David is a private capital / M&A / corporate partner who builds long-term relationships by focusing on issues of strategic importance for his clients and acting as a trusted adviser to senior executives. He draws on his economics training and over 30 years’ legal experience advising a diverse range of companies and sectors around the world.
David’s transactional work includes acquisitions, disposals, takeovers, joint ventures, equity capital markets and restructurings in the private equity, telecoms, retail, infrastructure and energy sectors in over 15 countries.
David is highly regarded as an M&A and private equity lawyer in IFLR’s law firm guide, was recognised by Deal magazine as their 2018 European Technology and Telecoms lawyer of the year and led the Freshfields team recognised at the 2021 British Legal Awards for our work on the sales of Arcadia’s retail clothing brands to multiple buyers during the first wave of COVID in 2020/21.
- CVC on a number of transactions, including its €14bn IPO in 2024, £767m take private of London-listed Eastern European drinks group Stock Spirits in 2021, and acquisitions of Glendower Capital in 2023 and infrastructure investment manager DIF Capital Partners in 2024 and credit manager Marathon Asset Management in 2026.
- Deutsche Bahn on the sale of international bus and rail transport business Arriva to infrastructure investment manager I Squared Capital in 2024.
- Electricity North West on the €2.5bn acquisition by infrastructure investor Iberdrola of an 88% shareholding in 2024.
- Compass Group on a number of transactions, including its £2bn share placing in 2020, exit from Russia in 2022, £475m acquisition of CH&Co in 2024 and €1.5bn acquisition of Vermaat in 2025.
- The joint administrators of Arcadia on the sale of its Topshop, Topman and other clothing brands to ASOS, Boohoo and City Chic in 2020/1.
- CPP Investments on the proposed £3.8bn consortium take-private (alongside Advent International) of Spectris in 2025.
100 Bishopsgate