Sara Pickersgill

Partner Transactional
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP

London +44 20 7469 2091

Sara Pickersgill

Overview

Sara provides cutting edge, and pragmatic advice. Sara is a leading figure in the industry recognised for being highly knowledgeable, incredibly focused and above all, commercial.” - The Legal 500 UK, 2025

Sara Pickersgill is a corporate partner in the London office of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP. She has over 20 years’ experience advising private equity sponsors and infrastructure funds on complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions with a particular focus in the infrastructure, digital, energy and renewable sectors.

External Recognition

  • Band 1: Infrastructure – Chambers & Partners UK, 2024–2025
    • “Sara is highly experienced and regarded as a leader in infrastructure M&A.”
    • “Sara provides cutting edge, and pragmatic advice. Sara is a leading figure in the industry recognised for being highly knowledgeable, incredibly focused and above all, commercial.”
    • “Sara Pickersgill is a trusted adviser and great leader on transactions across the infrastructure sector.”
    • “Sara is a lawyer of choice for an extremely complex deal. She's very bright, hard-working and pragmatic.”
  • Hall of Fame: Infrastructure – The Legal 500 UK, 2024–2025
    • “Sara is one of the best infrastructure lawyers in the market.”
    • “Incredibly bright, excellent personable skills, great communication and can stand up to anyone. Calm and a joy to work with – breath of fresh air.”
  • Leading Practitioner: Infrastructure – IFLR, 2023
  • Listed in “Women Deal Stars – Alpha 2.0” – Legal Business, 2023

Prior to and since joining Kirkland, Sara has been involved in the following matters, advising:

  • KKR and its portfolio company Kito Crosby on the sale to Columbus McKinnon
  • KKR on the investment in Enilive
  • Apollo on the acquisition of a stake in bp Pipelines TAP
  • Ryan on the acquisition of Altus Group’s property tax services business
  • Engine No. 1 on its binding agreement with Vale to invest in Vale Base Metals (VBM)
  • Beacon Rail on its acquisition of Mitsui Rail Capital Europe
  • GIP on the acquisition of a stake in Scotia Gas Network*
  • DigitalBridge and Brookfield on the acquisition of a majority stake in GD Towers*
  • 3i Infrastructure on the acquisition of global subsea cable operator, Global Cloud Xchange (GCX)*
  • The Macquarie, 3i and AustralianSuper consortium on the bid for GTT Communications*
  • Digital9 on the acquisition of a majority stake in Arqiva being sold by CPPIB*
  • Advising on the establishment of American Tower’s pan-European platform and on its strategic partnership with CDPQ and Allianz Capital Partners*
  • ATC on the acquisition of Telxius’ Spanish, German and Latin American 31,000 tower division*
  • EQT on its bid to acquire Telia’s Nordic towers business*
  • Macquarie Asset Management on the acquisition of Polish fibre to the home network operator, INEA*
  • JPMorgan’s IIF and First State (now Igneo) on the sale of Electricity Northwest*
  • Enel, Allianz, InfraRed and Equitix on the consortium bid for Western Power Distribution*
  • 3i Infrastructure on the successful sale of Cross London Trains*
  • APG on its acquisition of Arcus’ and AMP’s stakes in Alpha Trains*
  • The winning bidding consortium on the most recent sale process for High Speed 1*
  • Equitix on its successful bid for Irish gas distribution network operator, Firmus Energy*
  • Elia, on its acquisition of an interest in Eurogrid and 50 Hertz*
  • Infracapital on its investment in the Nordic energy storage business, EnergyNest*
  • AXA on its acquisition of KKR’s interest in the Acciona Energias global renewables platform*

*Matters prior to Kirkland

Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, 2002–2022

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Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2004, Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales

Education

  • Nottingham Law SchoolLPC2000
  • Nottingham Law SchoolGDL1999
  • Cambridge UniversityB.A., Human, Social and Political Scienceswith Honours1998