About
Sean is a partner in Freshfields’ M&A and Private Capital team in Singapore. He advises leading private capital clients on a broad range of transactions, including private equity investments, strategic investments, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and other complex corporate matters.
Sean brings a distinctive combination of private practice and in-house investment experience. Prior to re-joining Freshfields, he was a Managing Director and global co-head of the transaction legal team at Permira, where he worked across sectors on transaction matters throughout the investment lifecycle, including acquisitions, restructurings, management incentivisation arrangements and exit processes. His experience gives him a commercial and investor perspective on executing sophisticated transactions.
Having worked in Singapore, Hong Kong and London, Sean has extensive experience executing complex cross-border transactions and navigating multi-jurisdictional deal environments throughout Asia and Europe. He is valued for his pragmatic approach, deep understanding of private capital sponsor priorities and ability to guide clients through strategically significant matters. His experience spans technology, business services, financial services, healthcare, consumer, education, logistics, aviation, industrials and sustainability-focused businesses.
Sean has experience across the full spectrum of private capital transactions, including:
Control investments
- Advising Permira on its acquisition of a controlling interest in Tricor, Acuity Analytics, Yogiyo, Grobest, Key Group, Adevinta and EdPrima (formerly EF).
- Advising CVC Capital Partners on its acquisition of a controlling interest in Sky Bet, Paroc Group and other consortium arrangements.
- Advising Advent International on its acquisition of a controlling interest in VGroup.
- Advising Affinity Equity Partners on its acquisition of a controlling interest in Trimco.
- Advising BC Partners on the acquisition of Pharmathen S.A.
- Advising Prudential and Eastspring on its acquisition of a 65 per cent stake in TMB Asset Management.
Minority investments, growth capital and strategic investments
- Advising Permira on minority investments in Property Finder, Carne Group, Sila, Full Truck Alliance, K-Way, GoCardless, Catawiki and other high-growth platform businesses.
- Advising General Atlantic on its lead participation in the Series C funding round of Ruangguru in Indonesia.
Public M&A
- Advising Permira on its separate UK take-privates of ErgoMed plc and JTC plc, both listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- Advising Permira on the proposed Danish take-private of Bavarian Nordic as part of a consortium alongside Nordic Capital.
- Advising Permira on the take-private of Euronext-listed Exclusive Networks as part of a consortium alongside CD&R.
- Advising a consortium comprising FountainVest and ANTA Sports Products on the acquisition of Amer Sports Corporation listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
Sponsor exits, secondary sales and liquidity events
- Advising Permira on a range of exit processes, including the sale of Alter Domus to Cinven, Tricor to EQT, Topcast Aviation to Warburg Pincus, Universidad Europea to EQT, Golden Goose to Hongshan Group, AltamarCam to Mercer, Evelyn to Natwest, S&W to Apax, Adevinta Spain to EQT, iMed to Jarden Matheson, La Piandineria to CVC, as well as other strategic exits in Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
- Advising Blackstone on the sale of Trans Maldivian Airways to Bain Capital.
- Advising Advent International on its proposed sale of Ammeraal Beltech.
Carve-outs, corporate separations and special situations
- Advising Permira on the carve-out acquisition of CDP.
- Advising Blackstone on its spin-off of PJT Partners.
- Advising Terra Firma on the restructuring of Annington Homes.
*experience prior to re-joining Freshfields
Sean Donovan
2 Central Boulevard
#48-01 West Tower, IOI Central Boulevard Towers
Singapore 018916