John Connell
Partner Corporate & Finance
Languages
English
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
John Connell is a partner in our global M&A and corporate finance practice. He is Head of the firm's London M&A practice. He has a broad corporate practice and specialises in domestic and cross-border public and private M&A and private equity. He acts for both listed and private companies, financial institutions and private equity clients. He has a wide range of experience, including public takeovers, private acquisitions and disposals, private equity and growth equity investments, joint ventures, listings, capital raisings and restructurings. John advises across a broad range of sectors.
Representative experience
CVC on the c.€1.3bn acquisition, together with KKR, of Superstruct Entertainment, one of the world’s leading live entertainment operators.
MarshMcLennan on the sale of Mercer’s UK pensions administration business and U.S. health benefits administration business to Bain Capital.
Goldman Sachs on its investments in Starling Bank, Younited Bank, Trussle, Mews, Lean IX, Xempus, Salary Finance, Nutmeg, ComplyAdvantage, InCommodities, Paidy, Bud, Elwood, Zest and Recover.
Goldman Sachs on its sale of Continental Bakeries to Platinum Private Equity.
Patron Capital on the sale of Punch Pubs & Co, a leading owner of approximately 1,300 tenanted pubs in the UK, to private equity firm Fortress Investment Group.
Qatar Insurance Company on its participation of £200m investment led by Pollen Street Capital in Markerstudy Group and on ongoing strategic partnership with Markerstudy, on its acquisition of Antares.
Patron Capital on the sale of Optimum Credit.
Paysafe on its £3bn takeover by CVC and Blackstone.
Optimal Payments on its €1.1bn reverse takeover of Skrill and the related €600m rights issue to finance the acquisition.
Masthaven Bank on the sale of a £500m portfolio of residential mortgages to Starling Bank.
Intriva Capital on the buy-out of Lending Works, its subsequent business remodelling and various bolt-ons.
A major UK retail bank on the disposal of its UK mortgage business, a large leveraged loan portfolio and on a significant banking joint venture.
Advising medical devices company Penlon on its participation in the Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium (part of the UK govern’s Covid response) and advising BPL on the sale of Penlon to Medcaptain
British Airways on its £5.3bn merger with Iberia and on the flotation of International Consolidated Airlines Group on the main London market.
Cazenove on the sale of Cazenove Group Limited to J.P. Morgan for an implied £2bn value.
Resolution on its £1.8bn public takeover of Friends Provident.
Prudential on its proposed acquisition of AIA Group Limited for $34.6bn and the $21bn related rights issue.
Kesa Electricals plc on the sale of Comet Group plc and Triptych Insurance to funds advised by OpCapita.
Ineos on the establishment of oil refining and trading joint ventures valued at over £1bn with PetroChina.
Terra Firma on its acquisition of Four Seasons Health Care for £1bn.
Unilever on the auction sale of the Birds Eye frozen food business and the auction sale of the Bertolli olive oil business.
Diageo on the establishment of various join ventures with Vijay Mallya.
Credentials
- City Legal Practice Course, Nottingham Law School, 2002
- LLB (Law): First Class Honours, University of Manchester, 2001