Ian Shawyer’s practice focuses on private equity transactions and complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

With over two decades of experience in private equity, Ian is a longstanding and trusted advisor to pan-European and international corporations, institutional investors, alternative asset managers, senior management teams, founders, and investee companies for both transactional and advisory matters.

Ian has in-depth experience advising on a full range of transactions, including leveraged buyouts, consortium deals, bolt-on acquisitions, carve-outs, co-investments, minority deals, recapitalizations, divestments, distressed M&A, public-to-privates, joint ventures, reorganizations, and restructurings.

Ian also advises global asset management clients on GP-stake transactions, GP succession planning (including restructuring ownership and governance arrangements), and structured secondary market liquidity solutions (including GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions).

Ian joined the firm in 2023 and was previously Head of the Private Equity and Financial Sponsors group at a leading UK private equity transactional firm.

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Notable Experience (Including Prior to Joining Cleary)

  • IK Partners in connection with its investment in Dains Accountants, a leading provider of accountancy and business advisory services in the UK.

  • Sixth Street in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Lemon Pepper Holdings Limited, the master franchisee for Wingstop in the UK and Ireland.

  • Bridgepoint on the £169 million recommended offer for Eckoh plc, a leading provider of secure payments and customer engagement software.

  • Exponent on its majority investment in Northern Ireland’s largest private healthcare firm, the Kingsbridge group.

  • Central Group on the minority acquisition and new investment by PIF in respect of Central Group’s existing investee company - the Selfridges Group (SG) – to form a new partnership to operate SG’s operating companies and real estate assets.

  • Bridgepoint on the sale of its majority stake in Hobbycraft, the largest arts and crafts retailer in the UK, to Modella Capital.

  • Zuber Issa CBE on the sale of his shares in the Asda Group, a British supermarket and petrol station chain, to funds managed by TDR Capital and on the acquisition of EG Group’s remaining UK forecourt business.

  • Bridgepoint on its investment in and subsequent sale of HKA.

  • Bridgepoint on its investment in Analysys Mason.

  • Bridgepoint on the sale of Miller Homes to funds advised by Apollo.

  • Bridgepoint on its minority investment in Itsu alongside founder and management shareholders.

  • Bridgepoint and other selling shareholders on the sale of WiggleCRC to SIGNA Sports United, a NYSE listed SPAC.

  • Epiris on its acquisition of Sepura.

  • Livingbridge on its acquisition of World of Books Group.

  • Exponent and certain other shareholders on sale of Dennis Publishing to Future PLC.

  • TA Associates on the sale of ITRS Group to Montagu Private Equity LLP.

  • The Carlyle Group and other selling shareholders on the sale of Eggplant to Keysight Technologies.

  • Bridgepoint on its investment in Prescient Healthcare Group.

  • Benson Elliot Capital Management LLP on its sale to PineBridge Investments Holdings Europe Limited.

  • Bridgepoint on its investment in Reassured.

  • Bridgepoint on the sale of BigHand.

  • The Carlyle Group and other shareholders on the sale of graze to Unilever.

  • Caledonia Investments on the acquisition of Cooke Optics.

  • Caledonia Investments on the acquisition of a minority interest in Stonehage Fleming.

  • Bridgepoint on the acquisition of the UK master franchise of Burger King® and the acquisition of the UK franchisee Caspian.

  • Bridgepoint on the sale of Pret A Manger to JAB holdings.

  • CBPE Capital on the acquisition of a majority stake in Xceptor.

  • The Carlyle Group on its investments in (and subsequent divestments of) The Mill and The Foundry.

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Publications