Freshfields leads on £250m Gartmore IPO

Corporate partners Stephen Revell, Jonathan Baird and William Lawes are leading the Freshfields team on the flotation, which is expected to close in mid-December.

The deal is something of a coup for the corporate team, as it has not previously advised Gartmore. Firms that have acted for the fund manager in the past include Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Eversheds, Simmons & Simmons and Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young.

“This was a new relationship formed to help with the IPO,” said Revell. “There’s been a great reaction [to the IPO] and we’re pleased to be involved in a deal that will open up the IP market.”

Linklaters corporate ­partner John Lane advised the syndicate of global banks acting as sponsors and bookrunners for the IPO. The group features Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and UBS. Citibank is also joint bookrunner, while Fox-Pitt Kelton is co-lead manager.

Gartmore is 50 per cent owned by employees, with the remaining half owned by US private equity group Hellman & Friedman following a 2006 acquisition. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton acted for Hellman & Friedman on the IPO.