Regional deal-maker takes national role with law firm

Mr Seedat has been promoted to become the firm’s national head of private equity.

His appointment reflects the global significance of Yorkshire’s legal sector.

Mr Seedat, who is based in Leeds, takes over from Andrew Carpenter, who has been appointed divisional managing partner for Addleshaw Goddard’s new international division.

Mr Seedat will combine his client responsibilities with a focus on developing Addleshaw Goddard’s private equity group.

Yesterday, Mr Seedat said he was working on six private equity deals, and added: “We have built a great practice doing a range of deals.”

Since becoming a partner at Addleshaw Goddard in 2001, Mr Seedat has advised a number of private equity houses, and management teams, on major transactions.

Addleshaw Goddard’s team recently advised Inflexion Private Equity on the management buyouts of Natural Products Worldwide and CTC Aviation Group.

The Addleshaw Goddard team has been strengthened by a number of partner appointments including private equity specialist Ben Rodham, who joins from Linklaters.

Mr Carpenter will continue to play an active role in the firm’s private equity group, in addition to his leadership role directing Addleshaw Goddard’s international operations.

Mr Seedat said yesterday: “Our private equity practice has developed into one of the largest specialist teams in the UK.

“We are at the heart of the private equity market advising private equity houses, their portfolio companies and management teams, and I’m looking forward to building on this momentum to further develop our practice.”

Addleshaw Goddard’s private equity team is made up of nine partners, one legal director and 35 other fee earners.

It is one of the largest UK teams in the mid market buy-out sector. Its client portfolio includes 3i, Dunedin, ECI, Elysian, Graphite, Gresham, Inflexion, ISIS, LDC, North Edge and Phoenix.

Research released yesterday revealed two-thirds of European private equity activity this year has involved one buyout house selling a company it owns to another,

So far this year, 65 per cent of the $19.3bn of private equity deals in Europe have been in the so-called secondary market, according to data from industry tracker Preqin.

Private equity firms buy companies, try to boost their profitability by cutting costs or shaking up operations, and then sell them on in the hope of making a return.