James Ford

Partner

James Ford is a partner in the Investment Fund & Securitization Practice of O’Melveny & Myers’ London office. James has a wide range of experience in private equity and venture capital transactions, including traditional fundraisings, secondary transactions, M&A, strategic investments and capital markets transactions.

Illustrative Professional Experience

James’ recent transactions include:

Traditional fund formation

• a German manager on the structuring and establishment of a mid-market German buyout fund;
• a leading global emerging markets manager on the formation of their innovative global emerging markets fund;
• a Danish private equity house on its first fundraising outside Scandinavia;
• a Benelux based manager on the formation of their third fund;
• significant limited partners on their investments in private equity funds and co-investments in buyout investments, totaling over US$1 billion in commitments;
• a UK government backed investor on the establishment of Europe’s first government sponsored fund focusing on specifically on investing in the UK recycling sector;

Secondaries and M&A

• advising on the acquisition of a 70% interest in the a portfolio of 40 direct investments and the associated spin out of its management team to form a new business;
• advising the buying syndicate in relation to the £125 million acquisition of a venture capital portfolio, comprising around 30 separate investments; 
• on various secondary transactions including the acquisition of a UK bank’s private equity portfolio (which comprised some US$ 1.33 billion in commitments), and the take-private of the venture capital portfolio of a UK listed investment trust;
• a private equity management team of Northern Venture Managers on their buyout from a major financial services group;

Strategic Investments

• advising on the acquisition by a sovereign wealth fund of an interest in a leading private equity management business;

Capital Markets

• advising on the formation of a US$1.5 billion single manager fund-of-funds listed on Euronext Amsterdam;
• advising on a £150 million placing and admission to trading on AIM for a media-focussed investment vehicle;
• the admission to trading on the AiM market of the London Stock Exchange of a private equity backed telecommunications business;
• a private equity fund-of-funds manager in relation to a proposed quoted private equity fund of funds vehicle;
• a number of venture capital trust managers on the establishment, fundraisings and capital restructurings of their client trusts and on their incentive schemes.

James is ranked as 'up and coming' by Chambers UK 2010 which notes that he "impresses clients as "a great negotiator with a proven ability to get things done." He handles private equity and venture capital work, and is "singularly committed to reaching the end goal.""