Allen & Overy's private equity play: firm targets further inroads four years on from Lloyd hire

In late 2013, following courtships with US firms including Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Ashurst corporate star Stephen Lloyd joined Allen & Overy (A&O) to co-head its global private equity practice.

Law Firms Mentioned

<a href="http://www.almcms.com/contrib

Ashurst
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Simpson Thacher Bartlett

/uploads/sites/378/2017/05/Lloyd_Stephen-Article-201705180925.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-60403" src="http://www.almcms.com/contrib

Ashurst
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Simpson Thacher Bartlett

/uploads/sites/378/2017/05/Lloyd_Stephen-Article-201705180925.jpg" alt="" width="616" height="372" /></a> In late 2013, following courtships with US firms including Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Ashurst corporate star Stephen Lloyd <a href="http://www.legalweek.com/sites/legalweek/2013/12/11/ao-partners-vote-through-hire-of-ex-ashurst-corporate-head-lloyd/">joined Allen & Overy (A&O)</a> to co-head its global private equity practice. Lloyd��s hire, and the subsequent arrival of then junior private equity partner Karan Dinamani from Ashurst <a href="http://www.legalweek.com/sites/legalweek/2014/03/04/ashurst-private-equity-partner-rejoins-stephen-lloyd-at-ao/">six months later</a>, plugged a gap in A&O��s private equity offering that had lingered since the departure of��former��global practice co-head Derek Baird <a href="http://www.legalweek.com/sites/legalweek/2012/11/08/simpson-thacher-recruits-ao-private-equity-co-head-for-city-base/">to Simpson Thacher in 2012</a>. So, nearly four years on, how is the practice performing under the leadership of Lloyd and fellow co-head Robin Harvey? Since Lloyd joined, the City corporate private equity team has grown by three partners and about 10 associates, and now houses some five partners and 15 associates. While there are no current plans to��increase��the size of the team in London, further headcount growth in Europe is on the horizon, with A&O looking��to grow the practice significantly in Germany, with��hires in France and Spain also on the agenda. According to Lloyd, the City team brought in almost ��20m of A&O's record ��1.52bn turnover in 2015-16, with partners suggesting Lloyd himself was responsible for some ��8.5m of this. One private equity partner at a US firm in London comments: ��Derek Baird was a loss for them, as he was pretty impressive, but they��ve rebuilt well. We��ve seen them across on bids that the PE guys have clearly brought in, and I hear good things about Lloyd.�� Client-wise, the A&O team��has relationships with a wide range of European, US and Canadian buyout��houses, including PAI, 3i, Apax Partners, Carlyle, Blackstone, Omers, AimCo, Exponent, Charterhouse, Apollo and HIG Capital. Of these, many are names that Lloyd worked with during his time at Ashurst, such as Apax and 3i. Others, such as PAI, represent houses that previously primarily worked with A&O on the lending side but have now extended their relationship to the buyout team. Some market peers speculate that A&O��s stellar banking credentials have hindered its private equity team's ability to build relationships with buyout houses. One PE partner at a US firm says: "There��has always been a bit of a dilemma about whether the firm wants to focus on banking or corporate, and I feel the PE practice has been a bit squashed by that tension.�� A Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner agrees, adding: ��I imagine the firm might be concerned any sponsor business would cut across its banking work. I still don��t think they��re really a major player.�� Lloyd, however, disputes this stance. He argues that fellow co-head Harvey's practice advising sponsors and their portfolio companies on the acquisition finance side of private equity transactions is helping build relationships. He says: ��I��d known Robin for a very long time [before I joined] and I trusted we would work together well. Nowadays we track down clients together, and that works very harmoniously.�� Dinamani cites PAI as a good example of a client with which a relationship has deepened through the acquisition finance side. ��Robin has historically done almost all of PAI��s debt financing work and they��ve since used us on the corporate side of things.�� Last year, Harvey and Lloyd co-led the A&O team advising PAI on its joint venture with Nestle to form a new ice cream company, while earlier this year��Lloyd and Dinamani��advised on <a href="http://www.legalweek.com/sites/legalweek/2017/05/18/magic-circle-firms-lead-on-700m-apax-acquisition/">Apax��s ��700m acquisition</a> of surface treatment and chemical application provider Safetykleen Europe from private equity fund Warburg Pincus. Lloyd now wants to focus on building deeper relationships with select clients such as CVC for mid-to-large buyouts. He says: ��There are certain funds such as CVC that we have a strong relationship with in continental Europe, but less so in London, and we want to improve that. It��s about making yourself more visible to clients.�� He adds that opportunities with US houses are also improving as they loosen what have often been tightly held single-firm relationships. He says: ��Large US private equity houses used to be seen as being very wedded to one firm. Carlyle would only use Latham, KKR and Blackstone would only use Simpson Thacher, and so on. But over the last three or four years, funds like those have actively proliferated their supplier base. "While that doesn��t mean those longstanding relationship firms aren��t doing most of their work, there are more opportunities for other firms these days. That��s really played into our hands.�� And Lloyd maintains he will stay at A&O to see the practice's development through: ��I��ll stay here as long as they want me," he says. "We��ve got a relatively young team and I want to leave behind something amazing that will go from strength to strength.�� <

Ashurst
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Simpson Thacher Bartlett

> Knitter: Too few entities/relations are generated compared to number of concepts (only 98% (88/89) concepts are converted).

Trending Stories

Lawyer, Mother and the Dark Night of the Soul: What We Are Doing to Women at Law Firms

International Edition

'A Game of Musical Chairs': Big Law's Shifting Debt Finance Scene in London

International Edition

When Big Law Buys Books of Business in Asia and Deep Pockets Backfire

International Edition

Herbert Smith Freehills Promotes 27 to Global Partnership

International Edition

Can You Be a Diligent Parent And an Equity Partner?

International Edition

People, Places & Profits, Part III: Are Law Firm Financial Metrics Keeping Pace With Inflationary Growth?

People, Places & Profits, Part II: A Look at the Geographic Destinations of the Am Law 200

A Tragic Death: How Should Big Law Respond to the Industry's Mental Health Crisis?

Featured Firms

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates P.C.
75 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Ste 101
Atlanta, GA 30308
(470) 294-1674
www.garymartinhays.com

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
2 Oliver St #608
Boston, MA 02109
(857) 444-6468
www.marksalomone.com

Smith & Hassler
1225 N Loop W #525
Houston, TX 77008
(713) 739-1250
www.smithandhassler.com

Presented by BigVoodoo

Allen & Overy's private equity play: firm targets further inroads four years on from Lloyd hire

Rose Walker

Thank you for sharing!

You Might Like

Hengeler and Freshfields Advise on €1.25B German Hotel Deal

China’s Property Crisis Marks Sidley’s Time in the Sun, But Will It Shake Up the Playing Field?

The ‘Returnity’ Crisis: Is the Legal Profession Failing Women Lawyers Returning From Maternity Leave?

How China’s Haiwen is Poaching from the West to Squeeze into the Driver’s Seat

Law Firms Mentioned

Featured Firms

More From ALM

Allen & Overy's private equity play: firm targets further inroads four years on from Lloyd hire

Rose Walker

Share with Email

Thank you for sharing!

You Might Like

Hengeler and Freshfields Advise on €1.25B German Hotel Deal

China’s Property Crisis Marks Sidley’s Time in the Sun, But Will It Shake Up the Playing Field?

The ‘Returnity’ Crisis: Is the Legal Profession Failing Women Lawyers Returning From Maternity Leave?

How China’s Haiwen is Poaching from the West to Squeeze into the Driver’s Seat

Law Firms Mentioned

Trending Stories

Featured Firms

More From ALM

Subscribe to International Edition