Art Ward

While at Kirkland, Art's representative matters have included: 

• The Access Group on Europe’s largest ever unitranche financing on record 

• HPS Investment Partners on the financing for the proposed majority investment in Nucleus 

• EQT on the €6.8 billion acquisition of Baring Private Equity Asia, a leading private markets investment firm 

• Livingbridge on the closing of Livingbridge 7, with aggregate capital commitments of £1.25 billion 

• EQT VI on the sale of Anticimex, a global pest control specialist 

• Ares Management Corporation on the closing of its fifth European direct lending fund, Ares Capital Europe V, with a final fund size of €11 billion

• EQT Partners in the formation of EQT Ventures II, a €660 million Europe technology/venture capital fund

• An EQT-led consortium on the CHF 10.2 billion exclusive negotiations to acquire Nestlé Skin Health, a leading global skincare company

• GIC as part of a consortium acquiring a 55% a stake in the real estate assets of French multinational hotel group AccorHotels for approximately €4.4 billion

• Global Logistics Properties (GLP) on its acquisition of European logistics business IDI Gazeley from Brookfield Asset Management for approximately US$2.8 billion. Gazeley is one of the leading owners and operators of logistics facilities in Europe with a portfolio of over 3 million sq metres in the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands

• Goldman Sachs, Park Square and NGA Human Resources on the sale of NGA’s UK mid-market and small and medium business divisions to Bain Capital Private Equity

• Partners Group on the financing aspects of its acquisition of Civica, a leading UK-based provider of specialist software, digital solutions and outsourcing services, from OMERS Private Equity

Prior to and since joining Kirkland, Art’s representative matters include advising:

Fund Formation

• Vitruvian Partners, Scottish Equity Partners, CBPE Capital on private equity fund formations

• A variety of other credit and special situations fund formations, including:

  • Formation of a €2bn+ European-focused credit fund

  • Formation of a €2bn+ European-focused special situations fund

Limited Partner Representation

• Advising a European fund of funds investor in relation to a number of investments, both primary and secondary

• Advising a number of Asian sovereign wealth investors in relation to a range of primary investments

• Advising North American pension funds in relation to primary fund investments

Other

• Advised one of Europe’s largest asset managers in relation to the sale of a UK property portfolio by way of a unit trust sale

• Acted for a US listed multinational telecommunications company on its $2bn+ acquisition / take private of a European communications company

Macfarlanes LLP, London, UK

• Associate, 2015–2017

Matheson Solicitors, Dublin, Ireland

• Trainee Solicitor, 2013–2015