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 representative experience includes advising:
- 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
- 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
- Cision, a portfolio company of GTCR, on the acquisition of Gorkana Group, a provider of media intelligence and insight services for PRs, marketers, and journalists
- 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