Global law firm Ashurst has advised General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor, on the firm’s entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Actis, a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory conditions.
Under the terms of the agreement, Actis will become the sustainable investment arm within General Atlantic's global investment platform upon closing. The acquisition is intended to create a diversified, global investment platform with US$96 billion in combined assets under management.
The Ashurst team was led by corporate partner Rob Aird and financial regulatory partner Jake Green, supported by partners Etay Katz and Lorraine Johnston. The wider team included counsel John Gordon, senior associates Sara Hamzawi, Adam Clenton and Philip Yung, and associates Jasmin O'Reilly, Roshni Mehra and Rojeene Shadfar.
Partner Crowley Woodford and associate David Pemberton advised on employment matters, with partner Nicholas Gardner and associate Luis de Freitas advising on tax aspects. Competition advice was provided by partners Steven Vaz and Angie Ng, assisted by counsel Javier Torrecilla and associate Isabella Hunt. Partner Philip Linton and associate Robert Anderegg provided disputes advice, and partners Christopher Bates and Sunny Kumar advised on commercial contracts and IP matters, supported by senior associate Denae Erasmus, and associates Tom Brookes, Aruse Okaisabor, Emily Jones and Nilesh Ray. Global loans partner Mark Edwards and senior associate Thomas West also advised.
Jake Green said: "We are delighted to continue to support our long-standing client, General Atlantic, on this strategically important acquisition. We look forward to supporting the combined business with its continued growth and diversification strategy."
Commenting further on Ashurst's activity in the financial services sector generally, Rob Aird said: "This transaction is a testament to our continued investment in our financial institutions sector focus, which includes among others, the recent hire of Gavin Weir to our Corporate Transactions team in London. Across our business, we have experienced a significant upward trend of M&A activity across the financial services sector, particularly consolidation in the fund management industry, where we have had a number of recent instructions."