Derek Baird

Derek Baird is a Partner in the Firm’s London office. His practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions and capital markets work for private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies and other corporate clients, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. He has been involved in private equity transactions from the start of his legal career over a quarter of a century ago. He also advises other types of clients on similar transactions.

Key matters on which Derek has worked in recent years include representing:

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Charterhouse Capital Partners in the sale of TSL Education Group Limited to a company wholly owned by funds managed by TPG Capital LLP

* CBRE Group in the acquisition of Norland Managed Services Limited

* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the acquisition and subsequent disposal of Rhiag Inter Auto Parts Italia S.p.A.

* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the acquisition of Guardian Media Group’s interests in Auto Trader Group

* Charterhouse Capital Partners in the acquisition of Skillsoft and the subsequent acquisition by Skillsoft of SumTotal

* Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co., Ltd. in its acquisition of House of Fraser

* KSL Capital Partners in the acquisition of ESPA International

* Auto Trader Group and funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the initial public offering by Auto Trader Group and its admission to the Official List in the UK and to trading on the London Stock Exchange

* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the acquisition of Azelis and the subsequent acquisition by Azelis of Koda Distribution

* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in connection with the listing of Capio AB on the Swedish Stock Exchange

* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the acquisition of Wehkamp

* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the acquisition of Idealista

* Ascential plc and funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the initial public offering by Ascential plc and its admission to the Official List in the UK and to trading on the London Stock Exchange

* Office Depot Inc. in the divestiture of its European operations
* Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP in the acquisition of sole control of Unilabs
* KKR-backed United Group in its proposed acquisition of the Croatian and Slovenian media portfolio of Central European Media Enterprises

Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Derek was a partner at Allen & Overy LLP, where he was Global Co-Head of the Private Equity sector group.

Derek was admitted as a solicitor in Scotland in 1992 and in England & Wales in 2001. He has been recognized for many years by Chambers UK in Private Equity: Buyouts (UK-Wide) and as a leading individual in Private Equity: Transactions (London) by The Legal 500 United Kingdom. He is listed in Who’s Who Legal as one of the world’s leading M&A lawyers. Derek received his undergraduate LL.B. law degree in 1989 with First Class Honors and was awarded a diploma in Legal Practice in 1990 from Glasgow University.