WINNERS ANNOUNCED

On February 1, 2024, 24 winners were announced, celebrating excellence in dealmaking and investment in Digital Infrastructure, Tech and Telecoms.  

The Awards recognise the most successful Investment Banks, Law Firms, Transaction Advisers, Infrastructure Funds & Private Equity Investors, and Industry Dealmakers active in M&A in Digital Infrastructure, Software, Telecoms and Cloud in EMEA.

Congratulations to the winners!

VIEW THE WINNERS

2023 Winners

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Digital Infrastructure Financing Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

Project Oak (Germany)
The debt financing package raised by GIP, KKR and Vodafone to support the acquisition of up to 50% ownership in Vantage Towers AG and enter into a strategic co-control partnership for Vantage Towers, at a total debt value of E6.98bn. The package also included a project financing.
Banks: BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, MUFG Bank, Banco Santander, SMBC and UniCredit (all underwriters and bookrunners) and Mizuho Bank (MLA)
Legal Advisers: Latham & Watkins (Sponsors) ; Allen & Overy (Lenders)

Europe Datacentre Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

DATA4 (France)
The acquisition by Brookfield Infrastructure of a 60% stake in French datacentre firm DATA4 from AXA Investment Managers for an estimated E2.1bn. 
Financial Advisers: Deutsche Bank (Sell Side); n/a (Buy Side)
Legal Advisers: Kirkland & Ellis, Dentons (Sell Side); Simmons & Simmons (Buy Side)

 

Europe Fibre Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

Virgin Media O2 FTTH (UK)
The UK fibre joint venture between Liberty Global, Telefonica (combined 50%) and InfraVia Capital Partners (50%) valued at £4.5bn. 
Financial Advisers: Liontree Advisors, Barclays (Sell Side), Lazard (Buy Side)
Legal Advisers: Allen & Overy (Sell Side), Linklaters, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei (Buy Side)

Europe Tower Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

United Group (Europe various)
The acquisition by TAWAL of United Group's tower assets in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia in a deal Valued at E1.22bn.
Financial Advisers: Goldman Sachs (Sell Side); Lazard (Buy Side)
Legal Advisers: Jadek & Pensa, Bradvica Maric Wahl Cesarec, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, Kambourov & Partners (Sell Side); Clifford Chance, Kinstellar, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, ODI Law (Buy Side) 

 

Europe Cloud & IT Services Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

Micro Focus (UK) 
The acquisition by Canadian software company OpenText of UK software and IT services company Micro Focus from Dodge & Cox, BlackRock, M&G Plc and Causeway Capital for an estimated E6bn.  
Financial Advisers: Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, Numis Securities, Bank of America Securities (Sell Side); Barclays (Buy Side) 
Legal Advisers: Slaughter & May, Cravath Swaine & Moore (Sell Side), Allen & Overy, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (Buy Side) 
 

Europe Software Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

Software AG (Germany)
The acquisition by Silver Lake of German listed business process management platforms provider Software AG for E1.67bn.
Financial Advisers: PJT Partners (Sell Side); JPMorgan (Buy Side)
Legal Advisers: Clifford Chance, Gleiss Lutz, Allen & Overy (Sell Side); Hengeler Mueller, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (Buy Side)

 

MEA TMT Deal of the Year

For deals completed between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. Selected for size, complexity and market impact.

Zain Iraq 
The sale and leaseback by Kuwaiti telecom major Zain Group of its 4,968 tower portfolio in Iraq to TASC Towers Holding Limited for US$180m. 
Financial Advisers: FTI Capital Advisors (Sell Side) 
Legal Advisers: Norton Rose Fulbright (Sell Side);  Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP (Buy Side)
 

Digital Infrastructure Investment Firm of the Year

DigitalBridge 

For deals including its acquisition of an ownership stake in German towerco GD Towers, the realization of Vantage Towers, sale of Wildstone, the formation of an investment partnership with MEAG and Infranity for Vantage Data Centers in Europe, while selling a significant minority stake in Vantage EMEA to AustralianSuper, and ongoing expansion of existing portfolio companies in Europe. 

 

Digital Infrastructure Growth Story

Vantage Data Centers 
 

TMT Financing Bank of the Year

Societe Generale

TMT Due Diligence Adviser of the Year

Altman Solon

TMT Legal Trailblazer Award

CMS 

For its role advising the MLAs on a hybrid financing of AtlasEdge’s datacentre expansion across 14 jurisdictions in Europe. 

 

Digital Infrastructure Investment Leader

Cristina Gonzalez, Managing Director, European Infrastructure, KKR

 

TMT Deal Advisory Rising Star

Achille Del Pizzo, Managing Director, Guggenheim Partners 
 

TMT Deal Leader Rising Star

Zeynep Lucchini Gilera, Investment Director, InfraVia Capital Partners  
 

TMT Banker of the Year

Christian Lesueur, Managing Director, Global Head of Coverage and Global Head of TMT Investment Banking, UBS
 

TMT Lawyer of the Year

Tom Levine, Partner, Allen & Overy 
 

TMT CEO of the Year

Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt 

Europe TMT M&A Financial Adviser

For deals announced between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. View criteria here

Morgan Stanley 

 

Europe Technology M&A Financial Adviser

For deals announced between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. View criteria here

JPMorgan

 

Europe Digital Infrastructure M&A Financial Adviser

For deals announced between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. View criteria here

Morgan Stanley 

 

Europe Digital Infrastructure M&A Legal Adviser

For deals announced between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. View criteria here

Linklaters 

 

Europe TMT M&A Legal Adviser

For deals announced between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. View criteria here

Latham & Watkins 


 

Europe Technology M&A Legal Adviser

For deals announced between Sept 1 2022 and Aug 31 2023. View criteria here

Kirkland & Ellis