Katie Leah

Ms. Leah’s private equity work frequently involves advising on U.K., multijurisdictional and pan-European mergers and acquisitions, as well as on matters related to U.K. corporation taxes, value-added taxes, stamp taxes, management packages and share incentive schemes. In the real estate sector, she counsels clients on investment, financing, development and leasing matters, and has significant experience with the establishment of real estate funds, which involves extensive cross-border structuring.

In recognition of her work, Ms. Leah has been cited in The Legal 500 as an “outstanding lawyer.” Prior to joining Skadden, Ms. Leah’s representations included advising:

M&A/Private Equity

• Invesco Real Estate, the $90 billion global real estate investment business of Invesco Ltd., in connection with a whole loan to Bridge Industrial to refinance its existing debt secured against a portfolio of logistics assets located across the U.K.
• Harbour BioMed in global strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca to discover and develop next-generation therapeutic antibodies
• Cado Security on its sale to Darktrace
• Sapio on entering into an agreement to acquire Baywater Healthcare
• P Capital Partners (PCP) on an agreement with M&G Investments to acquire a majority stake in PCP
• Hg Capital on its sale of Dext to IRIS Software
• Arma Partners, a U.K. corporate advisory firm specialising in digital finance, on its acquisition by Mediobanca, an Italian bank
• Forterro, a portfolio company of Partners Group:
  • on its acquisition of ORGADATA AG
  • on its bolt-on acquisition of Proffix Software
  • on its bolt-on acquisition of Abas Business Solutions
• Eleven Software on its acquisition of AirAngel, a U.K.-based purpose-built platform that enables Wi-Fi connectivity in the hospitality sector
• H.I.G. Capital:
  • on the acquisition by one of its affiliates of the entire issued share capital of Axis Europe
  • on its acquisition of CLC Group, a leading U.K. provider of property and asset refurbishment
• the founders and joint CEOs of 72 Films on the sale of a majority shareholding in the company to FremantleMedia
• Alliance Pharma, a portfolio company of Ampersand, on its acquisition of LGC’s Drug Development Solutions (DDS) business
• the management team of Forterro on the €1 billion sale of Forterro to Partners Group
• Battery Ventures on its equity investment in Vita Mojo
• Accel-KKR:
  • and its portfolio company PayProp on PayProp’s merger with Reapit
  • on its bolt-on acquisition via Navtor, an indirect portfolio company, of Voyager, a navigation services and solutions provider primarily operating in the shipping space
  • on its acquisition of Symfonia, a provider of ERP and payroll software solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland
  • on its investment in Ocuco
  • on its investment in PayProp
  • on its acquisition of StoreForce
  • on a significant growth investment in Masabi, a ticketing innovations company
• the founder of GlobalWebIndex with regard to a $180 million Series B investment by Permira Funds
• IK Partners on its acquisition of International Correspondence Schools
• Abingworth on its acquisition by global investment firm Carlyle ReViral Limited in respect of its agreement to be acquired by Pfizer, Inc. for up to $525 million
• Frazier Healthcare Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners, acting through their portfolio company CSafe Global, on the acquisition of Softbox Systems
• Active Partners on its £10 million growth equity investment in Facetheory, a U.K.-based affordable skincare brand
• Mayfair Equity Partners on its sale of SuperAwesome, a developer of tools to create safer digital experiences for younger audiences, to Epic Games
• LionRock Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in Clarks, a U.K.-based international shoe manufacturer and retailer
• GTT Communications, Inc. on the sale of its infrastructure business to I Squared Capital for $2.15 billion
• Partners Group with regard to the loan for the acquisition of U.K. restaurant chain Côte Restaurants by way of a prepack administration sale and related restructuring
• Queens Park Equity and DCSL in connection with the acquisition and integration of Guidesmiths Limited to form DCSL Guidesmiths
• CoreHR and its shareholders, including JMI Equity and JMI Services, in connection with the sale of CoreHR to The Access Group
• Amcor plc on the completion of its $394 million sale of 100% of the equity in Bemis Healthcare Packaging Limited, Bemis Healthcare Packaging Ireland Limited and Bemis Elsham Limited to Kohlberg & Company
• Graphite Capital on its sale of Standard Brands, a manufacturer of branded and private label ignition products
• Spice Private Equity (Bermuda) Ltd on the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Leon Restaurants, a fast-food chain
• Bregal Sagemount, on its investment in Options Technology
• Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. on its £300 million acquisition of the Tyrells group of companies
• ECI Partners LLC on the £55 million sale of ChartCo by Kelvin Hughes Group
• Mount Street LLP on its acquisition of Morgan Stanley Mortgage Servicing Limited, a vehicle responsible for the servicing and special servicing of £4.5 billion of CMBS/RMBS assets

Real Estate

• Kennedy Wilson Europe on the:
  • acquisition of a Jersey corporate structure that owns a portfolio of eight prime logistics warehouses located across England and Scotland for a consideration that values the properties at over £70 million
  • £204 million acquisition of 111 Buckingham Palace Road by share purchase
  • acquisition of the London headquarters of the Telegraph Media Group
• Workspace Group PLC on numerous acquisitions and disposals, including the acquisition of the Jersey company that owns Salisbury House at 28-31 Finsbury Circus, London EC2, which is valued at £160 million
• KWAP on its £270 million sale of the Guernsey unit trust that owns 88 Wood Street in London, having previously acted on the acquisition and subsequent refinancing of the unit trust
• HIG Capital on a €70 million joint venture to acquire seven Dutch office and retail locations
• Credit Suisse Asset Management on the £142 million sale of Plantation Place South and the £90 million sale of The Corn Exchange in London
• GreenOak Real Estate on its acquisition of Grafton Advisors from U.K. property developer Quintain Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lone Star Real Estate Fund IV
• Medical Properties Trust in relation to the €175 million acquisition and leaseback of 11 rehabilitation medical clinics in Germany and on the £29 million sale and leaseback of the Circle Bath Hospital

Investment Funds

• Ares Management in relation to Ares European Property Enhancement Partners II, with total commitments at final closing of €665 million
• M7 Real Estate on the establishment of a series of European real estate funds
• GreenOak Real Estate on the formation of:
  • GreenOak UK Secured Lending, a fund established to provide loans secured by U.K. real estate assets
  • GreenOak Spain, a €250 million value-add real estate fund
• a European asset manager on the establishment of an open-ended, multi-strategy real estate sector fund