Douglas Abernethy

Partner

London
douglas.abernethy@lw.com
+44.20.7710.4760

PRACTICES

  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)
  • Scotland (Solicitor)

EDUCATION

  • Diploma in Legal Practice, Glasgow Graduate School of Law, 2008
  • Bachelor of Law (Hons), University of Strathclyde, 2007
    First Class Honours

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

  • English

PROFILE

Douglas Abernethy represents clients in a range of complex corporate finance and M&A matters, with a particular focus on public takeovers and take-private transactions.

He delivers pragmatic and commercially driven advice on M&A matters to multinational private equity firms, financial institutions, and UK-listed companies. He represents clients in connection with significant acquisitions and divestitures involving assets in a diverse range of industries. He also advises financial institutions serving as lenders and advisors to parties on M&A transactions.

Douglas’ practice encompasses:

  • Public to private transactions
  • Listed company board advice in takeover situations
  • Takeover Code aspects of acquisition financings
  • Cross-border transactions
  • Private equity and leveraged buyouts

He brings a sophisticated understanding of the regulatory environment for takeovers of UK-listed companies garnered from his experience on secondment with the UK Takeover Panel from July 2018 to July 2020. In this role, he assisted in the regulation of some of the highest-profile takeovers in the UK market and developed an in-depth knowledge of the Takeover Code and how it is applied by the Takeover Panel.

EXPERIENCE

Douglas' experience includes advising:

  • CVC Capital Partners on its recommended cash offer for Hargreaves Lansdown plc, in a consortium alongside Nordic Capital and ADIA
  • Energy Capital Partners on its take-private of Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc, a UK incorporated company listed on Nasdaq
  • Apollo Global Management on its firm offer (in a consortium with Concord Music) for Hipgnosis Songs Royalty Fund Limited
  • Lithia Motors, Inc. on its Class 1 acquisition of Pendragon plc’s motor business (in competition with two takeover offers) and strategic partnership with Pendragon plc
  • Archimed on its recommended cash offer for Instem plc
  • Lithia Motors, Inc. on its acquisition of the Jardine Motors Group from Jardine Matheson
  • West Star Aviation on its acquisition of Jet East from UK-listed Gama Aviation plc
  • Energy Capital Partners on its recommended cash offer for Biffa plc
  • Agility Logistics, a supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation company, on its acquisition of John Menzies plc (trading as Menzies Aviation)
  • Crownpeak Technology on its acquisition of Attraqt Group plc
  • Deutsche Bank as financial adviser in relation to the offer by Bally’s Corporation for Gamesys Group plc
  • Caesars Entertainment on the financing of its recommended cash offer for William Hill
  • Platinum Equity on its acquisition of Wyndham Worldwide’s European vacation rental business
  • Leonard Green & Partners on its acquisition of CPA Global, the world's leading intellectual property management and technology company, from Cinven
  • Platinum Equity on its acquisition of Pattonair, a global aerospace and defence supply chain provider
  • Warburg Pincus on its joint venture with VinaCapital, to create a fully integrated hospitality platform including development, acquisitions, and operations across Southeast Asia
  • The Carlyle Group on the disposal of Crystal Orange Hotels, a China-based boutique hotel operator
  • MOL Logistics on its sale of JF Hillebrand Group, a provider of logistics services for the storage and transportation of beverages, to Trufidee and Cobepa
  • Frozen food retailer Findus on the disposal of its European operations to Nomad Foods
  • Advantage Sales & Marketing on its European field marketing joint venture with Smollan and WPP
  • Silverfleet Capital on its acquisition of Masai Clothing, a Danish fashion retailer
  • Carlyle Strategic Partners on its take-private of Nationwide Accident Repair Services
  • Catterton Partners on its acquisition of a UK pet food retailer from the founders
  • Actavis on its acquisition of generic pharmaceuticals company, Auden McKenzie Pharma, from the founders