Maria Ledeneva

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ('Freshfields') has advised PAI Partners on the acquisition of a co-controlling stake in the Azets group (‘Azets’). Azets is a leading provider of business-critical accounting, tax, payroll, audit and advisory services to SMEs and has operations in the UK, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. From completion, Azets will be jointly controlled by PAI and Azets’ existing majority owner, Hg Capital. Azets announced that the investment by PAI will enable Azets to deliver on future opportunities to help support Azets’ thousands of clients and colleagues globally, deepening its presence in new and existing markets across Europe through a combination of organic growth and further strategic M&A. The Freshfields team is being led by partner Rebecca Ward and senior associate Maria Ledeneva.  The team includes partners Ali Kirby-Harris, Peter Clements, and James Smethurst.

Jun 27

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has announced the appointment of 23 new partners with effect from 1 May 2024. The newly promoted partners represent all five practice groups and regions reflecting Freshfields’ global strategy and ongoing commitment to invest in talent around the globe. Freshfields’ Senior Partner Georgia Dawson said: “We’re delighted to welcome these colleagues into the global partnership. They represent the best of Freshfields through the excellence of their work and the values they uphold. Their talent and expertise will enrich our bench of market-leading lawyers globally for the benefit of our clients and the wider firm. I look forward to working with them in the years ahead.” The full list of new partners is set out below: Antitrust, Competition and Trade Dominic Divivier, Düsseldorf Ilka Oberländer, Munich Vanessa van Weelden, Brussels Dispute Resolution Mark Egeler, Amsterdam Stefanie Fay, Berlin Jonathan Kelly, London Jennifer Loeb, Washington Tobias Timmann, Düsseldorf Alexandra van der Meulen, Paris Kristina Maria Weiler, Hamburg Global Transactions Oliver Board, New York James Chapman, London Emma Gateaud, London Claire Harrop, London Janina Heinz, Frankfurt Eric Johnson, Hanoi Maria Ledeneva, London Saad Mian, Dubai Tomas Rua, New York Jan-Philip Wilde, Hamburg Taryn Zucker, New York People & Reward Satya Staes Polet, Brussels Tax Emily Szasz, London

Apr 17

1 min

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) advised BeyondNetZero, the climate fund of global growth equity firm General Atlantic, on a minority investment in ABB E-mobility, a global leader in EV charging solutions. General Atlantic invested as part of ABB E-mobility’s second pre-IPO private placement of newly issued shares, alongside three other minority investors, raising a total, collectively, of CHF325 million in exchange for a combined stake of approximately 12% in the company. The Freshfields’ team advising General Atlantic was led by financial sponsors partner Victoria Sigeti, senior associate Maria Ledeneva and associates Emily Gidda and Chelsea Burns. They were supported by a team including partners May Smith, Richard Lister, Paul van den Berg and Jenn Mellott. Swiss law advice was provided by Niederer Kraft Frey.

Feb 8

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields is advising CVC on the acquisition of Equine Network, the largest for-profit equestrian-based sports league in the U.S., from Growth Catalyst Partners. This investment will be the first new league investment into CVC’s Global Sport Group. Learn more about this transaction here. The Freshfields team is led by U.S. partners Claire James and Michael Palermo and includes associates D. Andrew Rondeau, Josephine Bryan and Ruth Levy. The team is also supported by partners Charlie Hayes and Maria Ledeneva and senior associates Ted Haxby and Alex Collins in London. Partner Lori Goodman, senior associate Jeffrey Anand and associate Emily Shaw are advising on executive compensation and employee benefits matters; partners Bruce McCulloch and Marin Boney, special counsel Charles Ramsey and associate Andrés Betancor are advising on antitrust matters; counsel Jeremiah Nelson and associates Kate Koudouna and Tosin Owoka are advising on real estate matters; partner Allison Liff, counsel Sean McClay and associates Edina Cobaj and Alex Kennedy are advising on leveraged finance matters; partner Mena Kaplan, senior associate Daniel Spencer and associates Rhea Khakhria and Josh Rudd are advising on intellectual property matters; partner Brock Dahl and associate Jackson Myers are advising on data privacy matters; partner John Rousakis is advising on environmental matters; and partner Joe Soltis and associate Shahab Pournaghshband are advising on tax matters.

Jan 30

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields are advising Property Finder International Ltd. (Property Finder), the Middle East’s leading property portal, on a new $170 million investment from the Mubadala Investment Company, alongside another UAE sovereign wealth fund and BECO Capital. Mubadala and the UAE sovereign wealth fund will each invest $75 million, with BECO Capital committing $20 million. This commitment follows the $525 million investment led by funds advised by Permira, with significant participation from Blackstone Growth in 2025. Property Finder has also raised a further $250 million in debt financing from Ares Management and HSBC. The Freshfields cross-border team was led by partners Julian Pritchard and Maria Ledeneva, counsel Adam Halewood, senior associate Stephanie Paterson and associates Chelsea Burns, Brandon Thompson and Lisha Xu. Financing advice was provided by partner Toby Bingley, senior associates Christina Banz and Sonam Cheema, and associate Joanna Ma. Antitrust advice was provided by partner Paul Van Den Berg, principal associate Jan Jeram and associate Gisela Santos. Tax advice was provided by partner May Smith and associate Ian Galvin.

Jan 29

1 min