Sara Pickersgill

Partner Transactional
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP

London +44 20 7469 2091

Sara Pickersgill

Overview

Sara is an excellent lawyer and one of the leading infrastructure M&A lawyers in the market. She is commercial and very user friendly. She is responsive, technical and a pleasure to work with. - Chambers UK, 2026

Sara Pickersgill is a corporate partner in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP. She has over 20 years’ experience advising private equity sponsors and infrastructure funds on complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions with a particular focus in the infrastructure, digital, energy and renewable sectors.

External Recognition

  • Chambers & Partners UK: Band 1: Infrastructure, 2026
    • “Sara is an exceptional lawyer - incredibly responsive and hard working, and she delivers clear and concise advice.”
    • “Sara is calm, considered and responsive. She takes stress away from her clients.”
    • “Sara is an excellent lawyer and one of the leading infrastructure M&A lawyers in the market. She is commercial and very user friendly. She is responsive, technical and a pleasure to work with.”
  • The Legal 500 UK: Hall of Fame: Infrastructure, 2026
    • “Sara Pickersgill is why we go to Kirkland, she is one of the best in the sector. Sara perfectly blends leadership, experience and attention to detail. She will identify the key risks/issues and get her team focused on it and then empower us as client to make deal decisions.”
  • Leading Practitioner: Infrastructure – IFLR, 2023
  • Listed in “Women Deal Stars – Alpha 2.0” – Legal Business, 2023

Prior to and since joining Kirkland, Sara has been involved in the following matters, advising:

  • Ardian on the acquisition of Energia Group
  • Apollo on the acquisition of a stake in bp Pipelines (TANAP)
  • KKR and its portfolio company Kito Crosby on the sale to Columbus McKinnon
  • KKR on the investment in Enilive
  • Apollo on the acquisition of a stake in bp Pipelines TAP
  • Ryan on the acquisition of Altus Group’s property tax services business
  • Engine No. 1 on its binding agreement with Vale to invest in Vale Base Metals (VBM)
  • Beacon Rail on its acquisition of Mitsui Rail Capital Europe
  • GI Partners on the acquisition of Digita Group from DigitalBridge
  • GIP on the acquisition of a stake in Scotia Gas Network*
  • DigitalBridge and Brookfield on the acquisition of a majority stake in GD Towers*
  • 3i Infrastructure on the acquisition of global subsea cable operator, Global Cloud Xchange (GCX)*
  • The Macquarie, 3i and AustralianSuper consortium on the bid for GTT Communications*
  • Digital9 on the acquisition of a majority stake in Arqiva being sold by CPPIB*
  • Advising on the establishment of American Tower’s pan-European platform and on its strategic partnership with CDPQ and Allianz Capital Partners*
  • ATC on the acquisition of Telxius’ Spanish, German and Latin American 31,000 tower division*
  • EQT on its bid to acquire Telia’s Nordic towers business*
  • Macquarie Asset Management on the acquisition of Polish fibre to the home network operator, INEA*
  • JPMorgan’s IIF and First State (now Igneo) on the sale of Electricity Northwest*
  • Enel, Allianz, InfraRed and Equitix on the consortium bid for Western Power Distribution*
  • 3i Infrastructure on the successful sale of Cross London Trains*
  • APG on its acquisition of Arcus’ and AMP’s stakes in Alpha Trains*
  • The winning bidding consortium on the most recent sale process for High Speed 1*
  • Equitix on its successful bid for Irish gas distribution network operator, Firmus Energy*
  • Elia, on its acquisition of an interest in Eurogrid and 50 Hertz*
  • Infracapital on its investment in the Nordic energy storage business, EnergyNest*
  • AXA on its acquisition of KKR’s interest in the Acciona Energias global renewables platform*

*Matters prior to Kirkland

Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, 2002–2022

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Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2004, Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales

Education

  • Nottingham Law SchoolLPC2000
  • Nottingham Law SchoolGDL1999
  • Cambridge UniversityB.A., Human, Social and Political Scienceswith Honours1998