Carl Bradshaw is a partner in Goodwin’s Private Equity group with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and other private capital investments. Carl advises investors, founders, management teams and portfolio companies on complex business transactions across the technology, healthcare and life sciences, consumer, real estate and industrial sectors throughout Europe. He has structured and negotiated the full spectrum of domestic and cross-border deals, including leveraged buyouts, carve-outs, add-ons, public-to-privates, joint ventures and consortium deals, minority stake sales and acquisitions, structured and growth equity arrangements, and co-investments. He also counsels clients on investing through the cycle and across the capital structure, bringing to bear significant deal experience involving stressed or distressed companies, working closely with Goodwin’s financial restructuring team on turnaround opportunities and special situations.
Representative Matters
- TA Associates
- on its strategic growth investment in SER, a global Intelligent Content Automation software vendor
- on its investment, alongside Five Arrows in Agilio Software, a frontline healthcare digital operations provider
- in a consortium with Stirling Square and Macquarie, on their recommended public offer to acquire Byggfakta, a provider of data, insights, and software solutions for the construction industry
- together with Warburg Pincus, on their investment in Epassi, a digital payments provider for employee benefits, from Bregal Milestone and subsequent combination with the Exercite Group, a B2B fitness platform previously owned by Waterland
- on the combination of Compusoft with Genstar-backed 2020 Technologies to create Cyncly, a global provider of planning and manufacturing solutions for residential and commercial spaces
- Creat and Tiancheng International on their:
- disposal of Bio Products Laboratory, a specialist in the development of rare disease products using fractionated blood plasma, to Permira and Kedrion, a specialist in the development of rare disease products using fractionated blood plasma, to Permira and Kedrion
- €1.1 billion sale to Grifols of its majority stake in Biotest, a German-listed specialist in innovative hematology and clinical immunology solutions
- H.I.G Capital on its:
- partial sale of global fintech provider FNZ to General Atlantic and subsequent £1.65 billion exit to CDPQ-Generation*
- €418 million sale alongside Bain Capital and CQS of outdoor clothing brand Jack Wolfskin to Callaway Golf*
- TowerBrook on its:
- sale of a minority stake in real estate lending platform Precede Capital Partners to QuadReal Property Group
- acquisition of UK aircraft cabin manufacturer Aim Aviation from LDC and subsequent sale to Chinese buyer, AVIC International*
- Searchlight on its:
- acquisition of a significant stake in Italian broadband provider EOLO*
- co-investment with Duke Street in acquiring construction business Ardent Hire Solutions*
- acquisition and exit of digital media company Ocean Outdoor*
- Strategic Value Partners on its:
- acquisition of foam and flooring business Vita Group from TPG*
- merger of Klöckner Pentaplast and LINPAC*
- Drakewood Capital-led consortium on its:
- formation of the Virtus investment platform*
- acquisition of the North American Luvata tubes business from Nordic Capital*
- acquisition of Small Tubes Products from Quilvest*
- acquisition of Canadian tube manufacturer Arzon Limited and related investment from Ares
- Madison Dearborn on its:
- £268 million take-private of AIM-listed Powerflute and subsequent carve-out sale of the Finnish fluting business to Mondi Group for €365 million*
- sale of European and Chinese coreboard producer Corenso to VPK*
- SK Capital on its further investment in Swiss-headquartered specialty chemicals provider Archroma*
- Shamrock Capital on its investment in Silvergate Media, an international TV production and licensing company owning children’s entertainment properties Peter Rabbit and Octonauts*
*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.
- ParkHub Inc., a US parking solutions provider backed by LLR Partners and FTV Capital, on its agreement to merge with UK parking platform JustPark
- FNZ, a global wealth management fintech backed by Private Equity investors on its agreement to acquire IFSAM, a Luxembourg-based business-to-business fund platform
- EQT-backed Cerba Healthcare on its agreement to acquire Dutch-headquartered specialized contract research organization Viroclinics from Summit Partners
- Cyncly, a Genstar and TA Associates-backed provider of planning and manufacturing solutions for residential and commercial spaces on the bolt-on acquisition of Logicom
- Behrman Capital-backed Emmes on its investment in Orphan Reach, a global Clinical Research Organisation specialised in rare diseases
- Scottish Equity Partners-backed Dotmatics on its sale to Insightful Science, an Insight Partners portfolio company providing software to the global life sciences community
- Primus Capital-backed Cayuse on its acquisition of Haplo, a global provider of research information management solutions
- ODLO International, a Swiss performance brand in Monte Rosa Capital’s portfolio, on its acquisition of British sailing brand, Henri-Lloyd
- Solera, a digital technology group part owned by Vista on its
- £340 million acquisition of digital automotive provider Autodata from Bowmark and Five Arrows*
- carve-out sale of CarweB to Haynes Publishing Group*
- £288 million acquisition from Montagu of vehicle valuation data provider CAP Automotive*
- MRI Software, a property technology company owned by TA Associates and GI Partners
- on the financing of its recommended cash offer for Castleton plc
- on its acquisition of Qube Global Software from its founders*
- on its acquisition of Real Asset Management from its founders*
- Bregal Unternehmerkapital-backed Online Printers of UK internet printer Solopress*
- Vista Equity Partners on its add-on acquisition to Misys of Canadian financial technology provider DH Corporation for $4.8 billion to create Finastra*
- Francisco Partners on its add-on acquisition to Aesynt of Health Robotics, an Italian-headquartered supplier of intravenous medical devices*
*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.
- Founders and Management of TLC Worldwide, a global market leader in tech-enabled, experience-based reward campaigns and loyalty programmes, on their reinvestment alongside bd-capital
- Management of Advent-backed enterprise software provider Unit 4 on its strategic growth buyout by TA Associates and Partners Group
- Management of Mayfair Equity-backed parcel price comparison provider Parcel2Go on its sale to EQT
- Founder and other shareholders of Sentenial on their sale to EML Payments, a payments technology platform
- Founder and management of probiotic producer Symprove on their reinvestment alongside bd-capital
- Family shareholders of Fedrigoni on their reinvestment in the Italian specialty paper producer alongside Bain Capital and BC Partners
- LionRock Capital on its acquisition and financial restructuring of Clarks, a UK-based, international shoe manufacturer and retailer
- Ad-hoc committee of bondholders including Silver Point, Golden Tree and Warwick on the financial restructuring and public-to-private acquisition out of a pre-pack administration of UK retail chain Debenhams*
- Ad-hoc committee of lenders led by Bridgepoint Credit (f/ka EQT Credit) on the recapitalisation and change of control from Charterhouse of German explosive protection manufacturer BARTEC*
- H.I.G. Bayside on its loan-to-own restructuring of Spanish beauty retailer Bodybell*
- York Capital-led lender committee on the financial restructuring of German cable company Tele Columbus and subsequent IPO*
*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.
- Alpha Wave Global on its investment, alongside Mubadala Capital, in multinational hospitality company Aman Resorts
- TowerBrook Capital Partners on the establishment of a new real estate lending platform, Precede Capital Partners (formerly Précis), with a multi-billion pound residential development fund and joint venture partnership with QuadReal Property Group
- Medical Properties Trust on its acquisition of a portfolio of 30 acute care hospital facilities valued at approximately £1.5 billion from a Centerbridge-led consortium
Professional Activities
Carl serves on Goodwin’s Black Anti-Racism Task Force, working in partnership with the firm’s Management Committee and other Black leaders to combat anti-Black racism. He is a professional ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors, an organization that aims to increase diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. He is also a member of the Futures Committee at Impetus — The Private Equity Foundation, a venture philanthropy organization working with charities tackling social injustice.
Carl is actively involved in Goodwin’s pro bono activities. Recent instructions have included governance matters for Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust and Women’s Aid.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Goodwin in 2019, Carl was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in London where he spent nearly a decade in the European Private Equity team advising a wide range of global sponsors. He began his career at Clifford Chance in London and Hong Kong.
Earlier in his career, Carl was seconded to Bain Capital, counseling deal teams on European private equity investments.
Credentials
Education
Legal Practice Course2008
University of Law
London
Graduate Diploma in Law2007
Nottingham Law School
MPhilInnovation, Strategy and Organisation2006
University of Cambridge
Judge Business School
Graduate Diploma in Management Studies2005
University of Cambridge
Judge Business School
BSc2004
Loughborough University
Admissions
Bars
- England & Wales
Recognition & Awards
Carl has been recognised by Legal 500 UK, IFLR, and SuperLawyers.
Publications
- Co-Author, “Coming from America (Real Deals),” Real Deals Media, February 2022
- Panelist, “Coming from America: US-inbound investment activity,” Real Deals Mid-Market Conference, February 2022
- Co-Author, “When the journey is not over: performance vesting beyond an IPO,” Buyouts Insider – PEI Media, February 2022
- Panelist, “Credit Funds Series – Europe’s Distressed Recovery,” Goodwin webinar, May 2021
- Guest Speaker, “Private Chat #22,” Fund Shack’s Private Chat podcast, March 2021
- Co-Author, “Rising Numbers of Public-to-Private Deals Means Greater Focus on Bidder Conduct,” Private Equity News, March 2021
- Co-Author, “Pension Schemes Act 2021: The Impact of New Criminal Liability of Restructuring and Corporate Transactions,” Goodwin Insights, February 2021
- Guest Speaker, “2020, a year of upheaval and resilience,” Private Equity News Annual Industry Review, January 2021
- Quoted, “Dealwatch: Strategic Acquisitions, Disposals and Restructuring Moves Dominate As Firms Continue Advice on COVID-19 Fallout,” Legal Business, November 2020
- Guest Speaker, “London explores hopping on Spacs bandwagon,” Financial Times, October 2020
- Panelist, “Tooling up for Deal-making: what investors need to know for now and in the future,” July 2020
- Speaker, “Data is driving M&A Activity in the Tech sector: Deals Interview,” Verdict, November 2019
- Speaker, “Private Equity - Issues and Trends,” LexisNexis Webinar, London, October 2017