Law firm CMS Cameron McKenna has expanded its private equity capacity by hiring a seven-strong private equity/corporate team, including three partners. The team comprises key members of the “flying squad” that handled CEE/emerging market cross-border private equity backed M&A transactions in the region for Linklaters until 2007. The team is led by Ted Cominos, who joins CMS as international head of private equity for CMS Cameron McKenna. Cominos ranks among the few City lawyers to have been a partner in a magic circle law firm and a partner/investment principal in a private equity fund. After leaving Linklaters, Cominos became a

Venture capital firm Accel Partners has hired Adam Valkin in its London office.  Valkin joins Accel Partners from Endemol Group, a provider of entertainment programming and the world’s largest independent production company, where he was the global head of digital media and new business.  Prior to that he had nine years of investment experience with Arts Alliance Advisors, where he invested in and managed portfolio companies in Europe and Israel.   Valkin was formerly a co-founder and interim chief executive of LoveFilm. He joins the current team of seven investment professionals in the London office.   “Adam is immensely talented,

Providence Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm specialising in media, entertainment, communications and information companies, has appointed Charles E. Gottdiener as a managing director focused on the firm’s portfolio management activities. Gottdiener joins Providence from Dun & Bradstreet, a source of commercial information and insight on businesses, where he was president, corporate development and chief strategy officer. In this role, he was responsible for advancing D&B’s long term corporate strategy, including acquisition and partnership opportunities. Gottdiener was also a member of D&B’s global leadership team. “Charlie brings a tremendous track record of assisting a wide variety of companies in

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice has named A.G. Lafley, the former chief executive of Procter & Gamble, as a special partner. Lafley (pictured) has joined Clayton, Dubilier & Rice less than two months after retiring from the consumer products company after more than 32 years. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private equity investment firm, is based in New York and London.   According to the report by Associated Press, Lafley stepped down as chief executive of Procter & Gamble after nine years on 1 July 2009. He stayed on as chairman until 1 January when his successor as chief executive, Bob

Moelis Capital Partners, the private equity business of Moelis & Company, has appointed Ted Yun as a managing partner. Yun, who will be based in New York, brings 20 years of investment experience and expertise in building and managing private equity firms. Yun has particular experience in the healthcare services, business services and consumer/specialty retail sectors, and has served on the boards of directors of more than 15 portfolio companies. He spent 11 years at J.W. Childs, where he was a partner and chairman of the investment committee. After his time at J.W. Childs, he was a founder and managing

Private equity firm 3i has made two senior appointments to its fund investor relations team. Jennifer Dunstan (pictured) transfers from 3i’s buyouts team as partner to lead 3i’s London based fund investor relations team and further develop 3i’s investor relations capabilities in Europe and Asia Pacific. James (Jim) Rutherfurd joins 3i from Veronis Suhler Stevenson as a partner responsible for fund investor relations within North America. Both Dunstan and Rutherfurd work with Paul Waller, managing partner of 3i’s global fund investor relations team and a member of 3i’s management committee based in London.  Waller says: “In an increasingly demanding market,

Investment bank Moelis has appointed John T. Grady as a senior adviser based in Boston. Grady (pictured) will be responsible for working closely with client coverage bankers and product specialists to broaden client relationships and provide senior level advice and expertise to the firm and its clients. Grady has over 25 years of experience in financial services in senior positions across asset management, private wealth management and banking. He was most recently a managing director and head of new business development at Athena Capital, an investment management firm based outside Boston. Prior to that role, he was the managing director