Legal Business

A boon for Global London firms on big-ticket buyouts as US investors target hot tech assets

The take-private market has cooled after a prolonged spree of deals across Europe but US investors have continued to pile cash into non-domestic assets, with Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Baker McKenzie and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett all commanding lead roles on multi-billion-dollar transactions with a tech flavour in recent weeks.

Blackstone’s proposed $3bn acquisition of a majority stake in MagicLab, the London-based dating and social networking app start-up, spelled instant attraction for transatlantic teams from Simpson Thacher and Bakers.