Latham Advises Meriton Holdings on Valencia CF New Ownership Partnership
Latham & Watkins has advised Meriton Holdings Limited on a new ownership partnership in Valencia CF between Kiat Lim, President of Valencia CF, and Pitchwise Holdings, a consortium of private family offices and long-term institutional investors led by experienced sports executives Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk. Pitchwise's backers include George Roberts, co-founder and co-executive chairman of KKR, Penner Sports Group, and Henry Kravis, co-founder and co-executive chairman of KKR.
Through the purchase of shares from Meriton Holdings, Pitchwise will acquire a significant minority stake in Valencia CF. The transaction values Valencia CF at an enterprise value of €1.25 billion. Pitchwise will also provide €100 million in new capital, which will be immediately available for direct investment into the club. Meriton Holdings will remain the club's majority shareholder, and Pitchwise will ultimately hold a 42% stake in the club. The investment by Pitchwise is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
The Latham team was led by Singapore partner Amy Beckingham and Madrid partner Ignacio Pallarés, with associates Yiheng Luo, Shi Cheng Chong, Anders Seah, and Lucía De Bustos. Support was provided by London corporate partner Hector Sants and London sports partner Patrick Mitchell. Advice was also provided on tax matters by London partner Simon Skinner, with London counsel James Leslie and associate Gunel Latifova.
Latham advises market leaders across the sports ecosystem on transformative deals and high-stakes disputes, globally.
This Valencia CF transaction is the latest in a series of high-profile sports team investment deals on which the firm has advised in 2026 alone, which includes assisting 1892 Holdings, a consortium led and managed by Amit Bhatia, on the acquisition of a strategic minority stake in Liverpool FC; the Estate of Paul G. Allen in the sale of the Seattle Seahawks; the Mittal family in the acquisition of the Rajasthan Royals; the Wirtz family in the sale of its stake in the Chicago Bulls and United Center; Harbinger Sports Partners’ investment in the Las Vegas Athletics; the sellers, including Todd Boehly, on the Chelsea FC ownership transition; This Day and MARV's investment in Brentford Football Club; and on Kingdom Holding Company’s acquisition of Al Hilal Sports Club.