News | Spain

Monday 11th December 2006

SJ Berwin is delighted to announce that - for the third year running - it was named Law Firm of the Year at the European Private Equity Awards, one of the most prestigious industry awards.  Winning the award this year is a particular achievement as for the first time the awards were voted for by EVCA members.

The European Private Equity Awards recognise the breadth and depth of expertise across the whole private equity spectrum from fund formation to transactional expertise across Western Europe. The Legal Adviser of the Year Award was decided by an online poll of EVCA member general partners. The clients were asked to assess user-friendliness, commercial awareness and value for money of the short listed firms.  According to the judges "The clients voted enthusiastically for their preferred legal adviser - SJ Berwin LLP - who scored highly across the whole range of criteria".

This award is proof of a remarkable year that SJ Berwin has had advising established and new clients on some of this year’s high profile funds and transactions across Europe - the purchase of MFI Retail, the sale of pan-European business BUS AB by STAR Capital, the acquisition of Homag Group AG, the LBO of Gartmore Investment Management and the sale of Barclays Private Equity’s majority interest in the Fives-Lille group. Fund closings include TDR Capital, Terra Firma Capital Partners, Ibersuizas Capital, Sagard, HgCapital 5, Triton II Fund and Vision Capital Partners VI.

Steven Davis, Head of Corporate Finance at the firm, commented: “We are delighted to be moving into our 25th anniversary year with this prestigious recognition from the European private equity community.  This award reflects the continued hard work of the SJ Berwin private equity team across our European network. We are very proud of them and grateful to all our clients for the recognition that they have shown.”

For further information please contact:

Steven Davis on +44(0)20 7111 2660 or by emailing steven.davis@sjberwin.com

Jonathan Blake on +44(0)20 7111 2207 or by emailing jonathan.blake@sjberwin.com

Christophe Digoy on +331 4434 1405 or by emailing christophe.digoy@sjberwin.com

Rudiger Knopf on +49 69 50 50 32 500 or by emailing rudiger.knopf@sjberwin.com

To view other press releases click here.

Founded in 1982, SJ Berwin is a leading City corporate and commercial law firm with more than 600 lawyers working across its offices in London, Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.

With more than 150 private equity lawyers, the depth and breadth of expertise of our pan-European private equity team is considerable. 

We offer the full range of private equity services, both in connection with the establishment of private equity funds and their associated incentive schemes, and on management buyouts, management buy-ins, public-to-privates and venture capital investments.

Other Recent Awards

• Law Firm of the Year at the EVCA/Real Deals European Private Equity Awards in 2004 - 2006
  
  
• UK Firm of the Year at the Legal Week Awards 2005
  
  
• Law Firm of the Year at the European Venture Capital Journal awards 2004-2006
  
  
• LBO Law Firm of the Year Finance and Law Awards in Paris 2004
  
  
• Legal Adviser of the Year at the BVCA/Real Deals Private Equity Awards 2004