Of Counsel in the Firm’s London office, Derek Baird 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. Derek has been recognized for many years by Chambers UK in Private Equity: Buyouts and as a leading individual in Private Equity: Transactions by The Legal 500 UK.
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Work Highlights
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Apax Partners in numerous transactions by funds advised by it, including the acquisitions of Baltic Classifieds Group, Unilabs and Solita; the acquisition and subsequent disposal of idealista; the acquisition and subsequent disposal of Azelis; and the sale of its stake in Engineering Group
- Tosca Services and Apax Partners in Tosca’s acquisitions of Contraload and Polymer Logistics
- H.I.G. Capital in its announced acquisition of KPMG’s UK restructuring business
- Vista Equity Partners in its acquisition of Accelya
- Technology Crossover Ventures in its investment in Sportradar
- KKR-backed United Group in its acquisition of the Croatian media assets of Central European Media Enterprises
- KSL Capital Partners in the acquisition of ESPA International, and its subsequent disposal
- Apax Partners’ portfolio companies Auto Trader Group plc and Ascential plc in their IPOs
Accolades
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Chambers UK (Private Equity: Buyouts)
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The Legal 500 UK (Private Equity: Transactions)
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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England and Wales 2001
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Scotland 1992
Derek Baird is Of Counsel in the Firm’s London office. His practice focused 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 advised other types of clients on similar transactions.
Key matters on which Derek has worked in recent years include representing:
- Apax Partners in numerous transactions by funds advised by it, including the acquisitions of Baltic Classifieds Group (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia), Wehkamp (The Netherlands), Unilabs (Sweden) and Solita (Finland); the acquisition and subsequent disposal of idealista (Spain); the acquisition and subsequent disposal of Rhiag (Italy); the acquisition and subsequent disposal of Azelis (Belgium); the sale of its stake in Engineering Group (Italy); 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)
- Tosca Services and Apax Partners in Tosca’s acquisitions of Contraload and Polymer Logistics
- H.I.G. Capital in its announced acquisition of KPMG’s UK restructuring business
- Vista Equity Partners in its acquisition of Accelya
- Auto Trader Group plc in its IPO and its admission to the Official List in the UK and to trading on the London Stock Exchange
- Ascential plc in its IPO 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, the acquisition of Skillsoft and Skillsoft’s acquisition of 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
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 and as a leading individual in Private Equity: Transactions by The Legal 500 UK. 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.