Private Equity & Financial Sponsors Group

William Yates

Head of the Private Equity & Financial Sponsors Group

London

E: william.yates@traverssmith.com

T:+44 20 7295 3460

www.traverssmith.com

Will Yates – Head of Private Equity & Financial Sponsors at Travers Smith

Will Yates is a corporate partner and Head of the Private Equity & Financial Sponsors Group at Travers Smith, specialising in both international and domestic private equity M&A transactions.

His clients include corporates, institutional investors, alternative asset managers, senior management teams, founders and investee companies.

Will advises on a full range of transactions including leveraged buyouts, consortium deals, bolt-on acquisitions, carve-outs, co-investments, minority deals, recapitalisations, divestments, distressed M&A, public-to-privates, joint ventures, reorganisations and restructurings together with advising on general corporate matters. Will also advises on GP-stake transactions, GP succession planning (including restructuring ownership and governance arrangements) and structured secondary market liquidity solutions (including GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions).

Will is recognised as a "Leading Partner" for private equity by The Legal 500 2025.

The Travers Smith Private Equity & Financial Sponsors team

Private equity and M&A have been at the heart of Travers Smith for over 30 years, and the firm has one of the longest-standing dedicated private equity transactional teams in London.

The team is recognised as the pre-eminent, UK and international upper mid-market Private Equity M&A team at the forefront of an independent firm which provides expert advice to the private equity and wider asset management industry.

Since 2020, Travers Smith has advised on over 150 private equity backed transactions worth more than £120bn in deal value.

Alongside a team of 9 partners (who collectively have over 100 years of experience exclusively advising on private equity and financial sponsor-based transactions) is over 30 exceptionally trained, talented and experienced associates, many of whom have spent significant time seconded to leading private equity houses.

The team's capability is further underpinned by market-leading legal advisers across the full asset management spectrum, all housed under one roof. From tax, finance, competition and technology & commercial transactions to funds, regulatory and disputes, Travers Smith provides complete "top to bottom" advice.

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