Arnaud David is a partner in Goodwin’s Private Equity group and leads the Private Investment Funds practice in Paris.
He represents many of the most prominent French and European funds on all aspects of their fund business and has been involved on many of the top mandates over the past years.
He specializes in the formation and representation of investment funds including buyout, infrastructure, mezzanine, secondary, venture, tech, life sciences, real estate, funds of funds, debt and special focus funds.
Arnaud also works with investors in connection with investments in many types of alternative assets including private equity, debt and equity investments.
He also has in-depth expertise in incentive schemes, co-investment arrangements, secondary transactions, fund regulation, management buyouts and the restructuring of private equity groups.
Prior to joining Goodwin in 2017, Arnaud was Co-Head of the International Funds Department of King & Wood Mallesons (formerly SJ Berwin).
Arnaud is fluent in French and English.
Experience
Arnaud’s recent experience includes advising:
- Andera Partners in the fundraising and single closing of its ActoMezz IV sponsorless mezzanine fund, exceeding its initial hard cap of €500 million
- Antin Infrastructure Partners in the fundraising of its first dedicated mid cap fund, Antin Infrastructure Partners Mid Cap Fund I, significantly exceeding its €1.5 billion target to reach a €2.2 billion hard cap
- Antin Infrastructure Partners in the fundraising of Antin Infrastructure Partners IV, with a total commitment of €6.5 billion
- Chequers Capital in the fundraising of Chequers Capital XVII, with a total commitment of €1.1 billion
- Committed Advisors in the fundraising of Committed Advisors Primary Fund I (“CAPF I”), with a total commitment of €161 million
- Committed Advisors in the fundraising of Committed Advisors Secondary Fund IV, with a total commitment of €1.6 billion
- EMZ Partners in the fundraising of EMZ 9, with a total commitment of €1.043 billion
- Jeito Capital in the fundraising of Jeito I, with a total commitment of €534 million
- L Catterton Europe in the fundraising of its fourth Europe-focused fund, L Catterton Europe IV
- Ring Capital in the fundraising of Ring Capital 1, with a total commitment of €165 million
- Rothschild & Co in the fundraising of Five Arrows Principal Investments III (FAPI III), with a total commitment of €1.25 billion
- Rothschild & Co in the fundraising of the formation of Five Arrows Growth Capital (“FAGC”), with a total commitment of €450 million
- Sagard in the fundraising of Sagard 3, with a total commitment of €800 million
Areas of Practice
Credentials
Education
LLM
University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law
DEA
University of Paris II – Panthéon-Assas
Admissions
Bars
- Avocat à la Cour, Paris, France
Recognition & Awards
Arnaud is continuously recognized as one of the industry’s foremost investment fund practitioners by International and French preeminent, peer-reviewed publications. His recent recognitions include:
- Top ranked in Hall of Fame in Private Equity: Fund formation by Legal 500 EMEA 2022
- Ranked as Best Lawyer of the year 2022 in Private Equity Law and recommended in Investment Funds by Best Lawyers - France 2022
- Arnaud is also recommended in Private Equity Law and in Investment Funds in the 2023 edition
- Ranked Band 2 in Private Equity: Fund formation by Chambers and Partners Europe 2022
- Highly regarded in Investment funds and Private equity in the 2022 edition of IFLR1000
- Top ranked as France Thought Leader and Global Leader in Private Funds - Formation by Who’s Who Legal 2023
Arnaud is a member of the legal committee of France Invest, where he participates in various projects relating to private investment legislation and regulation.
Publications
Speaking Engagements
- Participant, “Spécial Conférence LBO 2021”, Les Echos, January 2021