Julian Thatcher
Partner
Julian Thatcher is a commercially minded corporate lawyer who has spent time within management teams and businesses in non-legal roles (including in sales, business development and M&A) and advises on corporate transactions across multiple sectors (in particular, M&A/private equity transactions and family office/family business matters). Julian has a special focus on African transactions as he has lived and worked on the continent.
Julian has been a director of companies and has worked as part of, or closely to, various businesses, including private equity-backed and/or entrepreneur-led businesses, and is a long-term, trusted adviser to clients who seek his strategic thinking on all aspects of their commercial affairs.
- Julian acts for various businesses, including corporates, family offices, private equity firms and management teams on M&A transactions, private acquisitions and disposals, secondary sales and joint ventures, as well as renewable energy transactions, including PPAs and EPC arrangements. Julian also provides general advice to clients on commercial matters and has considerable ECM experience both in the UK and Africa.
- Julian has extensive and rare “on the ground” experience in Africa (having been based on the continent) and hands-on private equity experience (having been an executive and member of management of both a solar developer and a financial services private equity venture).
- Julian has held sales and business development positions (including head of business development in a leading London-based, Africa focused hedge fund and, as a graduate, at a leading cosmetics company) and has a unique insight into fundraising, deal origination and commercial processes.
- Julian has advised in respect of transactions in a variety of sectors, including financial services, fintech, micro-lending, renewables, logistics, telecoms, real estate, sports and hospitality, and he has advised in respect of transactions including in the UK, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Malawi, Benin, Mozambique, Uganda, Botswana, the Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea and DRC.
- Julian is well versed in B-EEE matters in South Africa and indigenisation laws in Zimbabwe.
- His highlights include acting for:
- Greenergy Energy Holdings in its £500 million merger with Brookfield.
- AlpInvest on multiple secondary investments and disposals.
- Faccenda Foods on its joint venture with Cargill.
- TPA Capital Limited on its acquisition of IBA Group Limited.
- Brainworks Capital Limited on its IPO on the JSE.
- MyBucks SA on its acquisition of six banks from Opportunity International in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Ghana.
- MyBucks S.A. on its sale of its stake in MyBucks Mozambique to Xtenda Financial Holdings Limited.
- MyBucks S.A. on its sale of its stake in Opportunity Bank Uganda Limited to TLG Capital.
- The owner in the world’s most valuable racehorse sale to the leading Middle Eastern racehorse owner.
- A UK real estate developer in its joint venture with Teyliom Group in respect of a significant real estate development in Senegal.
- Blixt Group on its first deal (the acquisition of Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP).
- Restitution Impact Limited (a unique ESG-focused quasi-litigation fund) on its first fundraising.
Education
- BPP Law School, G.D.L., 2010
- BPP Law School, L.P.C., 2010
- University of Bristol, History of Art, BA Hons, 2007
Admissions
- England and Wales, 2012
Languages
- English
- French