Clifford Chance LLP acts on behalf of a range of high profile funds and boasts a large secondary transactions offering. The firm houses a specialist private equity and infrastructure funds sub-practice, and is known for its strong reputation in that space. The team is jointly led by Alexandra Davidson who specialises in advising sponsors on the establishment, structuring and offering of private funds, and Gerard Saviola, who is an expert on developing markets. Lily Marcel has deep expertise in sustainability and infrastructure funds and is also central to the team, as are the global fund structuring and private debt focused Jonathan Bray, and blind-pool funds and secondary transactions specialist Alexander Chester. Senior associate Vishal Mashru is also highly recommended, advising on a range of areas, including clean energy funds and growth capital.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Alex Davidson and her team - great problem solving skills, excellent market knowledge, efficient production of clear outputs, very easy to deal with and a nice group of people.’
‘Alex Davidson always solves problems with commercial and realistic solutions. Good humoured.’
‘Broad and international reach, very good at drawing in experience from other parts of the firm. The firm's broad practice means that they are as good as anyone at knowing current market practice, emerging trends and upcoming regulations.’
‘Alex Davidson is the outstanding individual - technically gifted lawyer, encyclopedic knowledge of the funds sector and market practice, extremely commercial, creative problem solver, hard-working. Our go to individual.’
‘Alex Davidson is a venerable leader who breeds loyalty and commitment from the top down in her team. The team can handle all manner of requests; most extensive sustainable finance funds experience.’
‘Clifford Chance are clearly one of the market leaders in the world of private funds and we feel in safe hands instructing them on any new fund launch. They project manage the whole process seamlessly from start to finish and will go the extra mile.’
‘Fantasic team chemistry - this is a team which really pulls together under challenge. Amazing market know how. Excellent negotiation skills.’
‘Lily Marcel - brilliant up-and-coming partner - a masterful negotiator and wonderful legal mind. Gerard Saviola - one of the greats in the funds landscape at the moment.'

Key clients

DWS
Generation Investment Management
Clean Energy Infrastructure IX
Climate Asset Management
Axcel
Stirling Square Capital Partners
Arcus Infrastructure Partners
Credit Suisse Asset Management
EQT AB
Octopus

Work highlights

Advised DWS on all aspects of its sale of its North American and European private equity businesses to Brookfield.
Advises Investment Management on a number of product lines across its global sustainable investment platform.
Continues to advise Octopus Renewables (trading as Octopus Energy Generation) in relation to energy and infrastructure products and advises Octopus Investments on their venture capital and sustainable infrastructure products.