Simon Ayling is a senior associate in the global Corporate and Private Equity team based in London.
He advises private equity sponsors, founders, management teams and corporates on acquisitions, disposals, investments, fundraisings, joint ventures and corporate reorganisations. He has particular experience acting for management teams and owner-managers in private equity-backed transactions, as well as advising on complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions.
Simon has particular experience acting for management teams and founder shareholders in private equity-backed transactions and advising on domestic and cross-border M&A matters. He also advises on pre-sale reorganisations, demergers, carve-outs, group simplification projects and governance matters.
His clients range from owner-managed businesses and management teams to private equity investors and listed companies. Simon has particular experience in the healthcare, media and advertising, technology, energy and real estate sectors.
Private M&A
Advising the founders and management team of the healthcare market access business, Access Infinity, on the investment by CBPE Capital into the business (2026).
Advising Chiltern Capital and the management team of plastic storage solutions business, Strata Products, on the acquisition of the business by Greencorp (2026).
Advising the founders and management team of the healthcare market access business, Oxford PharmaGenesis, on the investment by Klick Group into the business (2026).
Advising private equity investor Investcorp on its acquisition of mechanical and electrical facilities management services business Smart Managed Solution (2026).
Acting for private equity investor Northcote Equity on its acquisition of defence training business, Aquila Learning (2026).
Advising NYSE-listed company Broadridge on its acquisition of cross-border fund distribution and regulatory services business, Acolin Group (2025).
Advising Cybit on the sale of its enterprise-grade security division, Cybit Cyber, to Viatel Technology Group (2025).
Representing ECI Partners on its acquisition of Insurance Insider, a leading digital platform providing insights and analysis for the world’s top insurers, distributors and service providers and investors from Delinian (2024).
Representing NorthEdge and the management team of Helios Global on the sale of the global healthcare communications business to Telemos (2024).
Representing the management team and shareholders of i-Media, a leading out of home media owner, on the sale of the business to Mayfair Equity Partners (2024).
Representing the management team of Ledger Bennett, a leading B2B marketing agency, on the sale of the business to Havas Media Group (2024).
Advising Perwyn Private Equity on its acquisition of the insurance distribution business, Atec Group (2024).
Advising Rendesco, a leading heat pump installation business, on its fundraising round with Clean Growth Fund, Eurazeo’s Smart City fund and Aviva Ventures (2024).
Advising the HIG Capital backed andwis Group Capital, the fast growing technical building services group, on its acquisition of CPS Building Services, Classic Lifts, Meesons Futures and Rock Compliance and Senseco.
Representing ECI Partners on its investment in Commify, Europe’s leading provider of business messaging solutions to local enterprises, in a deal valued at €300 million, from Hg (2023).
Advising Lloyds Development Capital and the management team of MSQ Partners on the circa £170 million sale of MSQ Partners, the global multi-brand advertising agency, to private equity firm One Equity Partners (2023).
Representing the shareholders of AnyVan (Celeres Investments, CEO/founder, management) on its £125 million growth capital investment by Vitruvian Partners (2022).
Advising the partners of corporate finance agency Results International on its merger with investment bank, Canaccord Genuity (2022).
Advising MVF Marketing on its acquisition of leading product reviews website, Expert Reviews (2022).
Advising Cavotec SA on the €10 million divestment of its airports business to US-based investment company Fernweh Group (2022).
Advising Sonnedix on its acquisition of a 300 MW UK portfolio of five solar projects from Lightsource bp (2022).
Advising the shareholders of hotel technology company Avvio Limited on their sale to Sceptre Hospitality Resources (a branch of Serent Capital) (2022).
Joint Ventures
Acting for Copley Point Capital on its UK logistics portfolio joint venture with Brookfield.
Representing Regis Group PLC and its founders on their multi-platform joint ventures with Blackstone in the real estate sector.
Advising renewable energy business Econergy International on its joint venture with RGreen Invest.
Restructure
Advising a leading events business on the reorganisation and divestiture of part of its business.
Advising a renewable energy business on a capital reduction demerger to divest part of its business.
Advising a leading property management business on a tri-partite capital reduction demerger to separate the different operations of the business.
Advising an employment benefits provider on a global restructure as part of a consolidation exercise to simplify the group structure.
Advising on a range of restructure transactions such as demergers, carve-outs, hive-ups, share for share exchanges, buy-backs, divestitures, capital reductions and international reorganisations.