Filippo de Falco

Partner
Joined firm 2007. Partner since 2017.

Filippo is co-head of our Private Equity Practice. He has a broad international practice advising private equity and corporate clients, with a particular focus on public and private M&A, joint ventures and international capital markets work.

Highlights include advising:

  • Inflexion on its acquisition of a majority stake in UKFast; its disposal of, and subsequent investment into, Chambers & Partners; its disposal of The GOAT Agency (alongside its founders) to WPP; and its proposed carve out acquisition of Marlowe plc’s GRC software and services division
  • Investindustrial on a number of matters, including its partial offer for, and follow on investments in, Aston Martin; its acquisition of CSM Ingredients and further bolt-on acquisitions (including of Hi-Foods and Italcanditi); its €1bn disposal of Polynt; and certain co-investment arrangements
  • Palamon and its portfolio companies on a number of transactions, including the disposal of Feelunique to Sephora (a subsidiary of LVMH), the merger of The Simplify Group with My Home Move; the disposal by IDH of the Dental Directory; and a number of related refinancings
  • Corsair Capital on the acquisition of RGI S.p.A. in Italy, and subsequent disposal to CVC; the acquisition of a minority interest in Xceptor; and the proposed acquisition of MJM in Poland
  • Blackstone on its investments in Prima Assicurazioni, Beauparc and HH Global
  • Corsair and Palamon on the partial sale of their interests in Currencies Direct and concurrent minority investment by Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities Fund
  • Pollen Street Capital and the Markerstudy Group on a number of transactions, including:

    the proposed merger with the Atlanta Group, Ardonagh’s personal lines broking business, valued at £1.2bn and concurrent investment in the enlarged group by Ardonagh and Bain Capital

    the acquisitions of the Lloyd’s broker Clegg Gifford & Co and the UK regulated insurers Tradex and Soteria; and 

    certain aspects of Pollen Street's $1bn GP-led continuation fund process relating to Markerstudy and other insurance assets 
  • Silicon Valley Bank UK on its financial position and arrangements leading to its sale to HSBC through the Bank of England’s resolution powers
  • Ripplewood on a number of matters, including in connection with its investment in Citadele Bank in Latvia
  • Trill Impact, an Impact House with EUR 1.2 billion in assets under management across its investment strategies, on its acquisition of Delivery Associates
  • Virgin Group, alongside CVC, on the sale of a majority stake in Virgin Active
  • Vodafone on the sale of its interest in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion, and its simultaneous $84 billion return of value
  • Compagnie Financière Richemont on its global strategic partnerships with Alibaba, Farfetch and Alabbar, including through a joint venture in China and the proposed disposal of an interest in Yoox Net-a-Porter Group
  • Ferrovial on its disposal of Amey to funds advised by One Equity Partners and Buckthorn
  • DS Smith on its £1.2bn takeover of Europac in Spain and related rights issue
  • Aston Martin on its initial public offering
  • Tata Steel Group on its definitive agreements to enter into a 50/50 Joint Venture with thyssenkrupp AG

Filippo is a country partner for Spain and Italy and regularly advises Spanish and Italian clients on corporate transactions.

In 2015, Filippo was awarded a place on the Financial News 40 under 40 Rising Stars list, which identifies leading lawyers in the City of London under the age of 40.  Filippo was also named as a rising star in 2018 in Legal Week’s “the next generation of City private equity talent”.