LGV Capital has sold its majority interest in LGC Group to Bridgepoint in a transaction valuing LGC at GBP257m.  Bridgepoint will back LGC’s current management team, led by chief executive David Richardson (pictured). LGC is a provider of chemical and biological analytical services and reference materials. Headquartered in Teddington, West London, LGC employs 1,500 staff across a network of 28 sites in 17 countries. LGC provides its services to a mixed public and private sector customer base through four divisions: LGC Forensics, a forensic science provider; LGC Standards, a laboratory support business; Life & Food Sciences, a provider of BSE

Liquidity is improving both in entering private equity investments and coming out of them, according to a report by Neuberger Berman. Going in liquidity may be characterized by the increased availability of financing for well-capitalized transactions; more equity for transactions; co-investment equity in leveraged buyouts; and the potential for formation of follow-on funds from general partners seeking to embark upon a new vintage year fundraising cycle. Neuberger Berman says that by no means does improved liquidity for adequately financed companies usher back in the era of the financial sponsor-led megacap buyouts, which may remain dormant during 2010 and not see

Private equity firm Riverstone Holdings has acquired Seajacks International for a total cash consideration of USD207m. Great Yarmouth, UK-based Seajacks currently owns and operates two self-propelled jack up vessels that install offshore wind turbines and perform a number of niche operations for the North Sea oil and gas industry.  Riverstone plans to grow Seajacks into a leading European offshore wind service business, with an operational base in the UK. Riverstone will focus initially on expanding the current fleet of vessels to service the rapidly expanding market for turbine installation and maintenance. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP partners Anthony

Ten companies backed by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, have won places on a league table ranking Britain’s 100 private equity-backed mid-market companies with the fastest growing profits over their last two financial years. The companies include fake tan supplier St Tropez (no 77) and InterContinental Brands (no 65), which manufacturers beverages such as Vodkat Schnapps and St Helier Pear Cider. Inflexion Private Equity also fared well, with five of its investments qualifying, including clothing brand Jack Wills (no 22) and National Accident Helpline (no 96). Three other private equity houses have four investments each on

Ursataur Capital Management and BASF Venture Capital have invested USD6m in Quantiam Technologies, which develops coating products for extreme-operating environments and energy-related applications. Quantiam has developed three key coating families for surfaces of complex shapes that are applied to petrochemical furnace coils to reduce carbon formation, to oil and gas extraction and processing industry equipment to extend the useful life of high value parts, and to protect critical equipment in defence applications subject to extreme operating environments. Quantiam’s customers include several of the petrochemical industry’s olefins producers, companies in the oil and gas industry, and the United States Department of

A team at Mourant du Feu & Jeune has advised on the Jersey legal aspects of the establishment of Resource Eastern European Equity Partners I, a private equity fund targeting mid-cap agribusinesses in Poland as well as in other EU member states in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The fund was established as a Jersey limited partnership and authorised as a Jersey expert fund targeting commitments of up to EUR200m. The team was led by Joel Hernandez (pictured) and Ben Robins and also included Kerill O’Shaughnessy. Mourant du Feu & Jeune worked alongside SJ Berwin (Munich) and Gessel (Poland).