Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance tops Private Equity awards for tenth year running

International law firm Clifford Chance has been named the top law firm for private equity transactions in Europe for the tenth year running, in the annual Private Equity International awards. The firm was also ranked second for European fund formation.

The awards, which are voted for by readers of Private Equity International, come after another busy year which saw Clifford Chance's private equity transactions team advise on 33 buyside deals worth €7.4bn for European private equity clients in 2010. This figure does not include work for portfolio companies, such as advising Permira portfolio company Birds Eye Iglo Group on the €805m acquisition of Findus Italia or Carlyle and Vestar portfolio company AZ Electronic Materials on its $1.46billion IPO .

David Walker, Head of Private Equity at Clifford Chance, comments: "We are delighted to have won this award yet again. It is a testament to the fantastic practice we have built right across Europe. In particular, it means a lot to us that this award was voted for by clients and industry peers."

Selected deals from 2010:

• UK: Advised Apollo Management LP and CVC Capital Partners on their recommended bid for Brit Insurance Holdings N.V, valuing the target at up to £888 million in the second largest UK public to private deal in 2010.
• Germany: Advised Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) on its strategic partnership with Rudolf Wild GmbH & Co. KG ("WILD"), involving subsidiaries in eleven European countries.
• France: Advised the Carlyle Group on the €480 million acquisition of the B&B Hotel chain.
• Italy: Permira/Birds Eye Iglo (as above)
• Poland: Advised Warburg Pincus on its PLN307.2m PIPE investment in AmRest, a restaurant operator, in one of the first PIPE transactions in the region.