Andy Howard is a partner in the tax practice, focusing on UK corporate tax and international tax matters. He has more than 20 years’ experience working on a wide spectrum of complex UK tax issues. Andy’s practice focuses on all types of transactions involving investment funds, including private equity, finance, special situations, real estate, and fund formation, but also includes UK and international M&A, structured finance, derivatives, stock lending and general advisory work.

Mentioned in Chambers and The Legal 500, his clients describe him as “a good, solid tax lawyer” who is “practical,” “technically strong and easy to work with.” Andy is a regular contributor to leading UK tax publications and has presented a number of seminars on developments in UK tax law. He also focuses on cross-border and international tax matters, co-ordinating advice with counsel in a wide range of jurisdictions to provide fully joined-up advice on the tax effects of clients’ transactions. He takes pride in providing clear and concise advice on complex transactions.

Experience

  • Advised Partners Group, acting on behalf of its clients, on the agreement to invest in Exus, a leading European infrastructure asset management firm focused on the renewable energy sector. Partners Group plans to commit up to EUR 1 billion in growth capital
  • Advised WellSky Corporation – a portfolio company of TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners – on the sale of WellSky International to System C Healthcare, a provider of information technology implementation software and services to the health sector – and portfolio company of CVC Capital Partners 
  • Advised Partners Group on its acquisition of Pharmathen, a European pharmaceutical company, from international investment firm BC Partners on behalf of its clients. The transaction values Pharmathen at an enterprise value of around EUR 1.6 billion 
  • Advised NeoGenomics, Inc. on its acquisition of Inivata Ltd, a global, commercial stage liquid biopsy platform company, headquartered in Cambridge, UK
  • Advised Baring Private Equity Asia on the sale of Lumenis LTD. Surgical Business, a company that develops and commercializes energy-based medical solutions, to Boston Scientific
  • Advised Advent International on its agreement to acquire Nielsen Global Connect, a unit of Nielsen Holdings plc, for $2.7 billion
  • Advised Integrated Media Company (IMC), a TPG platform dedicated to the new media ecosystem, on the acquisition of a majority stake in Goal from the DAZN Group
  • Advised Partners Group on its acquisition of a major equity stake in Rovensa, a leading Portuguese-headquartered provider of specialty crop nutrition, biocontrol and protection products, from Bridgepoint
  • Acting for NeoGenomics Inc. in a strategic collaboration with Inivata for the commercialization of Cambridge, UK-headquartered Inivata’s InVisionFirst®-Lung liquid biopsy test in the United States
  • Acting for Partners Group on the sale of its stake in 10.25 billion Dutch retailer Action 
  • Acting for Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Nordea in connection with the 1.45 billion financing of Nordic Capital’s acquisition of a majority stake in Norway-based Lindorff, one of Europe’s leading providers of debt related administrative services
  • Acting for TPG Capital, and its portfolio company Beaver-Visitec, in connection with the acquisition of Malosa Medical, a UK-based medical devices company
  • Acting for Metalmark Capital on its acquisition of Premier Research 
  • Advising Macquarie Capital in connection with certain facilities made available for the purposes of Liberty Hall Capital Partners’ USD 135 million acquisition of Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd.
  • Acting for Forensic Risk Alliance and its founders in connection with a capital re-organisation of the business and the subsequent sale of a minority interest in the business to Dunedin LLP
  • Acting for KKR Credit Advisors in connection with:
    • the 200m private unitranche financing for Dentix Health Corporation
    • the private unitranche financing in support of PAI Partners’ acquisition of holiday park operator Roompot BV
  • Advising Liberty Global on the establishment of a of a notes issuance programme by VM Receivables Financing, to fund the purchase of a consumer handset loan receivables from Virgin Media Mobile Finance
  • Advising Virgin Media Group on the first ever issuance of receivables finance notes and the UK’s first ever handset securitisation
  • Acting for the Management Sellers on their sale of GL Education, a provider of educational assessments
  • Acting for TPG Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in Poundworld
  • Acting for 3i Group plc on the acquisition of Audley Travel
  • Acting for Bain Capital on:
    • its acquisition of TI Automotive
    • its acquisition of CRH plc’s clay and concrete businesses in the UK and United States in a transaction valuing the businesses at £414 million
  • Acting for Blackstone Mortgage Trust on its US$4.2 billion financing of its US$4.8 billion loan portfolio acquisition from GE Capital Real Estate
  • Acting for CVC Credit Partners on its formation of a European debt fund. Our work on this mandate includes advising on fund structuring and establishment, fund terms, regulatory issues and investor negotiations
  • Acting for Highbridge Principal Strategies, KKR Credit Advisors and Bain Capital Credit, being the ad hoc unsecured noteholder committee, on their financial restructuring of Towergate Insurance
  • Acting for a major U.S. endowment fund and a US REIT on their acquisition of Buckingham Properties Limited, an entity owning various interests in 123 Buckingham Palace Road let to Google and other tenants for circa £200 million
  • Acting for management on its secondary buy-out
  • Acting for the arranger and senior lender on its repackaging of a jumbo UK loan via an Irish SPV
  • Acting for a hedge fund on a highly complex Luxembourg-based financing
  • Advising an international bank in connection with its equity finance and stock lending activities
  • Acting for the purchaser on its acquisition of a leading UK based legal information provider
  • Acting for the seller on its carve-out and disposal of a multi-jurisdictional packaging business through a mixture of share and asset disposals
  • Acting for a leading real estate fund on its structuring and acquisition of a debt portfolio backed by pan-European commercial property mortgages
  • Acting for a series of acquisitions and disposals of asset management businesses
  • Acting for a leading financial institution in connection with HMRC enquiries into a structured transaction
  • Acting for Angelo, Gordon & Co, Avenue Capital and Alchemy Partners on their joint acquisition of Avant Homes from Lloyds Banking Group

Areas of Practice

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