Richard Lever

Richard Lever

Partner
Richard Lever
London
+44 (0)20 7447 4228

Richard Lever is a partner in the firm’s Private Equity group.

Richard focuses on complex domestic and cross border transactions. Richard represents private equity houses, financial institutions, corporates, founders and management teams in a wide range of corporate finance matters and private equity transactions, including leveraged buyouts, venture capital, minority investments, management incentive schemes and corporate restructurings. His work has included transactions in a variety of industry sectors including software technology, on-line services, healthcare, retail, hospitality and leisure, industrials and business services. Richard also has experience with investment fund related M&A such as the sale of fund managers, the “spin outs” of investment fund managers from banks and other institutions and the establishment of fund management vehicles.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Richard was a partner at SJ Berwin/King & Wood Mallesons, where he co-led the corporate group.

Representative Matters

  • McWin Capital Partners
    • on its acquisition of the popular restaurant chain, Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, originating in Denmark with additional restaurant sites in the UK and Germany
    • on its co-investment alongside Bain Capital Credit in relation to the acquisition of Gail’s Bakery, a popular UK bakery chain
  • Partners Group
    • and its portfolio company Emeria Group, on the acquisition of Chestertons UK, one of London’s largest and oldest estate agents
    • and portfolio company Emeria Group, on the acquisition of FirstPort, the UK’s leading residential property management service provider, from Equistone
    • on the restructuring and sale of the debt in Caffé Nero, an Italian-influenced coffeehouse company
    • on its loan to own acquisition of UK high street restaurant chain, Côte Restaurants, by way of a pre-pack administration sale and related restructuring
    • on its acquisition of Key Retirement Group, a UK-based retirement and financial planning specialist, from Phoenix Equity Partners
  • TA Associates
    • on its minority investment in Byggfakta Group (formerly known as DOCUNordic), a leading provider of business intelligence and data analytics services within the construction, real estate and healthcare markets in Scandinavia, Central Europe and Iberia
    • and Stirling Square Capital Partners on the acquisitions of NBS, a UK-based provider of an integrated global construction, design and architecture platform, and Glenigan, a UK-based provider of construction and property business intelligence and data analytics, each to form part of the wider Byggfakta Group
    • on its buyout of Compusoft, a computer aided software design business
    • and portfolio company Mitratech, developer of legal software, on its acquisition of CMO Software, a provider of governance risk and compliance software
    • on its sale of 10Bis to Takeaway
    • on its investment in ITRS Global Holdings, a provider of real-time monitoring and analytics software to the financial services sector
    • on its investment in Russell Investments Limited, a diversified global asset manager that offers investment products and advice to institutional investors, financial advisors and individual investors
    • on its investment in Tyrrells Snacks for Amplify Snack Brands
  • IK Partners on its acquisition of International Correspondence Schools, an online learning provider
  • Frazier Healthcare Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners, acting through their portfolio company CSafe Global on the acquisition of Softbox Systems,  an international provider of temperature control packaging to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Softbox supplies Pfizer with the ultra-low temperature controlled parcel shipper required in the distribution of its COVID-19 vaccines
  • Levine Leichtman Capital Partners on its investment in Prime Global Medical Communications Ltd. in partnership with its founder and management team
  • Graphite Capital
    • on its acquisition of Storal Learning, one of the highest-quality nursery operators in the UK
    • on its acquisition of Opus Talent Solutions, an international recruitment business specialising in the technology and renewable energy markets
    • on its sale of Standard Brands, manufacturer of solid and liquid firelighters
    • on its investment in Empowering Learning, a teacher training and recruitment business
    • on its sale of Park Holidays, a UK holiday park business, to Caledonia Investments*
    • on its sale of Kurt Geiger, the luxury shoe retailer*
    • on its investment in U-POL, an automotive refinish products provider*
  • ECI Partners
    • on its sale of 4Ways, a leading UK tele-diagnostic company, to Evidia, a leading radiology and radiotherapy services provider backed by EQT Infrastructure
    • and portfolio company Citation, on its acquisitions of QMS, the leading provider of ISO certification services and Bibby Consulting
    • acting through ECI 11 LP, on its acquisition of Avantia Insurance, a virtual home and property insurance provider trading as ‘HomeProtect’
    • on its sale of Encore Tickets to TodayTix, backed by Great Hill Partners
    • on its buyout of 4Ways, a leading, high growth, teleradiology company
    • on its sale of Kelvin Hughes, navigational instruments and radar business
    • on its sale of Chartco, an electronic mapping business
    • on its investment in Citation, the UK’s leading provider of employment law, health & safety and ISO certification business*
  • G Square
    • on its acquisition of Dental Care Group, a clinical-led dentistry business
    • on its investment in Brookdale Healthcare, the leading specialist provider of care and support for adults with challenging and complex needs
    • on its investment in Keys Group, innovative care and education provider for children and young people in the UK and Ireland
    • on its investment in Tracscare, provider of residential care for people with mental health problems, brain injuries, learning disabilities and autism*
  • A global asset management company on its investment in Georg Jensen, the Danish based jeweler and luxury retailer*
  • Better Capital
    • on its investment in CAV Aerospace, aircraft fuselage manufacturers
    • on its Sale of Santia, a leading health and safety accreditation services business*
  • Nordic Capital on its offer to acquire EPiServer, a software company that offers technology to support content, commerce and marketing in one platform, including solutions for smart personalisation and intelligent campaigns
  • JMI Equity on its buyout of Core HR, a leading provider of employment software to SMES
  • Webster Equity Partners on its acquisition of Vivona Brands from Inflexion, which delivers on-trend beauty, wellbeing and lifestyle brands to global fast fashion and beauty consumers

* Denotes experience prior to Goodwin

  • Antin Infrastructure Partners on a GP-led secondary, whereby Antin sold a minority strip of four of the assets from its existing Fund III to Antin Infrastructure Partners III-B SCSp, a new Annex Fund
  • G Square on the closing of its €500m continuation fund vehicle in connection with the acquisition of three existing assets from its existing vehicles, G Square Capital I and G Square Capital II; including the transfer of newly merged portfolio companies Accomplish Group and Keys Group, providers of specialist care services in the UK
  • A global asset management company on its US$1 billion GP-led secondary of its European PE business to a new fund with Coller Capital as its corner stone investor
  • the shareholders and executives of Pantheon, the leading fund of funds managers to Russell Investments Limited
  • the executive managers leading a spinout and sale of a French Corporate and Institutional bank’s cleantech fund to a vehicle owned by the managers which became Glennmont
  • Aureos Capital, a Chinese fund management firm, on its sale to Abraaj Capital

* Denotes experience prior to Goodwin

  • Incopro, an online intellectual property and brand protection company, on its sale to Corsearch, a portfolio company of Astorg
  • Halo Technology, a portfolio company of Inflexion Private Equity
    • on the sale of Halo Technology to Amphenol Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of electrical, electronic, and fiber-optic connectors and interconnect systems, sensors, and cable
    • on its acquisition of Solid Optics, a global provider of compatible transceivers, high-speed cabling and multiplexers
  • Exclusive Networks on its investment in Nuaware, a UK-based specialized distributor in DevOps, Cloud and Cloud Native technologies, and also in Ignition Technology, a leading distributor of SaaS security products in the UK, Nordics, and Benelux regions. Exclusive Networks are ultimately owned by funds managed by Permira
  • Amcor plc
    • on its sale of 100% of the equity in Bemis Healthcare Packaging Limited, Bemis Healthcare Packaging Ireland Limited and Bemis Elsham Limited, to Kohlberg & Company for approximately US$400 million
    • on its US$2.25 billion acquisition of Alcan Packaging from Rio Tinto*
    • on its proposed acquisition of Constantia Flexibles from One Equity Partners
    • on its sale of Tobepal to Constantia Flexibles*

* Denotes experience prior to Goodwin

  • Advised the founder of Aerotechnics, a civil aircraft maintenance business, on the majority investment by Graphite Capital
  • Advised the founder and management of Explore Learning, a leading provider of private after-school tuition in the UK, on the majority investment by Graphite Capital*
  • Advised management on the sale of Phase Eight, the women’s clothing retailer, to Towerbrook Capital Partners*
  • Advised management on the sale of Education Personnel to ICG*

* Denotes experience prior to Goodwin

Credentials

Education

Legal Practice Course

De Montfort University

BA1990

Lancaster University

Admissions

Bars

  • England & Wales

Recognition & Awards

Richard is ranked as a leader in private equity by major UK legal directories, including Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR1000. The most recent edition of Chambers UK (2024) ranked him in Band 1 for Private Equity: Buyouts and commended his “excellent track record” in handling domestic and cross-border private equity deals.

Clients report being impressed by Richard’s ability to “defuse and navigate challenging situations and find solutions,” stating that “he has really good deal judgement, is available and gets on with it.” Richard has also been commended for his “really strong commercial judgement” and for providing “direct and succinct advice … critical in the context of complex transactions.”

Publications

  • Interviewed, “Life During Law: Richard Lever,” Legal Business, February 2024
  • Quoted, “Dealmaker: Goodwin’s Richard Lever on SJ Berwin, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Jackson’s Monkey,” Legal Week, August 2016
  • Quoted, “Goodwin Procter Closes Four PE Deals in Four Weeks,” Private Equity Wire, December, 2015