13 August, 2004 Legal news, law news, law firm news & research at LAWFUELDebevoise & Plimpton LLP London advised Exponent Private Equity, a UK-based private
equity firm on the closing of its first English buy-out fund, at £400 million. The
fund has been raised in near record time, with the final closing taking place just
five months after the private placement memorandum was first issued.
The investor group included pension plans, fund of funds, insurance companies and
university endowments, with 28% of the commitments coming from the UK, 30% from
continental Europe and 42% from the US.
Exponent was founded by Richard Campin, Chris Graham, Hugh Richards and Tom
Sweet-Escott, four former senior directors of 3i’s London-based buy-out business.
Exponent will continue the founding partners’ focus on investing in larger, more
complex mid market buy-outs of UK companies and can commit up to £100 million in any
one transaction.
The Debevoise team was led by partner Marwan Al-Turki and international counsel
Geoffrey Kittredge and included partners Peter Schuur and Richard Ward, counsel
Alicia McCarthy and associates Irina Davydenkova, Kerry Westwell and John Anderson,
all of the London office. Helix Associates Limited acted as exclusive placement
agent for the fund.