Mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has agreed the sale of Espresso House to Herkules Private Equity III, a Norwegian private equity fund.  The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.   In 2005, Palamon identified a gap in the Nordic markets for a quality, branded coffee bar

Law firm Eversheds has advised Graphite Capital on backing the management buy-out of Explore Learning, a provider of after school tuition at primary school level.  Explore Learning has 62 tuition centres across the UK, providing key skills learning in mathematics and English to children of all abilities. By acquiring a

European private equity firm Cinven has completed its acquisition of Mercury Pharma, the international speciality pharmaceutical company, for an enterprise value of GBP465m. The acquisition was supported by debt financing provided by four banks: Jefferies, HSBC, Lloyds Bank and Mizuho.   Cinven’s healthcare team identified niche and branded pharmaceuticals as

Private equity firm Warburg Pincus has made a minority investment in prepaid product, services and transaction technologies company InComm. Terms of the transactions have not been disclosed. InComm was established in 1992 to provide technology to the prepaid long-distance industry. The company now provides stored value, gift and prepaid products,

Alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group and DuPont have signed a definitive agreement whereby Carlyle will purchase DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) for USD4.9bn in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter 2013, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. DPC is a global supplier of

CIBC has reached an agreement to acquire Griffis & Small, a Houston-based energy advisory firm specialising in acquisitions and divestitures in the exploration and production sector. Terms have not been disclosed. The transaction, expected to close in the fourth quarter, supports CIBC’s strategy of targeted growth in businesses and geographies

On-demand digital interviewing platform provider HireVue has secured USD22m in funding including a USD17m series C equity round, led by Investor Growth Capital, and an expansion of the company’s debt facility. Granite Ventures, who led HireVue’s previous round, Peterson Ventures, who led HireVue’s A-round, new investors Rose Park Advisors, and

Darden Restaurants has completed the acquisition of Yard House USA for USD585m in an all-cash transaction from private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners, management and investors. This follows the agreement that was announced on 12 July 2012. The total transaction price includes approximately USD30m of cash tax benefits that are

Willis Stein & Partners, Landmark Partners and Vision Capital have completed a transaction benefiting investors in Willis Stein’s third fund, Willis Stein & Partners III. Investors received the option to receive liquidity from the 2000 Fund in cash and/or the opportunity to benefit from the growth potential of the portfolio.