Kem Ihenacho

Latham & Watkins has advised Sixth Street Growth on its investment in a €285 million funding round for SumUp, a leading global financial services company. The round was led by Sixth Street Growth with further participation by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, Fin Capital, and Liquidity Group. The funding will be used to expand SumUp’s global footprint and deliver the tools and services that small merchants need to start, run, and grow their business. Latham’s cross-border team was led by partners Huw Thomas, Haim Zaltzman, and Kem Ihenacho, with associates Roisin Mbonu and Nick Boulter. Additional advice on fintech regulatory matters was provided by partner Stuart Davis, with associates Sam Maxson and Jonathan Ritson-Candler; on employment and incentives matters by partner Kendall Burnett, with associate Erin McKirdy; on data privacy matters by associates Eing Neo and Elva Cullen; on corporate governance matters by associates Mair Williams and Tom Lane; and on structured finance matters by associate Chris Armstrong.~~

Jan 11

1 min

London corporate partners Kem Ihenacho and David Walker have been recognized as two of the Twenty Most Influential Private Equity Lawyers by Private Equity News. The inaugural list celebrates the leading legal minds working on fundraising, structuring, and deals within the buyout industry in Europe. Private Equity News notes Ihenacho advises some of the biggest global buyout firms such as Partners Group and KKR. His recent transactions include helping TPG with its investment in Airtel Africa, a deal that valued the business at US$2.6 billion, and working with CVC on its acquisition of Ethniki Insurance from the National Bank of Greece. Walker is credited with being instrumental to the firm’s private equity practice growth in Europe in his former roles as Global Vice Chair of the Corporate Department and Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins' Private Equity Practice. His recent deals include advising Equistone Partners Europe on the sale of portfolio company Acuity Knowledge Partners to Permira and representing investor Energy Capital Partners on its offer for integrated waste management business Biffa.~~

May 9

1 min

Latham & Watkins has advised CVC Capital Partners and the acquisition vehicle formed by it and Haveli Investments on the acquisition of Jagex, a leading developer and publisher of video games, from Carlyle. Jagex is primarily known for its key RuneScape titles, the leading Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (“MMORPG”). Based in Cambridge, UK, Jagex is one of the largest and most successful British video game studios. The Latham team was led by London corporate partners Kem Ihenacho and Suneel Basson-Bhatoa, with support from London corporate partner Mike Turner, entertainment, sports & media counsel Rachael Astin, and associates Edward Coates, Jonathan Lin, and Catherine Fellows. Advice was provided on finance matters by London partners Jay Sadanandan, Hayden Teo, and counsel William Lam, with associates James Fawcett, Chris Devine, and Mohammad Kazmi; on data protection matters by London partner Gail Crawford, Washington, D.C. partners Clayton Northouse and Marissa Boynton, with associate Lorenzo Meusburger; on data and technology matters by London partner Christian McDermott, with associates Calum Docherty, Elva Cullen, Victoria Wan, Nara Yoo, and Priyanka Krishnamurthy; on employment and benefits matters by London partner Sarah Gadd, with associate Charlie Bowden; on real estate matters by London partner Quentin Gwyer and counsel Michael Beanland; on tax matters by London partner Helen Lethaby and New York partner Max Raskin, with associate Aaron Bradley; on litigation matters by London partner Oliver Browne; on regulatory matters by Washington, D.C. partner Damara Chambers, New York partner Katherine Rocco, Washington, D.C. counsels Britton Davis and Catherine Hein with Brussels counsel Jana Dammann de Chapto, and associates Sara Castiglia and Markus Welzenbach; on sanctions matters by London partner Robert Price and Washington, D.C. partner Les Carnegie, with associates Michelle Taylor and Matthew Crawford; and on compliance matters by London partner Nathan Seltzer, with associate Matthew Unsworth.~~

Feb 12

1 min

Latham & Watkins has advised CVC Capital Partners Fund VIII on its acquisition of RGI, a leading independent provider of software solutions to the European insurance industry, from Corsair, a prominent private equity firm targeting services, software, and payments investments in the financial services market. The transaction aims to support RGI’s growth plans, including further consolidating the fragmented insurance software industry and investing in the company’s product offering and transition to a cloud-based platform. RGI provides insurers with a comprehensive and modular offering that addresses the entire insurance value chain, covering processes such as policy administration, claims, analytics, market management, reporting and sales, and distribution. The company provides a wide range of cloud software solutions serving property & casualty and life insurance clients across Europe, with leadership positions in Italy, France, and Germany. The company has an international, blue-chip customer portfolio covering insurance and corporate clients of all tiers, including six of the top ten European insurers. The cross-border Latham team was led by Milan corporate partners Antonio Coletti and Giovanni Sandicchi, and London partner Kem Ihenacho, with Milan associates Francesco Loizzi and Margherita Vitale and London associate Jon Fox. Advice was also provided on regulatory matters by Milan counsel Cesare Milani, with associate Edoardo Cassinelli; and on finance matters by Milan partner Marcello Bragliani and London partner Jay Sadanandan, with Milan associates Erika Brini Raimondi and Maria Grechi and London associates James Fawcett and Alexander Law.~~

Mar 11

1 min

Latham & Watkins has advised Helios Investment Partners, an Africa-focused private investment firm, on the sale of a 25% interest in Axxela, the largest private sector gas distributor in Nigeria, to Sojitz Corporation. This transaction marks Sojitz’s first significant equity investment in Africa, indicating its growth ambitions on the continent and serving as a blueprint for future collaboration in Africa between Helios and Sojitz across a range of sectors. Latham previously advised Helios on its acquisition of a majority interest in Axxela in 2016 and its subsequent acquisition of the remainder of the company in 2019. The Latham team was led by London corporate partners Kem Ihenacho and Beatrice Lo, with London corporate associate Jon Fox.~~

Mar 31

1 min