Pagemill Partners, a division of Duff & Phelps, has appointed Rory O’Sullivan as a managing director and the firm’s first head of European technology M&A, based in London. O’Sullivan’s appointment marks a significant step in expanding Pagemill’s worldwide offering, and the further strengthening of M&A capabilities within Duff & Phelps and Pagemill in the UK and Europe.   Since its inception in 2005, technology-focused Pagemill has completed more than 250 M&A transactions in the software, hardware, internet and media, and communications sectors.     O’Sullivan has 20 years’ experience in the investment banking industry, having completed over 50 transactions with a

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has elected Michael Gerstenzang as managing partner, effective 1 January 2017. He will succeed managing partner Mark Leddy.   Gerstenzang is a leader in organising and advising private investment funds, including buyout funds, international funds, growth funds, special situations funds and other types of alternative asset investment vehicles.   He joined the firm’s New York office in 1992 and became a partner in 1999. From 1994 through 1996, he was resident in the Brussels office.    Gerstenzang’s work on behalf of prominent global alternative asset managers has been broadly recognised, and he has long been

Jean-Philippe Barade has been appointed as partner and head of the London office of consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton with immediate effect. Barade brings more than 15 years of experience in private equity with a focus on consumer and retail.   Most recently, he served as co-founding partner of B&B Investment Partners, a London-based investment fund sponsored by Walgreens Boots Alliance, focusing on growth investment opportunities in the consumer and healthcare sectors.   Before B&B, he spent five years at Morgan Stanley Private Equity as a managing director and partner, serving on the Morgan Stanley Capital Partners V Investment

Bedell Cristin Guernsey has promoted two lawyers, Jon Barclay and Richard Sharp, to partners in the firm.
 
 Barclay practised as a barrister at a leading UK chambers and was admitted as an advocate in Guernsey in 2006.   He specialises in international financial services litigation, with a particular focus on cross-border asset recovery, regulatory disputes, and fraud investigations. He has been instrumental in helping to build and enhance the firm’s strong litigation practice in Guernsey.
 
   Sharp (pictured) specialises in advising on insurance, listings, and general corporate and commercial transactions. He joined Bedell Cristin in 2012 and was admitted as an advocate

Kirkland & Ellis International has appointed Thomas Laverty as a partner in the firm’s investment funds group based in London. Laverty was most recently managing director and funds counsel at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), a division of Macquarie Group and the world’s largest infrastructure asset manager.   “We are delighted that Thomas has joined Kirkland,” says Richard Watkins, a London-based investment funds partner. “He joins us as we continue to expand our offering across real assets — his unique experience and perspective will be highly attractive to a broad range of real asset fund sponsors.”   Chicago-based investment

Stuart Bedford has joined LeapFrog Investments as general counsel, leaving his role at law firm Linklaters, where he was head of the London corporate division and the private equity group. Bedford has led over USD40 billion of transactions across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe – including major M&As, IPOs and placings.   Dr Andrew Kuper, CEO and founder of LeapFrog, says: “Stuart is a star performer and exceptional leader in his field globally, bringing deep pattern recognition and multi-market capabilities. His distinctive expertise further strengthens LeapFrog’s governance, risk management and transaction capabilities.”   Bedford joins as a partner and

Aberdeen Asset Management is further developing its alternatives business with the promotion of John Dickie to co-head of US private equity, alongside Scott Reed, and the appointment of Whit Matthews. Matthews joins Aberdeen’s US private equity team as senior investment manager, strengthening the private equity investment capabilities of the firm’s global alternatives division, which has grown to USD32 billion of assets under management.   Over the past year Aberdeen has integrated its private capital teams to form a group that covers all of the world’s leading financial centres spanning the US, Europe and Asia.   The 50 person-strong private equity team

BGF (Business Growth Fund) has chosen Milton Keynes as the location for its ninth office as it continues to scale its operations. The office will serve as a base to build closer connections to businesses and advisors in Milton Keynes and across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.   BGF, the UK’s most active investor of growth capital in Britain’s small and mid-sized companies, selected Milton Keynes as its next permanent base following strong demand from the local and nearby business communities. The decision was supported by analysis of BGF’s propriety research into UK SMEs.   Since 2011, BGF has already

iCapital Network, an online platform that provides RIAs with access to alternative investments, has appointed Tom Iacono as chief financial officer. Reporting to chief executive officer Lawrence Calcano, Iacono will join the executive team and lead iCapital’s finance, legal, operations and human resources functions.   In addition, Grace Kim joins the firm as head of investor relations; David Russo joins as head of platform integration; and Bryan Gallagher joins as legal counsel.   “I am delighted to announce our latest round of new appointments,” says Calcano. “Tom’s expertise in corporate finance and M&A, coupled with his understanding of the investment