David Walker is an M&A lawyer with more than 25 years of experience focusing on UK and international private equity transactions. He is Global Vice Chair of the Corporate Department, the former Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins' Private Equity Practice, and recognized as a leader in his field in numerous publications.
Mr. Walker has commented and written extensively on private equity, including contributing a chapter to Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis and is the current editor of another specialist book entitled Private Equity Exits: A Practical Analysis.
Mr. Walker's experience includes advising:
- Ares and Farrow & Ball on the sale of Farrow & Ball, an iconic paint and wallpaper brand with a 75-year British heritage, to Hempel Group
- Goldman Sachs, Bowmark Capital, and Aston Lark on the sale of the Aston Lark group
- RIMES, a portfolio company of EQT, on its acquisition of Matrix IDM, an Australia-based investment data management platform
- Hellman & Friedman on its acquisition of a stake in Belron, a global leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement, valuing Belron at €21 billion
- Blackstone and CVC on the merger of Paysafe with Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) founded and led by Bill Foley
- The Carlyle Group on its agreement to acquire a majority stake in luxury, streetwear, and sportswear retailer END
- Silver Lake Partners on its substantial minority investment into IVC Evidensia group (IVC), the leading European veterinary care provider
- TowerBrook Capital Partners on the public-to-private acquisition by a consortium of investors of The AA, a UK-based company engaged in providing car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, road maps, and other services
- Leonard Green & Partners and its portfolio company CPA Global, a leader in intellectual property software and tech-enabled services, on its US$6.8 billion combination with Clarivate Plc, a leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation
- EQT on the acquisition of RIMES Technologies Corporation, a leading managed data services and RegTech solutions provider with operations across the US, Europe, and Asia
- Equistone Partners Europe on its acquisition of Moody’s Analytics Knowledge Services, a market-leading research and analytics company
- Goldman Sachs PIA on its acquisition of Aston Lark, a UK insurance broker, from Bowmark Capital
- Leonard Green & Partners on its sale of a 25% stake of TopShop/TopMan, a UK-based operator of a chain of clothing retail stores for women
- Hellman & Friedman and Blackstone on their €5.7 billion takeover offer of Scout24 AG, a leading operator of digital marketplaces — the largest ever public-to-private deal in Germany
- Hellman & Friedman on the sale of a 7.5% stake in Verisure Holding to Corporacion Financiera Alba
- Hellman & Friedman on the sale of a 10% stake in Securitas Direct Verisure Group to GIC
- Global Infrastructure Partners on the €1.94 billion acquisition of Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, an Italy-based provider of high speed rail transportation services
- A consortium led by Blackstone and CVC Capital Partners on its £2.96 billion offer for Paysafe Group plc, a leading global provider of end to end payment solutions; the deal represents the largest public-to-private deal under the UK Takeover Code since 2010
- Platinum Equity on the acquisition of Pattonair, a provider of supply chain management solutions to aerospace and defense markets
- Hellman & Friedman on the acquisition of Securitas Direct Verisure Group, a security services provider, and a subsequent disposal of a minority stake
- Global Infrastructure Partners on its disposal of a 15% stake in Compañía Logística de Hidrocarburos, a provider of oil products transportation and storage, to Borealis Infrastructure Management
- EQT on the sale by Kuoni Travel of Gullivers Travel Associates, a UK-based provider of B2B hotel accommodation and destination services, to HotelBeds Group
- Ares Management on its acquisition of Farrow & Ball, a decorative paint and wallpaper manufacturer
- Hellman & Friedman on the €2 billion acquisition of a majority interest in Scout24 Holding, an operator of online publications for classified advertisements, from Deutsche Telekom
- The Carlyle Group portfolio company Acosta Sales & Marketing on the acquisition of Reach, a sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry
- Hellman & Friedman on the sale of Scout 24 International Management AG, a digital classified advertising company, to Ringier Digital AG
- The Carlyle Group and PAI Partners on the acquisition of Custom Sensors & Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of sensing, control, and motion products
- The Carlyle Group on the acquisition of Chesapeake Corporation, a supplier of pharmaceutical and consumer packaging products, and its subsequent merger with
- Multi Packaging Solutions (MPS), to create a leading global provider of print-based specialty packaging
- Global Natural Resource Investments on the acquisition of Barclays Natural Resource Investments, a private equity firm investing in the natural resource sector
- EQT portfolio company Faerch Plast on the acquisition of Anson Packaging, a manufacturer of thermoforming packaging products for the food industry
Equistone on its creation and spin-out from Barclays Bank and on various acquisitions and disposals