People

Overview

Costa Smith advises on a wide range of corporate matters, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity transactions in the energy, infrastructure and technology sectors. The transactions on which Mr. Smith advises are often complex and cross-border in nature.

Mr. Smith has also gained experience during secondments at both a global insurance company and the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (General Counsel's Division).

Admission & Affiliations

  • Qualified Solicitor, England & Wales, 2011
  • Legal Practice Course, BPP Law School 2009
  • Master of Laws, International & European Law, Universiteit van Amsterdam 2008
  • Bachelor of Laws, Chinese Law, University of Nottingham 2007

Experience

Energy, Infrastructure and Real Assets

  • A consortium of Arcus Infrastructure Partners and GLIL Infrastructure Partners on the leveraged buyout of Smart Meter Assets 1 Ltd, an energy infrastructure provider, from Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by way of an auction sale*
  • KKH Property Investors on its €205m forward sale of Sol HTL (which owns a 200-room Madrid hotel operated under the EDITION brand of Marriott International) to Archer Hotel Capital (a vehicle jointly owned by GIC and APG Asset Management)*
  • An infrastructure fund in its club bid for MapleCo, a smart-metering firm, sold by a consortium of SSE, OMERS and OTPP by way of an auction sale*
  • Dalmore Capital on its £1.9bn acquisition of Cadent Gas (as part of a consortium including Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, China Investment Corporation, the Qatar Investment Authority, Allianz Capital Partners and Hermes Investment Management)*
  • X-Elio, a global sustainable energy developer managed by joint venture between KKR and Brookfield, on certain asset investment opportunities*
  • Noble Corporation, a global offshore drilling contractor, on its US$375m divestment of five jack-up drilling rigs to Shelf Drilling
  • Connect Fibre, a digital infrastructure service provider, on the majority investment by Foresight Group
  • West Indian Ocean Cable Company on financing activity to support its business expansion, including with respect to data centre deployment in the African continent
  • Dalmore Capital on the divestment of its interests in the Civis PFI/PPP Infrastructure Fund to joint venture partner PGGM (the asset manager of the Dutch healthcare pension scheme PFZW)*
  • Redefine Properties on its €1.2bn acquisition of a portfolio of real estate assets in Poland by way of the purchase of a 75% stake in Dutch property vehicle Echo Prime Properties*
  • The majority shareholders of Mabey, an international bridge and engineering services specialist, on sale of Mabey Inc to Sunbelt Rentals*
  • Arcus Infrastructure Partners on the leveraged buyout of Foresight Metering Management Limited, a smart meter infrastructure provider, from the Foresight Group by way of an auction sale*
  • Dalmore Capital on its £1.4bn acquisition of John Laing Infrastructure Fund (as part of a joint venture with Equitix Investment Management)*
  • The shareholders of McNicholas on the sale of McNicholas, a multi-utility engineering services provider, to the Kier Group*
  • Hanson UK in respect of the divestment of a UK cement plant*
  • HarbourVest Partners, Columbia Capital, Innova Capital, M/C Partners and other shareholders of GTS, a Central and Eastern European infrastructure-based telecommunications service provider, on the €546m sale of GTS to Deutsche Telekom AG*
  • Cairn Homes Plc, an Irish homebuilder, on its €440m initial public offering (IPO) on the main market of the London Stock Exchange*

Technology

  • Azimo, the global digital cross-border payments service, on its sale to Papaya Global, the global people management platform
  • The United Kingdom Cabinet Office on the £380m sale (in joint venture with Capita Plc) of Axelos Limited, a global examination and certification provider, to PeopleCert International*
  • Timico Group (a portfolio company of Horizon Capital LLP) on the acquisition of Atos IT Outsourcing UK Limited from Atos*
  • Endless LLP on the sale of Trustmarque to Capita Plc*
  • Endless LLP on the sale of Liberata to Outsourcing Inc., the Tokyo Stock Exchange listed global outsourcing group*
  • Bessemer Venture Partners on its successful investment in United Kingdom cloud-based call-centre software provider NewVoiceMedia Ltd*
  • Shareholders of Palladium Group on the divestment of the EMEA business of Palladium Group by way of a management buyout*

Financial Services

  • AWJ Investments Ltd, a special purpose open-ended fund, in respect of its exit through the sale of its flagship holding in AWJ Investments LLC to Kitopi, a leading tech-powered, multi-brand restaurant.
  • Shareholders of Global Processing Services (GPS) in respect of a US$300m investment in GPS from Advent International and Viking Global Investors
  • CFFI Ventures on its series of co-investments in United Kingdom clearing bank ClearBank*
  • Sovereign Capital on the sale of Cordium, a global compliance and regulatory consultancy service, to European Capital*
  • The founders and management of Allen International in the sale of Allen International (a leading design consultancy in the financial services sector) to Accenture plc*
  • Sango Capital Management in respect of the structuring of its second Africa-focused fund*
  • AXA Real Estate Investment Managers in the establishment of a UK-focused real estate investment fund*
  • ABRY Partners on the acquisition of a majority interest in UK employee benefits company Thomsons Online Benefits*
  • AmWINS Group, Inc., a global insurance broker, in the recommended takeover, by way of a scheme of arrangement, of THB Plc*
  • Darwin Strategic Limited in relation to an investment from Henderson Global Investors*
  • Shareholders of The Innovation Enterprise Limited, a media brand servicing the financial sector, in respect of the sale of The Innovation Enterprise Limited to CFO Publishing, a U.S.-based media business*
  • Shareholders of sQuidcard in respect of the restructuring of sQuidcard and the subsequent merger with Applied Card Technologies, two consumer companies specialising in contact-less payment technology*

* Prior to joining Baker Botts