Huw Thomas, Co-Chair of the London Corporate Department, is an M&A lawyer with more than a decade of experience advising on UK and international private equity and M&A transactions, joint ventures, and restructurings. He has previously spent time on secondment to BP and Deutsche Bank and regularly contributes to a number of leading industry publications including: Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis; Global Investment Funds: A Practical Guide to Structuring, Raising and Managing Funds; and Carve-out M&A Transactions: A Practical Guide.

Huw’s representative transactions include advising: 

  • Sixth Street Growth on its investment in a €285 million funding round for SumUp, a leading global financial services company
  • Epiris on the acquisition of LoneStar Group, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-performance fasteners, sealing products, precision-engineered components, and pipeline packages for the world’s industrial and energy markets
  • Atlantic Park Strategic Capital Fund on £40 million debt and equity capital investment to Morris Homes, one of the UK’s largest privately-owned housebuilders
  • Rimac Group, a leader in electrified vehicle technology, on its €500 million Series D financing
  • KSL Capital Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in Eden Hotels, the Dutch hotel group, alongside existing investor the Dijkstra family
  • Edmond de Rothschild on its acquisition of a 42.5% stake in UK-headquartered family office Hottinger Group and the transfer of its UK wealth management division to Hottinger Group
  • KSL Capital Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in Third Space, the UK luxury health and fitness brand, alongside existing sponsor Encore Capital
  • Hellman & Friedman on its acquisition of a stake in Belron, a global leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement, valuing Belron at €21 billion
  • Silver Rock on its US$125 million preferred equity investment in the Mavenir Group, an end-to-end cloud-native network software provider
  • BC Partners on the acquisition of a majority interest in Synthon International Holding B.V., a global market leader in the development of complex generics
  • Hellman & Friedman on the disposal of further minority interests in the Verisure Securitas Direct group to GIC and Corporación Financiera Alba
  • Hellman & Friedman and Blackstone on their €5.7 billion takeover offer for Scout24 AG, a leading operator of digital marketplaces
  • Chevron on the disposal of its shares and related interests in Chevron South Africa and Chevron Botswana
  • Hellman & Friedman on the disposal of a minority interest in the Verisure Securitas Direct group to GIC
  • TA Associates on the acquisition of a minority interest in Interswitch, an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company
  • Catterton Partners in connection with its combination with L Capital and L Real Estate, the private equity operations of LVMH and Groupe Arnault to form L Catterton, a new consumer-focused private equity firm   
  • Hellman & Friedman on its acquisition of Bain Capital's entire interest in Verisure Securitas Direct group
  • Cision, a portfolio company of GTCR, on the disposal of its UK operations
  • Charterhouse on the acquisition of Mirion Technologies Inc. for c. US$750 million
  • Cision, a portfolio company of GTCR, on its acquisition of Gorkana Group
  • Scout24 on the sale of a minority interest in PropertyGuru.com, a leading Asian property portal, to a consortium comprising TPG, Emtek Group, and Square Peg Capital
  • Scout24 on the sale of FriendScout, a leading online dating site in Germany, Italy, and Spain to Match.com 
  • Hellman & Friedman on the sale of Scout24 Switzerland to Ringier Digital
  • Hellman & Friedman on the acquisition of a majority interest in Scout24 from Deutsche Telekom in a €2 billion transaction 
  • Ma’aden on its acquisition of a 50% interest in the Jabal Sayid copper and gold project in Saudi Arabia from Barrick Gold Corporation 
  • Carlyle on a majority investment in Discover Exploration Limited, an oil and gas exploration company 
  • Plains Exploration & Production Company (now Freeport McMoRan Oil & Gas) on its acquisition of an interest in (and operatorship of) the Mazagan permit in Morocco
  • Qatar Holding on its buyout of NYSE Euronext’s minority investment in Qatar Exchange 
  • Manchester United on its initial public offering of 16,666,667 Class A shares on the New York Stock Exchange 
  • Qatar Holding on its strategic alliance with NYSE Euronext in respect of Qatar Exchange 
  • A European investor on the sale of a c. €1 billion portfolio of investments in infrastructure investment funds 
  • Edmond de Rothschild Group on its historic joint venture with RIT Capital Partners plc, the London-listed investment trust chaired by Lord (Jacob) Rothschild 
  • Repsol Nuevas Energías on its acquisition of SeaEnergy Renewables and the establishment of a strategic joint venture with EDP Renovaveis for the development of UK offshore wind projects 
  • ABN AMRO on the disposal of its “Prime Funds Solutions” global fund administration and custody business to Credit Suisse 
  • A confidential consortium on an abortive c. £5 billion bid for EDF’s UK power distribution assets* 
  • National Grid Carbon on its UK offshore Humber carbon capture and storage project* 
  • Statoil on joint venturing arrangements in relation to the Sheringham Shoal UK offshore wind farm* 
  • A major UK landowner on a coal bed methane development* 
  • A confidential consortium on an abortive c. £10 billion bid for British Energy plc* 
  • BP on various field agreements and third-party acquisitions and disposals*

Restructuring and Special Situations

  • The creditors committee in relation to the c. US$2 billion financing arrangements and comprehensive recapitalization of Flint Group, a global supplier to the printing and packaging sectors
  • The ad hoc committee in relation to the c. €570 million recapitalization of Hilding Anders, a leading global bedding and mattress company
  • Alcentra and KKR in relation to the recapitalization of global professional services provider Equiom, pursuant to which Alcentra became majority owner
  • The anchor investors in relation to the c. €25 million new money financing of Dümmen Orange, a Dutch-headquartered international plant and flower business by way of super senior debt and rights offerings
  • The senior creditors’ committee on the restructuring and recapitalization of Pronovias, the Spanish wedding and occasion wear business
  • The ad hoc group of senior lenders to Vue Cinemas in relation to its ongoing c. €1 billion debt and equity restructuring transaction
  • The creditors committee in relation to the €160 million rescue financing and subsequent c. €1 billion debt and equity restructuring of Naviera Armas, a Spanish passenger and freight ferry services business
  • The anchor investors in relation to the c. €50 million new money financing and corresponding c. €500 million debt restructuring of Dümmen Orange, a Dutch headquartered international plant and flower business
  • The senior creditors committee in relation to the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) and subsequent c. £740 million debt and equity restructuring via a Part 26A UK restructuring plan of PizzaExpress, the UK and international casual dining group
  • The creditors committee in relation to the c. £200 million debt restructuring of Fat Face, a UK-headquartered apparel retail business
  • The creditors committee in relation to the restructuring of Deoleo S.A., a Spanish-headquartered and global olive oil production and distribution business, involving a Spanish homologation process, partial debt for equity swap, new rights issue, and complex intra-group reorganization with business and asset hive-down
  • The senior creditors committee in relation to the c. £620 million debt and equity restructuring of Doncasters group, the UK-headquartered international manufacturer of high-precision alloy components

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham 

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • LPC, BPP Law School, London, 2006
  • GDL, BPP Law School, London, 2005
  • BA (Hons) History, Cambridge University, 2004