Karen Ford is a banking partner in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP. Karen has experience advising both sponsors and banks in cross-border leveraged and acquisition financings in addition to experience acting for financial institutions and corporates in corporate finance, syndicated lending, real estate and restructuring transactions.
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Karen has worked on the following matters:
Cloudbreak Health, a portfolio company of GTCR, on the acquisition of Voyce
Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, a portfolio company of Nordic Capital and Astorg Partners on the completion of its rescue financing/leveraged recapitalization
Charlesbank Capital Partners on its investment in Perspective Financial Group
AlbaCore Capital on the restructuring and refinancing of Babylon Health
Cinven Capital Management-backed ETC Group on the financing to support the acquisitions of Amadys and BTV Multimedia
Further Global Capital Management on its investment in Phaidon International
Cinven on the financing for the acquisition of ETC Group
Leif Höegh & Co. Ltd. and funds managed by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners through a 50/50 joint venture vehicle to acquire the shares in Höegh LNG Holdings Ltd
CapVest Partners:
and its portfolio company, Inspired Pet Nutrition, on its acquisition of Butcher’s Pet Care
on the acquisition of Inspired Pet Nutrition, an independent pet food platform
on the acquisition of Datasite Global Corporation, a leading Software-as-a-Service provider
in connection with the single-asset GP-led secondary transaction involving Curium Pharma
and Core Assets on their acquisition of Partnerships in Children’s Services, one of the largest independent fostering agencies in the UK
on the acquisition of Karro Food Group, a leading UK-based pork processing firm, from Endless LLP
Warburg Pincus on its minority investment in Visma, a leading provider of business-critical software, in a transaction valuing the business at an enterprise value of $12.2 billion
Gordon Brothers on an €100 million ABL facility to a leading German hypermarket store chain
Triton Partners on its acquisition of Sunweb Group, a leading European online travel operator
Law Business Research, a portfolio company of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, on its acquisition of Globe Business Media Group
Silver Lake and its portfolio company, Global Blue, on the financing for the $2.6 billion merger of Global Blue with Far Point Acquisition Corp
Agrokor d.d. (now known as Fortenova Grupa) and its special administrators in its restructuring under a Croatian special insolvency process with over EUR 6 billion of debt
Prezzo in its CVA and restructuring
EG Group, a portfolio company of TDR Capital, on its approximately $5 billion of financings for the acquisitions of:
762 forecourt convenience sites in the U.S. from The Kroger Group
Esso Deutschland GmbH (1000 Esso Service Stations in Germany) from Exxon Mobil Corporation
Global Logistics Properties (GLP) on its acquisition of European logistics business IDI Gazeley from Brookfield Asset Management for approximately US$2.8 billion
Prior Experience
White & Case LLP, London
Associate, 2014–2016
CMS Cameron McKenna LLP, London
Associate, 2013–2014
Trainee Solicitor, 2011–2013
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Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
2013, Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales
