Edward Ford

Ed Ford, based in the Firm’s London office, is a Partner in the Funds team focusing on the structuring and negotiation of highly complex secondary market solutions. He counsels clients on complex private markets transactions, including fundraisings, GP-led continuation funds, tenders, strip sales, NAV-financings and preferred/structured equity financings, as well as LP-led secondary activity across the capital structure.

Notable recent experience includes representing:

• EQT on seeding its AI Infrastructure strategy via a $multi-billion continuation fund in respect of the global data center developer and operator EdgeConneX. 

• Verdane on its €635 million multi-asset continuation fund, creating an extension of its partnership with the Arrive Group, Talentech and the Pet Media Group.
• MML Capital on the formation and raising of MML Dorchester SCSp, a €630 million multi-asset continuation vehicle, to acquire interests in two leading European business services companies currently held across prior MML Partnership Capital funds, alongside stakes held by other shareholders.
• CVC Capital Partners on the extension of its partnership with Good Choice, through a $640 million transfer of the business from CVC Asia IV to a CVC managed continuation fund and CVC Asia VI.
• Norvestor on the extension of its partnership with PHM Group Oy, the leading European residential property services provider and Sperre Air Power AS, a leading supplier of mission-critical compressed air system solutions to the global maritime and power plant industries, through a €multi-billion transfer of the businesses to a multi-asset GP-led continuation fund and Norvestor Fund IX.

• CVC Capital Partners on the extension of its partnership with Multiversity, the leading Italian online higher education provider, through a €multi-billion transfer of the business from CVC Capital Partners VII to a CVC managed continuation fund and CVC Capital Partners VIII.
• Cinven on the extension of its partnership with the Barentz Group, the global specialty ingredients solution provider, through a €multi-billion transfer to a GP-led continuation fund and the Eighth Cinven Fund.
• Astorg on the extension of its partnership with Normec, the leading testing, inspection and certification business, through a €multi-billion transfer of the business to a GP-led continuation fund.
• A leading European sponsor on the extension of its partnership with a leading data business through a €multi-billion transfer of the business to a GP-led continuation fund and the sponsor’s flagship fund.
• A leading European sponsor on a €hundreds of millions preferred equity financing of a mature portfolio of four private equity assets held in its third fund, with the proceeds used to trigger a liquidity event for LPs.
• Blackstone Credit & Insurance on various GP-led credit transaction and liquidity offerings, including the acquisition of the assets of Blackstone Loan Financing Limited (a LSE-listed company) and certain private credit funds.
• Apax Partners in connection with the recommended offer by Janus Bidco Limited, a newly formed entity wholly owned by Janus Topco Limited, a vehicle to be advised by Apax Partners and funded by investors including funds managed or advised by Ares Management, to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Apax Global Alpha Limited at a value of at €916.5 million on a fully diluted basis. Apax Global Alpha Limited invests in Apax Private Equity funds, amongst other assets.
• Corsair Capital on the extension of its partnership with ZEDRA, an international player in trust, corporate and fund administration services, Redpin, a specialist provider of payments and embedded software for international property transactions, and IDnow, a leading continental European identity verification platform provider through a €600 million transfer of the businesses to a multi-asset GP-led continuation fund and, in the case of IDnow, a single-asset GP-led continuation fund.
• A leading European sponsor on the GP-led tender offer in respect of a €multi-billion transaction.
• Federated Hermes on preferred equity financing for its Horizon II private equity programme, securing c.$600m from global asset manager and financing solutions provider, Carlyle AlpInvest.
• Picus Capital, a global venture capital firm, on a €150 million preferred equity financing transaction provided by Carlyle AlpInvest that provides Picus with significant capital for new investments and supports the continued growth of its existing portfolio of almost 200 companies, including Personio and Enpal.
• J-STAR on the first GP-led secondary in Japan, being the extension of its partnership with Harita Metal (a metal recycling business), Sanwa Group (a car dealership business), Sincere Holdings (a recycling and building maintenance business) and SNK holdings (a waste oil treatment business) through a ¥multi-billion transfer from three legacy private equity funds to a GP-led multi- asset continuation fund and the J-STAR No4 Investment Limited Partnership.
• Various sponsors on preferred equity and structured equity financings in order to finance GP commitments and/or incremental investments into their sponsored funds.
• Boots Pension Scheme on the disposal of the illiquid assets by the scheme in connection with the £4.8 billion full buy-in transaction by Legal & General Group plc.
• Rothesay Life plc on the acquisition and disposal of the illiquid assets of the Thales UK Pension Scheme in connection with a £2.7 billion full buy-in transaction.
• A leading fund of funds on numerous GP-led secondary transactions, including a $confidential structured exit of a mature portfolio of co-investment assets.

In addition to his focus on secondaries transactions, Ed has significant experience in advising GPs on fund formation and carried interest structuring across a range of alternative strategies, including private equity, growth equity, venture capital, private debt/credit, special situations, infrastructure and real estate.

Highly regarded in the secondaries space, Ed is praised by clients in The Legal 500 who say that “he takes the time to understand clients’ business needs and uses it to exercise strong commercial judgment.” He was recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 and also featured among Private Equity International’s “Next Gen Leaders of Secondaries: Class of 2022.”

Ed earned his LPC and GDL from BPP Law School in London in 2011 and 2010, respectively. He also received a B.A. from Durham University in 2009. Ed is admitted to practice in England and Wales.