Course overview
This new specialist course is tailored for lawyers seeking a comprehensive understanding of buyouts from both legal and commercial perspectives. It explores the broader context of buyout transactions, covering key non-legal elements such as finance, deal structuring, and tax in a way that directly supports and enhances legal practice.
Through a series of industry practitioner-led masterclasses, delivered by firms including Travers Smith, Macfarlanes, and Agathos Management, learners will delve into the critical issues faced by investors and management teams. Topics include in-depth guidance on negotiating share purchase agreements and the core principles of equity documentation in buyout scenarios.
Key topics include
- Being an effective lawyer – the client’s perspective
- Finance and tax fundamentals
- Deal structuring
- Negotiating the acquisition and equity documents on a buyout
- Structuring a Buyout
- Tax Issues on a Buyout
- Acquisition Masterclass: Negotiating Share Purchase Agreements
- Equity Masterclass: Negotiating Equity Documents on a Buyout
What will delegates take away?
- Comprehensive Buyout Knowledge
Gain a well-rounded understanding of buyout transactions, integrating legal expertise with commercial awareness across finance, structuring, and tax. - Practical Deal Experience
Learn directly from leading practitioners at Travers Smith, Macfarlanes and Agathos Management, with insights grounded in real-world deal execution. - Enhanced Legal Practice
Strengthen your ability to advise clients and internal stakeholders by understanding the commercial rationale behind key documents like SPAs and equity terms. - Cross-Functional Confidence
Build fluency in the broader deal context, enabling more effective collaboration with investment teams, tax advisors and financial sponsors.
Benefits to employers
- Stronger Legal-Commercial Alignment
Delegates return with sharper commercial instincts, improving the quality and relevance of legal input in buyout transactions. - Improved Deal Efficiency
Lawyers with a deeper understanding of deal dynamics can anticipate issues earlier, streamline negotiations and enhance collaboration between legal and investment teams. - Risk Mitigation
Better-informed lawyers are more equipped to identify and manage commercial risks embedded in documentation and deal structures.
FAQs about this course
What should I expect on the day?
Please arrive with plenty of time to register. Breakfast will be provided along with lunch and refreshments, with a drinks reception at the end of the day. The course will kick off with introductions, followed by content from multiple speakers as per the agenda.
What’s the dress code?
Smart casual.
What should I bring with me?
You may wish to bring something to work on/ to take notes, such as a laptop or iPad (we will provide note pads and pens).
Will materials be shared with delegates?
Yes, all materials including slides and case studies will be shared with delegates.
Course Director
The course is led by Isaac Paine. Learn more about him below.
Isaac Paine
Isaac is a senior associate at Mayer Brown and specialises in advising private equity sponsors on all stages of the investment lifecycle, including leveraged buyouts, minority investments, exits and portfolio company matters. He also has significant experience advising on complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions.
Isaac has been recognised by the UK Legal 500 as a key lawyer for mid-market private equity transactions.
Guest speakers
The course features guest speakers with a wealth of expertise and experience from across the private capital industry. Click a speaker below to learn more about them.
Alex Dixon
Alex is a Partner in the Private Equity and Financial Sponsors Group of Travers Smith. Alex is a corporate lawyer with 15+ years' experience, specialising in pan-European and international private equity and M&A transactions. His clients include corporates, institutional investors, alternative asset managers, senior management teams, sports leagues, founders and investee companies.
Alex has deep experience advising on a full range of transactions including leveraged buyouts, bolt-on acquisitions, carve-outs, co-investments, private equity exits, distressed M&A, private equity investment into sports, reorganisations and restructurings together with advising on general corporate matters.
Devan Chhaniyara
As an Associate Director within Deloitte's M&A tax group, Devan possesses significant expertise in UK and international tax, advising private equity clients through complex buy-side and sell-side transactions across various sectors and asset classes. His specialisation includes tax structuring, tax due diligence, and deal execution. Complementing his advisory role, Devan has also gained invaluable in-house experience at a Private Equity House/Family Office, where he was responsible for leading tax matters, managing M&A transactions, and resolving fund and portfolio-level issues.
Felicity Powell
Felicity advises on a broad range of domestic and cross-border matters, including private equity transactions, private M&A acquisitions and disposals and restructurings. Felicity acts for a wide range of clients including private equity houses, large corporates and management teams.
Advising Epiris on an investment by global investment firm HPS Investment Partners into its portfolio company Nucleus. Advising the owners of Memoria, a UK developer and operator of high-quality private crematoria and memorial parks, on its sale to investment management company Darwin Alternatives. Advising James Hay Holdings, a portfolio company of Epiris, on its recommended offer for Nucleus Financial Group plc. Advising BMS Group on the investment of £500m by affiliates of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) and Preservation Capital Partners (PCP). Advising specialist healthcare private equity investor GHO Capital on its acquisition of Sterling Pharmaceuticals. Advising Pioneer Underwriters on the transfer of its ongoing portfolio together with underwriting and support staff to California-based speciality insurance company K2 Insurance Services. Advising certain members of the senior management team of Formula One on its sale to US firm Liberty Media. Advising the senior management teams of numerous private equity backed companies including Moto and EnServe. Advising Arcus Infrastructure Partners on its acquisition of Workdry International Limited. Advising independent specialty insurance and reinsurance broker BMS Group on an agreement with Eurazeo for an additional investment which values the business at £1.75bn.
Fraser Johnston
Fraser is a Partner in Deloitte’s M&A tax group. He has over 16 years of experience in UK and international tax; working primarily with private equity houses. Fraser specialises in buy-side acquisition tax structuring and due diligence for private equity clients on domestic and multi-national transactions.
Fraser has also advised a number of leading private equity and alternative lenders on the tax consequences of their portfolio acquisitions, disposals and refinancings.
James Bakewell
James joined Agathos in 2022 as a Partner and Investment Committee member. He is focussed on making new investments and developing market leading service-oriented businesses across Business Services, Compliance, Healthcare and Education sectors. James has a passion for supporting the growth of founder-owned, founder-managed businesses in the UK. He thoroughly enjoys the challenge of identifying clear and unique strategies and harmonising teams around a shared vision to deliver fast-paced growth.
Jordan Treacy-Jacobs
Jordan advises on a broad range of domestic and cross-border matters, including private equity transactions, private M&A acquisitions, JVs and corporate restructurings. Jordan acts for a wide range of clients including private equity houses, management teams and large corporates. He has advised on a variety of private acquisitions, private equity transactions and corporate governance matters.
Advising leading Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Lebara on its strategic partnership with Waterland Private Equity. Advising Caledonia on the sale of 7IM to Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Advising 7IM on its acquisition of Amicus Wealth as part of 7IM’s broader growth strategy. Advising Arcus Infrastructure Partners on its acquisition of Workdry International Limited. Advising Argus Media in connection with investments by General Atlantic and Hg Capital. Advising the sellers of the St Giles insurance group on the sale to the PIB group.
Tim Hughes
Tim leads the firms European team advising on management incentives in private equity. He has over almost 30 years experience working in the private equity market across Europe with all the major European PE Houses, and has one of the broadest experience of practitioners in the area, having advised on corporate acquisition structures, fund structures before moving to advise on incentivisation structures.
Tim has worked in the incentivisation arena for over 20 years advising PE houses on their own structures, acquisitions of some of the largest listed companies, but also PE houses own incentive structures and in some cases listing of the PE house itself.
CPD accreditation
This course is CPD accredited by the CPD Certification Service for 8 hours. By attending this course, you will receive a digital certificate from Diplomasafe. This certificate allows you to share and save your new CPD accredited qualification on LinkedIn, adding instantly verifiable credentials and strengthening your professional profile.
Code of Conduct - Attendance at L&D courses
UK Private Capital is committed to bringing members together in a professional environment to collaborate and network. We have established this code of conduct to provide guidelines to participants, and to ensure that all participants understand what behaviour is expected of them at our training courses.
