter regulation of the private equity markets, is likely to "hit London far more than anywhere else" says Clare Grayston, partner at Nabarro in a recent video interview with unquote". See the video on www.unquote.com .
GLOBAL – Unigestion's Secondary Opportunity II hits EUR 135m first close
Privately-owned asset manager Unigestion has held a first close of Unigestion Secondary Opportunity Fund II on EUR 135m.
UK – BC Partners looking to raise EUR 5.8bn for new fund
BC Partners is reportedly planning to raise a new EUR 5.8bn fund, proof that the large-cap sector could be reviving.
ITALY - BC-backed Seat close to refinancing debt
Yellow page directory business Seat PG, backed by BC Partners, CVC Capital Partners and Permira, is close to reaching an agreement with its lenders, headed by Royal Bank of Scotland, to allow the group to partially refinance its EUR 2.8bn debt.
EUROPE - Carlyle makes senior promotions across Europe
Buyout house Carlyle has promoted 33 professionals to senior positions across its offices globally, with four in the firm's London office.
SPAIN - Providence-backed Ono to begin debt refinancing
Spanish cable operator Ono, which is backed by a private equity consortium including Providence Equity, Quadrangle Capital Partners, JP Morgan Partners and Thomas H Lee Partners, has began talks with its lenders to refinance its debt pile, which totals...
SPAIN - ValCapital acquires La Mediterránea
ValCapital has acquired glassware manufacturer La Mediterránea, which had been forced into administration two years ago after struggling with a EUR 9m debt pile.
EUROPE - HgCapital to close sixth fund on £1.85bn
Mid-market investor HgCapital is close to a final close of almost ТЃ2bn for its sixth buyout fund, above its original target.
GLOBAL - Blackstone raises $9bn so far for its sixth fund
According to reports based on a letter to its investors, Blackstone has so far raised about $9bn for its sixth buyout fund, BCP VI, and is hoping to hold a final close of the vehicle in June.
SPAIN - Apax opens Barcelona office
UK-based private equity firm Apax has opened a new office in Barcelona, over two decades after opening its Madrid practice in 1989.
Carlyle makes senior promotions across Europe
Buyout house Carlyle has promoted 33 professionals to senior positions across its offices globally, with four in the firm's London office.
ITALY - L-Capital to take stake in Dondup
L-Capital the private equity arm of luxury brand holding LVHM is to take a majority stake in fashion manufacturer Dondup; a deal that has been in the works at least since last summer.
SPAIN - Apax-backed Electro Stocks in debt-for-equity swap
ING has agreed to a debt-for-equity swap with Apax-backed electric equipment supplier Electro Stocks.
SPAIN - Iame shuts down fundraising
Iame Capital has has announced that it is no longer seeking to to raise Brand Capital Made in Spain (BCS), a EUR 500m fund launched in the first half of 2008.
GLOBAL - Big Apple pensions ripe for private equity
New York City, which boasts a pension pot of $96.4bn, is reportedly naming a private equity veteran to look after its investment, triggering conjecture that the city may put more money to work in the asset class which spent most of last year plagued by...