Richard Youle

Mr. Youle was named one of Financial News’ Fifty Most Influential Lawyers in Europe in 2025 and has been repeatedly recognised as one of Private Equity News’ Twenty Most Influential Private Equity Lawyers (including in 2025). Additionally, he is ranked as leading individual in The Legal 500 UK and a Market Leader in IFLR1000, as well as in Band 1 by Chambers Global and Chambers UK, which quotes clients describing him as “incredibly responsive, very professional but also personal. He feels like an extension of our team and has excellent subject knowledge at all times.” He was also previously named Lawyer of the Year - London Private Equity Law by Best Lawyers in the UK and a Private Equity MVP by Law360.

Mr. Youle’s significant experience includes advising:

• BlackRock:
  • as part of a consortium of investors, including Allianz and T&D Holdings, in the acquisition of Viridium Group at an enterprise value of €3.5 billion
  • in its acquisition of Preqin at an enterprise value of £2.55 billion
• Coty Inc. in its strategic partnership with KKR & Co. Inc. including the carve-out sale of 60% of its professional beauty and retail hair businesses to KKR with an enterprise value of US$4.3 billion
• Castik Capital in:
  • its acquisition of Andra Tech Group B.V.
  • the merger of Waterlogic Holdings Limited with Culligan International Co. Mr. Youle previously advised on the sale of a majority stake in Waterlogic to Castik’s new single asset fund, EPIC I-b, and the sale of a significant minority stake in the company to four institutional investors
  • the acquisition of Element Logic
  • the acquisition of Customs Support Group B.V. (CSG) from Mentha Capital B.V. and Oscar Driessen, the founder of CSG
  • CPA Global’s US$6.8 billion all-stock combination with Clarivate plc
  • acquisition of two IP management services and software companies, ipan Group and Delegate, and their subsequent merger with CPA Global, a portfolio company of Leonard Green Partners and Partners Group
  • the acquisition of AddSecure from Abry Partners
• H.I.G. Capital in:
  • its £314.8 million public to private acquisition of DX (Group) plc
  • its acquisition of the plumbing and heating division of Travis Perkins plc
• Hg in a number of matters, including:
  • its US$3 billion acquisition of AuditBoard, Inc.
  • the sale of a co-controlling stake in IRIS Software Group Ltd to Leonard Green & Partners at an enterprise value of US$4 billion (£3.15 billion) and the negotiation of consortium terms going forward
  • the sale of a co-controlling stake in Azets AS to PAI Partners
  • the sale of its stake in Argus Media Group and its earlier acquisition of a stake in the business
  • its significant investment in IFS and WorkWave businesses at a US$10 billion valuation
  • its majority investment in GTreasury SS, LLC
  • its majority investment in TrustQuay
  • as lead investor in the US$5.3 billion buyout of Visma, a leading business software provider, and its subsequent investment rounds in Visma, valuing the company at US$19 billion
  • its acquisition of Riskalyze, Inc.
  • its investment in Managed Markets Insights & Technology, LLC
  • its investment, alongside TA Associates, in Insight Software
  • its investment in Dext
  • its acquisition of a controlling interest in Trackunit from Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Gro Capital
  • its sale of Mitratech to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, and on the terms of its continued minority investment in Mitratech
  • in connection with its acquisition of Benevity, Inc. alongside General Atlantic, JMI Equity and the Benevity management team
  • in connection with its acquisition of Gen II Fund Services LLC as part of a consortium along with General Atlantic and IHS Markit
  • its acquisition of a 50% stake in The Citation Group from KKR & Co., Inc.
  • its investment in Hyperion Insurance Group Limited
• NorStella, a portfolio company of Hg and Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe, in its merger with Citeline, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus LLC, creating a combined pharmaceutical group with a value of US$5 billion
• Prophix, a portfolio company of Hg, in its acquisition of Sigma Conso from Fortino Capital
• Sovos Compliance, LLC, a portfolio company of HgCapital LLP, in its acquisitions of TrustWeaver AB and Paperless
• I Squared Capital in:
  • the acquisition of Arriva, a major European public transport operator headquartered in the U.K., from Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), which valued the company at €1.4 billion
  • its acquisition of Enva
  • the US$3.1 billion take-private acquisition, alongside TDR Capital, of Aggreko plc
  • the €650 million acquisition, alongside TIP, of PEMA Group from Société Générale
• Triple Private Equity in its acquisition of SmartSearch
• Transaction Services Group (TSG) in Calera Capital’s sale of a majority stake in TSG to Advent International Corporation
• TIP and funds managed by I Squared Capital in the acquisition of PEMA from Société Générale
• Hg6 Fund and IRIS Software Group Limited in IRIS Software’s sale to Hg Saturn Fund and Intermediate Capital Fund plc
• Pret A Manger Ltd, a portfolio company of JAB Holding Company LLC, in its acquisition of EAT Limited
• HighQ Solutions Limited in its sale to Thomson Reuters Corporation
• Montagu Private Equity LLP and the other shareholders of Equatex in the €354 million disposal of Equatex to Computershare