Geoffrey Bailhache

Geoffrey Bailhache is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Geoff advises on clients on complex, cross-border private equity mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, take private transactions and dispositions, among other corporate matters. Based in London, he has extensive experience spanning across geographies and industries.

Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Geoff was a Managing Director and General Counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Blackstone. In that role, he provided transactional advice for more than 10 years to Blackstone’s Private Equity and Tactical Opportunities, Energy, Infrastructure and Growth Equity Groups. Geoff also previously spent several years in private practice, advising on private equity mergers and acquisitions.

Geoff was recently named in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 for 2023 and was recognized among the top 5 private equity bankers and lawyers in EMEA for 2023 and Europe’s top M&A and finance lawyers for 2022 by MergerLinks.  

Geoff is a former member of the Board of Invest Europe. He received his LL.B. from the University of Nottingham in 2001. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales.

Recent work highlights include:

• Technology Crossover Ventures, as part of a consortium alongside EQT and Denis Ladegaillerie, in connection with the announced acquisition of 71.92% of Believe SA
• Technology Crossover Ventures, as part of a consortium alongside Permira, Blackstone and General Atlantic in its announced acquisition of Adevinta
• Corsair Capital in its strategic minority investment by British Columbia Investment Management Corporation
• Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, as part of a consortium of investors including CDP and Macquarie, in their acquisition of a controlling stake in Autostrade per l’Italia, one of Europe’s leading toll road operators
• Blackstone Capital Partners in its investments in Civica, Desotec, Huws Gray and Esdec Solar Group
• Blackstone Tactical Opportunities in its investments in Currencies Direct and Lazeo
• Blackstone Infrastructure Partners in partnership with the Benetton family, in its acquisition of Altantia SpA valuing the company at approximately $59 billion
• Huws Gray in its acquisition of the generalist builders’ merchanting business of Grafton Group plc
• Five Arrows Principal Investments in its investment in Causeway Technologies
• Bourne Leisure, a portfolio company of Blackstone, in its agreement to sell Butlin’s, the British chain of seaside resorts, to a newly formed company backed by the Harris family
• Experience prior to Simpson Thacher includes guiding Blackstone in:
  • Its $3.9 billion take private acquisition of Paysafe Group, its approximately €1.36 billion public takeover of NIBC, its acquisition and subsequent sale of Rothesay Life, its purchase of CIRSA and in the acquisition of a majority stake in Luminor by a consortium led by Blackstone 
  • Its £2.4 billion sale of Centre Parcs, its $2.1 billion sale of Versace and its divestment of Armacell
  • The IPOs of Scout24, Merlin Entertainments and Intertrust