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 majority stake in Explore Learning, Graphite’s experience in the education sector is further strengthened. Explore Learning’s senior management team is also reinvesting a significant proportion of its sale proceeds. The Eversheds team advising Graphite on this deal consisted of head of private equity Richard Moulton (pictured), principal associate Edward Waldron

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 an attractive market segment given the fragmented nature of the industry and underlying stability of demand for pharmaceuticals. Cinven says Mercury provides an attractive opportunity to pursue a “buy and build” strategy and it has already identified a number of compelling acquisition opportunities.    The debt financing consists of GBP235m

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, services and technologies.  Brooks Smith, chief executive officer and founder of InComm, says: "I am excited to partner with a top tier private equity firm such as Warburg Pincus. A key part of our strategy will be to expand internationally and we were attracted to their track record and depth

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 vehicle and industrial coating systems with 2012 expected sales of more than USD4bn and more than 11,000 employees. The investment will be funded with equity from Carlyle Partners V and Carlyle Europe Partners III. “DuPont Performance Coatings is a leader in the automotive and industrial coatings sectors with world-class products

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 where it has strong existing client relationships and capabilities. The acquisition will also create opportunities to serve new and existing wholesale banking clients in the US, and complements its energy-focused teams in Calgary, the UK and Asia. It will provide Griffis & Small’s clients with access to the same team

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 the law firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati also supported this round. Fuelled by the emergence of social and mobile recruiting, many companies now receive more than 100 applicants for a given position, and 68 per cent of employers report that more than half of those candidates are not

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 expected to be realised by Darden in fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014. With the acquisition now complete, Yard House joins Darden’s Specialty Restaurant Group, which also includes The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Eddie V’s. Yard House, which launched its first restaurant in 1996, offers contemporary American cuisine

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. The syndicate of new investors includes PineBridge Secondary Partners II.   The transaction is structured to address the objectives of investors in the fund, some of whom had expressed a desire for liquidity. Investors were given the option to take cash proceeds or to roll the value of their interests

2011 was another year of growth and recovery from the 2009 trough, establishing the Central and Eastern European region as an area of reasonable stability with relative fiscal prudence and continued positive prospects. This is according to the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association’s Central and Eastern Europe Statistics 2011 report.   Private equity and venture capital funds focused on CEE attracted EUR941m of new funds in 2011, up 48 per cent compared to 2010 (and more than 135 per cent on the previous year), an increase mainly driven by buyout funds. In line with overall European trends, these