William Yates

Head of Private Equity & Financial Sponsors

Will is Head of the Private Equity & Financial Sponsors Group.

Will is a corporate partner, specialising in international and domestic private equity and M&A transactions. His clients include corporates, institutional investors, alternative asset managers, senior management teams, founders and investee companies.

Will 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.

Will 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

Will is recognised as a "Leading Partner" for private equity by The Legal 500 2026, a “Notable Practitioner” for by IFLR1000 and is ranked by Chambers and Partners 2026.
Will has been recognised as a Private Equity "Rising Star" and one of "the next generation of City private equity talent" by Law.com.

Selected deals

August Equity on the sale of its investment in Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging to funds advised by NORD Holding.

Summa Equity on the acquisition of Peoplesafe.

LDC and Beauport Partners on the sale of Iglu.com to Flight Centre Travel Group.

Livingbridge on the sale of Jensten Group to Bain Capital.

Livingbridge, management and all other shareholders of TitanHQ on its merger with Bregal Milestone portfolio company Redstor.

Inflexion on the acquisition of a majority stake in European fintech Nomentia.

Livingbridge on its investment in CitNOW Group.

Inflexion on its investment in SteriPack Group.

Silverfleet Capital on the cross-border sale of CARE Fertility to Nordic Capital.

Inflexion and other shareholders on the £535m sale of Marley Group plc to Marshalls plc.

Inflexion on its acquisition of cloud specialist, ANS.

August Equity and the selling shareholders on the disposal of specialist care business Berkeley Home Health.

Inflexion on the takeover of Infront ASA, a public company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

Silverfleet Capital on its cross-border investment in Collectia A/S.

Inflexion on its minority investment in Huws Gray.

Livingbridge on the disposal of its investment management business of the Baronsmead VCTs and the Livingbridge Equity Funds to Gresham House PLC.

Horizon Capital on its investment in Churchesfire.

Equistone Partners Europe on its investment in Willerby.

Lothbury Investment Management Group on the cross-border investment by Nomura Real Estate.

Personable; unflappable; good comms skills. Will Yates gives impression that he's seen most things before and can deal with whatever comes up.

Will Yates is a superb and highly commercial operator.

Will is an excellent client-oriented lawyer and leads the team well.