Sidley represented private equity investors One Equity Partners (“OEP”) and Buckthorn Partners (“Buckthorn”) in their acquisition of Acteon Group, the international offshore energy infrastructure services business from entities controlled and/or advised by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (“KKR”).
Acteon provides specialist engineering, services, and technology to companies who develop and own renewable and other offshore energy infrastructure across all phases of the life cycle. The business was established in 1989 and employs 2,300 staff operating from 58 locations across 14 countries worldwide.
OEP and Buckthorn are making a substantial investment in the business to improve Acteon’s standing with suppliers and customers and enable it to compete even more strongly in its core markets.
The investors’ focus will be on developing Acteon’s capabilities across survey, foundations, moorings, decommissioning, and consulting engineering services that support and differentiate the business in the offshore renewable, and offshore oil and gas market sectors.
OEP is a private equity firm with approximately US$10 billion in assets under management focused on transformative combinations within the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. Buckthorn is a UK investment firm focused on investing in industrial businesses providing products and services that support the growth and integration of renewable energy, lower emissions, energy efficiency, and improvements to existing energy infrastructure.
The Sidley team was led by partner Tony Downes and managing associate Arabella Robinson (Private Equity), supported by partner Dan Graham, senior managing associate Josh Baxter, managing associate Filippo Durazzo, and associate Jess Edwards (Private Equity).
The broader team included partner Jason Menzies and managing associate Avi Kaye (Tax); partner Mark Knight, managing associate Raveena Channa, and associate Hannah Murray (Restructuring); partner Sven De Knop and managing associate Alessandra Moroni (Foreign Direct Investment); partner Patrick Harrison (Antitrust); partner Peter McCorkell (Employment); partner Leonard Ng and managing associate Qalid Mohamed (Securities Enforcement and Regulatory); partner Matthew Shankland (Litigation); partner Kristen Smith, partner Markus Feil, senior managing associate Louise Freund, and associate Alissia Opitz (Global Finance); partner Yuet Ming Tham (White Collar Defense and Investigations); and associates Tobias Bachmeier and Caulyn Bong (M&A).
