Derek Baird is one of our UK qualified Corporate partners based in our London office. He has represented a number of private equity firms and corporate clients on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, public-to-private transactions, disposals and equity capital markets transactions.
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Education
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Glasgow University, 1990 Diploma in Legal Practice
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Glasgow University, 1989 LL.B Law
(First Class Honors)
Admissions
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Scotland 1992
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England and Wales 2001
Derek Baird is a Partner in the Firm’s London office. His practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions and capital markets work for private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. He has been involved in private equity transactions from the start of his legal career in 1990. He also advises other types of clients on similar transactions.
Key matters on which Derek has worked in recent years include representing:
- Apax Partners LLP in numerous transactions by funds advised by it, including in recent years the acquisitions of Baltic Classifieds Group (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia), Wehkamp (The Netherlands), Idealista (Spain), Unilabs (Sweden) and Solita (Finland); the acquisition and subsequent disposal of Rhiag (Italy); the acquisition and subsequent disposal of Azelis (Belgium); the listing of Capio AB (Sweden) on the Swedish Stock Exchange; and the investments in UK companies Auto Trader Group and Top Right Group (becoming Ascential)
- Auto Trader Group in its initial public offering and its admission to the Official List in the UK and to trading on the London Stock Exchange
- Ascential plc in its initial public offering and its admission to the Official List in the UK and to trading on the London Stock Exchange
- Technology Crossover Ventures in its investment in Sportradar
- Charterhouse Capital Partners in the sale of TSL Education Group Limited to TPG Capital, and in its acquisition of Skillsoft and SumTotal
- KSL Capital Partners in the acquisition of ESPA International, and its subsequent disposal
- KKR-backed United Group in its acquisition of the Croatian media assets of Central European Media Enterprises
Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Derek was a partner at Allen & Overy LLP, where he was Global Co-Head of the Private Equity sector group.
Derek was admitted as a solicitor in Scotland in 1992 and in England & Wales in 2001. He has been recognized for many years by Chambers UK in Private Equity: Buyouts (UK-Wide) and as a leading individual in Private Equity: Transactions (London) by The Legal 500 United Kingdom. He is listed in Who’s Who Legal as one of the world’s leading M&A lawyers. Derek received his undergraduate LL.B. law degree in 1989 with First Class Honors and was awarded a diploma in Legal Practice in 1990 from Glasgow University.