Nick Tomlinson is an English and New York qualified corporate partner based in Gibson Dunn’s London office. He also practised out of the firm’s New York office for two years and helped establish our Dubai office.
Nick advises and leads deal teams on a wide range of UK and cross-border Private Equity, M&A, Growth Capital and Joint Venture transactions. He also advises on management equity incentivisation plans, restructurings and investment banking advisory arrangements.
In recent years he has advised across a variety of sectors which include: healthcare, education, sports, media & entertainment, hotels & leisure, retail & apparel, IT & digital infrastructure, video games studios, digital communications & marketing, asset management, manufacturing & distribution, and energy.
Nick is recognised by The Legal 500 UK 2024 in the field of Private Equity transactions and M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals. They note that “The ‘outstanding’ Nick Tomlinson continues to helm more and more global carve-outs and regulated industry deals” plus it recognizes his “outstanding client service”. Nick is also ranked as highly regarded in IFLR1000 2024 for M&A and Private Equity. He authored the Thomson Reuters Practical Law publication “Private equity in the UK (England and Wales): Overview”, published in November 2023.
He has been a member of The Law Society of England and Wales (since 1999), and the New York State Bar (since 2005).
Representative Private Equity Transactions:
Sports, Media & Entertainment
- RedBird IMI on its $1.5bn acquisition of TV and film producer All3 Media from Warner Bros Discovery and Liberty Global.
- Red Bird and Otro Capital on their 24% investment into Alpine Racing, a leading Formula 1 team.
- Legends Hospitality on its acquisition of International Stadia Group (ISG), a London-based sports and entertainment company.
- AT&T alongside WarnerMedia in the $1.4 billion sale of Playdemic, Ltd., the mobile games studio responsible for Golf Clash, to Electronic Arts through an auction process.
Healthcare & Education
- Investcorp on its co- investment with TPG’s global impact The Rise Fund to acquire Outcomes First Group (OFG), a UK Special Education Needs (SEN) provider, from Stirling Square Capital.
- KKR on its acquisition of Clinisupplies, a UK manufacturer and distributor of care products.
- AGIC Capital on the sale of global medical laser business Fotona to Vitruvian Partners.
- Safanad on the control investment into UK care home provider HC-One and related management incentivisation plan.
- The founder and management team of Kerecis, an innovative wound care company, on its sale to Coloplast for up to $1.3bn.
- Blackstone, Fajr and Mumtalakat on its sale of its stake in GEMS Education to CVC Capital.
- Investcorp on the sale of portfolio company, GL Education Group, a provider of pupil and school assessment solutions for schools, to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners.
Digital, Asset Management & Retail
- Platinum Equity and its portfolio company Cision US Inc. on its $450 million acquisition of Brandwatch, a global leader in digital consumer intelligence and social media listening.
- Investcorp on its acquisition of Investis Digital, a provider of digital corporate communications and marketing services, from ECI Partners and a group of minority investors.
- CITIC Capital on the carve-out from Euromoney plc of ISI Emerging Markets Group, the leading provider of macroeconomic, business and industry intelligence on global emerging markets, and the subsequent sale to Montagu Private Equity.
- Investcorp on its strategic acquisition of 3iDM, a credit investment company with $12bn assets under management from the 3i Group plc.
- L Catterton and global fitness and lifestyle brand Sweaty Betty on the sale of Sweaty Betty to Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
Digital Infrastructure
- Novator Capital and Verne Global, an Icelandic colocation data center campus, on the sale of Verne to Digital 9 Infrastructure plc (D9), a digital infrastructure investment trust.
- Zayo Group on its acquisition of Viatel’s pan European dark fiber infrastructure and enterprise businesses.
- Zayo Group on its acquisition of Geo Networks, operator of high capacity fiber network in the UK.
Growth Capital
- Novator Capital on its Series C investment alongside Warburg Pincus into Nord VPN.
- Novator Capital on its purchase of a Series B stake in Steel City Interactive, a video games studio.
- Novator Capital on its investment into Numan, a European digital platform for men’s health.
- Initial Capital on the sale of its minority preferred investment in Hutch Games, a motor sports gaming studio, to MTG.
- Initial Capital on the sale of its minority preferred investment in Space Ape, a social and mobile gaming studio, to Supercell.
- Baker Bros as lead investor in the Series C financing of Immunocore, a clinical-stage T cell receptor biotechnology company.
- Hutch Games, a mobile video game developer and publisher, on its Series B preferred stock capital raising.
- NetEase on its Series B investment into Improbable Worlds.
- Verne Global, an Icelandic colocation data center campus, in connection with its 2020 Series D capital raise; and with a warrant issuance.
Capabilities
- Private Equity
- Artificial Intelligence
- Betting and Gaming
- Business Restructuring and Reorganization
- Emerging Companies / Venture Capital
- Energy Regulation and Litigation
- Energy and Infrastructure
- Fashion, Retail, and Consumer Products
- Financial Institutions
- Fintech and Digital Assets
- Investment Funds
- Media, Entertainment, and Technology
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Oil and Gas
- Power and Renewables
- Sports Law
- Technology Transactions
Credentials
Education:
- The College of Law - Chester - 1997 Postgrad Diploma LPC
- University of Nottingham - 1996 Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.)
Admissions:
- England & Wales - Solicitor
- New York Bar
News & Insights
The Hollywood Reporter
Richard Birns and Nicholas Tomlinson Named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Top Dealmakers of 2024
Firm News
Gibson Dunn Advises Otro Capital and its Partner RedBird Capital in Their Investment in Alpine Racing Ltd.
Article
Private Equity in the UK (England and Wales): Overview