Ed Ford, based in the Firm’s London office, is a Partner in the Fund Transactions Practice. He focuses on fund formation and secondaries transactions, primarily advising clients on the structuring and negotiation of highly complex secondary market solutions. He counsels clients on complex private markets transactions, including fundraisings, GP-led continuation funds, tenders, strip sales, NAV-financings and preferred/structured equity financings, as well as LP-led secondary activity across the capital structure.
Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Ed advised on a number of significant GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions, including deals backed by Ardian, CPP Investments, Coller Capital, Eurazeo, Glendower, HarbourVest, Kline Hill, ICG, Idinvest, LGT, Neuberger Berman, Schroders Capital, Pantheon, Unigestion and 17Capital.
Notable recent experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes representing:
- Hermes GPE on numerous GP-led secondary transactions, including a $730 million stapled GP-led strip sale into a continuation fund backed by a CPPIB-led syndicate, a $350 million GP-led strip sale into a continuation fund backed by a leading global secondary investor-led syndicate and numerous GP-led tender offers backed by leading global secondary investors.
- A leading European private equity manager on the sale of a $200 million “strip” of six assets into a continuation fund.
- A leading FTSE 250 listed corporate VC on the spin out of several high growth VC assets into a new vehicle backed by a leading secondary investor and an associated stapled fundraise.
- Abris Capital Partners on a GP-led tender offer backed by Glendower Capital and Idinvest.
- Medicxi Ventures on a €200 million GP-led multi-asset continuation fund backed by Pantheon and LGT.
- A leading renewables corporate on the spin out of two renewable infrastructure assets into a new vehicle capitalized by a leading secondary investor and an associated stapled fundraise.
- Several private equity, real estate and venture capital managers/investors on various preferred/structured equity financings, including a £120 million preferred equity financing for a leading European private equity fund, an $800 million structured equity financing for a family office’s LP portfolio and three real estate backed preferred equity financings totaling more than €500 million.
- A leading European venture capital manager on a GP-led secondary underwritten by HarbourVest Partners.
- Several leading European and U.S. headquartered secondary funds on their investments into various GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions.
- Several leading LPs on secondary portfolio and "line by line" sales.
In addition to his focus on secondaries transactions, Ed has significant experience in advising GPs on fund formation and carried interest structuring across a range of alternative strategies, including private equity, growth equity, venture capital, private debt/credit, special situations, infrastructure and real estate. He also has experience counseling institutional investors on their alternative deployment programs involving primary fund investments, co-investments and secondary investments.
Highly regarded in the secondaries space, Ed is praised by clients in The Legal 500 who say that “he takes the time to understand clients’ business needs and uses it to exercise strong commercial judgment.” He was recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 and also featured among Private Equity International’s “Next Gen Leaders of Secondaries: Class of 2022.”
Ed earned his LPC and GDL from BPP Law School in London in 2011 and 2010, respectively. He also received a B.A. from Durham University in 2009. Ed is admitted to practice in England and Wales.