Nicola White

On January 19, it was announced that a subsidiary of Willkie client, CMA CGM S.A., made a recommended cash offer for the entire share capital of London-listed Wincanton plc, a leading supply chain partner for British business, providing supply chain solutions throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The transaction values Wincanton plc at approximately £566.9 million. The acquisition by CEVA Logistics S.A. is subject to shareholder and certain regulatory approvals. CEVA is a world leader in third-party logistics, providing global supply chain solutions to connect people, products and providers all around the world. CEVA is part of the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, serving more than 420 ports around the world across five continents, with a fleet of around 620 vessels. CMA CGM is a provider of container shipping services around the world, a key member of the Ocean Alliance and a global port operator. The Willkie team was led by partners Daniel Hurstel, Gavin Gordon and Gabriel Flandin, and included partners Rahul Saha and Faustine Viala, associates Nicola White, Alaric Green, Isi Ijagbone, Lachlan Johnson and Julia Radaszkiewicz, and trainee solicitor Sophie Surtees.

Jan 19

1 min

Willkie represented Apex Group Ltd., a global financial services provider, in its agreement to acquire Retransform, a real estate service provider, from The Annet Group, as well as in the related launch of a software development joint venture with Annet. Announced on July 10, the addition of Retransform is expected to enable the Apex Group to act as a single-source provider of services across the entire life cycle of real estate investment funds. Retransform is a global real estate service provider offering Proptech, Technology Solutions and Business Managed Services to commercial, retail, residential and corporate real estate customers, ranging from individual owner/operators to some of the world’s largest real estate asset and fund managers. In addition, Apex Group and Annet are establishing a joint venture to develop software in the areas of Data Analytics, Valuation and Digital Twins for real estate, leveraging Retransform’s existing software platforms. Willkie previously advised Apex Group and its private equity sponsor Genstar Capital on numerous transactions, including Apex Group’s recent acquisitions of FundAdminChain, a distributed ledger-based network for collective investment funds, BRL Trust Investimentos, a leading independent fund administrator in Brazil, and fund services provider Tzur Capital Management Ltd. The firm also advised Genstar and Apex Group on a significant minority investment in Apex by TA Associates. The Willkie team was led by partner Philip Coletto and included associate Nicola White.

Jul 10

1 min

Willkie represents Insight Partners on its investment in BeyondMath, a leader in advanced engineering simulation. BeyondMath is at the forefront of AI and simulation technology, revolutionizing the way industries conduct complex simulations. By harnessing breakthroughs in AI, BeyondMath enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of simulations, setting new industry benchmarks. Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies. It has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has over $80 billion in regulatory assets under management, as of December 31, 2023. The Willkie team is led by partners Matthew Haddad and Philip Coletto and included partners Spencer Simon and Briony Pollard and associates Nicola White and Brianna Echols and law clerk Anny Park.

Aug 20

1 min

Willkie represented Searchlight Capital Partners in its agreement to acquire a majority stake in Celestyal Cruises. On November 29, global private investment firm Searchlight Capital Partners announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Mediterranean cruise company, Celestyal Cruises Limited. As part of the transaction, Searchlight will invest in a new holding company, Celestyal Holdings, to propel Celestyal's growth strategy and accelerate its fleet renewal plan. Celestyal Cruises, based in Cyprus, is a leading cruise operator in the Greek Islands and East Mediterranean. It is a subsidiary of Louis PLC, founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus. Searchlight is a global private investment firm with over $9 billion in assets under management and offices in New York, London and Toronto. Searchlight seeks to invest in businesses where its long-term capital and strategic support accelerate value creation for all stakeholders. The Willkie team was led by partner Gavin Gordon and included partners Rahul Saha, Ashley Young, Jane Scobie and Rita Mitchell and associates Amelia Doughty, Komal Raina, Andrew Turnbull, Nicola White, Ethan Douglas, Nikolai Hoffmann and Perrine Meyer.

Dec 2

1 min

Willkie represented the founders and Atlantic Global Risk LLC (“Atlantic Group”), a leading independent transaction liability insurance broker in the United States, in connection with Howden’s acquisition of Atlantic Group. On January 5, Howden announced that it agreed to acquire Atlantic Group. The combination of Howden, the largest transaction liability insurance broker outside of the U.S., and Atlantic Group creates a new global force in the transaction liability market. Through the combination, Atlantic Group’s founders will become Howden shareholders and will take on key roles in Howden’s U.S. retail broking growth and global transactional liability strategy. The Willkie team was led by partners Larissa Marcellino and Andrew Marmer and included partners Jordan Messinger and Philip Coletto and associates Nicola White and Caleb Penrod.

Jan 7

1 min