Ian Keefe

Ian Keefe

Partner

Ian is a partner in the Private Equity & Financial Sponsors Group.

Ian is a corporate partner, specialising in pan-European and international private equity and M&A transactions. His clients include corporates, institutional investors, alternative asset managers, senior management teams, founders and portfolio companies.

Ian advises on a full range of transactions including leveraged buyouts, consortium deals, bolt-on acquisitions, carve-outs, co-investments, minority deals, recapitalisations, divestments, distressed M&A, public-to-privates, joint ventures, reorganisations and restructurings together with advising on general corporate matters.

Ian also advises the firm's global asset management clients on GP-stake transactions, GP succession planning (including restructuring ownership and governance arrangements) and structured secondary market liquidity solutions (including GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions).

Industry recognition

  • Ian is a regular speaker at BVCA events.
  • Ian has been recognised as a 'Rising Star' and one of "the next generation of City private equity talent" by Law.com.

Other roles and background

  • Ian trained at Travers Smith and became a partner in 2018.
  • Phoenix Equity Partners on the sale of Nexus Vehicle Rental.
  • CGE Partners and Enhesa in relation to the minority investment by Bregal Sagemount in Enhesa alongside CGE.
  • Graphite Capital on its agreement to acquire Digital Space.
  • Graphite Capital and management shareholders on the sale of Random42 to The Lockwood Group, a portfolio company of Ares Management.
  • Phoenix Equity Partners on its sale of 1000heads to Labelium Group.
  • CGE Partners on its acquisition of Datapharm.
  • TA Associates on its sale of Flashtalking to Mediaocean, a portfolio company of Vista Equity Partners.
  • ICG on its investment in 6 Point 6.
  • Bridgepoint in the sale of Miller Homes to funds advised by Apollo.
  • Bridgepoint on its investment in Itsu.
  • Bridgepoint and all other selling shareholders on the sale of Pret A Manger to JAB Holdings.
  • Phoenix Equity Partners in relation to its acquisitions of Nexus Vehicle Management and Redington.
  • ICG on its acquisition of Broadstone.
  • Bridgepoint on its acquisition of the master franchise of Burger King® in the UK.
  • An investment vehicle backed by Burger King UK, a Bridgepoint investee company, on its acquisition of Karali and Teresina Limited (the "Karali Group").
  • Marlin Equity Partners on the sale of Qualitest to Bridgepoint.
  • CGE Partners on the acquisition of Enhesa.
  • Graphite Capital on its acquisitions of Babble Cloud and Random42.
  • All selling shareholders on the sale of Offsite Archive Storage and Integrated Services Holdings (OASIS) to Montagu Private Equity.
  • CGE Partners on its acquisition of Aurora Energy Research.
  • Wiggle (backed by Bridgepoint) on its merger with CRC.
  • M&G on its investment in Atelier Capital Partners.
  • Hellman & Friedman on the sale of SSP.
  • Bridgepoint and its investee company, Element Materials Technology Group, on the public to private acquisition of Exova Group plc.
  • S.A. Brain & Company on its deal with Marston's plc to restructure its pubs business.
  • The administrators of Laura Ashley on the sale of its brand to US restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers.
  • Graphite Capital on its agreement to acquire Digital Space.

WHAT OTHERS SAY

Ian Keefe is a truly outstanding lawyer. Qualities I ascribe to Ian are trust, competence, smart, experience, thoughtfulness, commerciality.
Legal 500, 2023
My main partner contacts are Ian Keefe and Lucie Cawood. Both are very quick to respond to questions I put to them, and both are very commercial in their approach. Both stand up well to opposing lawyers on the other side of the deal.
The Legal 500 UK 2023
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