Francesco Castaldi advises private equity sponsors, family offices and private companies in connection with the negotiation and structuring of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, divestitures, private equity investments, venture capital and growth equity investments, recapitalizations and restructurings. He also has significant experience in related corporate governance, executive compensation and general corporate matters.
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Work Highlights
Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes advising:
- GTCR in numerous transactions, including the acquisition of a majority stake in Worldpay in a transaction valuing the business at $18.5 billion; the sale of Worldpay in a transaction valuing the business at $24.25 billion; the $1.33 billion investment in Tricentis Corporation valuing the business at $4.5 billion; the acquisitions of Senske Services, Emerald Lawns and Pro Turf; the sale of RevSpring; the investment by Berkshire Partners in Point Broadband; and the $2.5 billion sale of Lytx to Permira Funds
- Thomas H. Lee Partners in numerous transactions, including the investment in Smile Doctors; the acquisition of Optricity; the investment by Genstar Capital in AmeriLife Group; and the acquisition of Technology Services Group
- Audax Group in numerous transactions, including the acquisition and subsequent sale of Stonewall Kitchen; the sale of Rogue Wave; and the sale of Coolsys
- Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Company in the investment in and subsequent sale of ClareMedica Health Partners
- A family office portfolio company in the $250 million private placement of preferred equity
Education
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Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 2018 J.D.
Associate Editor, Northwestern University Law Review
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Dominican University, 2015 M.A.
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Northwestern University, 2013 B.A.
Clerkships
- Judicial Extern, Hon. Robert Blakey, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2016
Francesco Castaldi is a Partner in the Firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Based in Chicago, he advises private equity sponsors, family offices and private companies in connection with the negotiation and structuring of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, divestitures, private equity investments, venture capital and growth equity investments, recapitalizations and restructurings. He also has significant experience in related corporate governance, executive compensation and general corporate matters.
Francesco has represented clients across a variety of industries on matters ranging from middle-market to multibillion-dollar transactions. He was also named a “Rising Star” from Super Lawyers in 2025-2026.
Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes advising:
- GTCR in numerous transactions, including the acquisition of a majority stake in Worldpay in a transaction valuing the business at $18.5 billion; the sale of Worldpay in a transaction valuing the business at $24.25 billion; the $1.33 billion investment in Tricentis Corporation valuing the business at $4.5 billion; the acquisitions of Senske Services, Emerald Lawns and Pro Turf; the sale of RevSpring; the investment by Berkshire Partners in Point Broadband; and the $2.5 billion sale of Lytx to Permira Funds
- Thomas H. Lee Partners in numerous transactions, including the investment in Smile Doctors; the acquisition of Optricity; the investment by Genstar Capital in AmeriLife Group; and the acquisition of Technology Services Group
- Audax Group in numerous transactions, including the acquisition and subsequent sale of Stonewall Kitchen; the sale of Rogue Wave; and the sale of Coolsys
- Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Company in the investment in and subsequent sale of ClareMedica Health Partners
- A family office portfolio company in the $250 million private placement of preferred equity
- Madison Dearborn Partners in the acquisition of Velocity Technology Solutions
- ParkerGale Capital in the sale of Profisee
- Assured Partners in the acquisition of Murray Insurance Associates
- Estancia Capital Management in the acquisition of Geneva Capital Management
- SK Capital in the acquisition of Deltech Holdings
- Summit Partners in the sale of Healthline Media
- New Water Capital in the acquisition of Saline Lectronics
- Technology Crossover Ventures in the acquisition of Rave Mobile Safety
- Resilience Capital Partners in the sale of Thermal Solutions Manufacturing
- Linden Capital Partners in the investment in IVX Health
- Vesey Street Capital Partners in the recapitalization of QualityMetric
- Thoma Bravo in the acquisition of a management software company
Francesco was Judicial Extern for the Hon. Robert Blakey, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2016. He received his J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2018, where he was Associate Editor of Northwestern University Law Review. He also received his M.A. in teaching from Dominican University in 2015 and his B.A. from Northwestern University in 2013. Francesco is admitted to practice in Illinois.