Geoffrey Kittredge

Geoffrey Kittredge, a London-based partner and Chair of Debevoise’s European Private Equity Funds Group, focuses his practice on private investment fund formation. Mr. Kittredge represents a broad range of international private equity and other private investment funds and their sponsors, including buyout, infrastructure, energy, credit, real estate, secondaries, and venture funds, as well as funds of funds. Among his recent third-party reviews:

• Labelled a “private equity ace” by Legal Week.
• Recommended as a Market Leader for Private Equity Funds by IFLR1000 (2020).
• Ranked as a Band 1 lawyer for Investment Funds by Chambers UK (2020), where he is described as “a powerhouse of technical ability and industry.
• Noted by Chambers Europe (2019) as being “a very smooth operator who runs his team extremely well. He is always available for those knotty issues and gets to very sensible, reasonable and commercial positions with them.”
• Listed as a “leading individual” for investment funds by The Legal 500 UK (2020), and included in the guide’s Hall of Fame, he is described as “a hugely experienced partner who has an immense history assisting major private equity clients. His technical knowledge, industry nous and commercial focus wrapped up in a charismatic character makes him a formidable lawyer.” The guide has also noted his “good funds knowledge and industry understanding, and excellent client relationship skills.” Sources are quoted praising his ability to “figure out the right legal answer and the right commercial answer.”
• Recognised by the International Who’s Who of Private Funds Lawyers which states that he “continues to garner worldwide praise for his private equity and investment fund formation practice. His name is ‘instantly recognizable’ and carries with it an ‘immense amount of prestige and value.’”
• Listed by Expert Guides amongst the UK’s leading investment funds and private equity practitioners.

Resident in Europe since 1999 and in London since 2002, he is a member of the EMPEA Legal & Regulatory Council, and is also a member of the Legal & Accounting Committee of the BVCA.

Mr. Kittredge represents a wide range of sponsors in their fund formation and related activities, including:

• AlbaCore Capital
• All Seas Capital
• Apera Capital
• Baring Vostok Capital Partners
• Canson Capital
• Centricus
• DBAY Advisors
• Development Partners International
• DH Private Equity Partners
• DN Capital
• Exponent Private Equity
• Fundamental Private Markets
• GHO Capital
• Glendower Capital
• Helios Investment Partners
• Intermediate Capital Group
• Keen Venture Partners
• LCM Partners
• LeapFrog Investments
• Metric Capital Partners
• Morgan Stanley
• Park Square Capital Partners
• Petroleum Equity
• Prudential Financial
• Temporis Capital
• TPG Capital

He has published numerous articles on private investment fund related topics including “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,” BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising (September, 2019); “Governance in Emerging Market Private Capital,” Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (April, 2019); “First-Time Fundraising Barometer,” BVCA Report (July, 2018); “Debevoise On Brexit: The ‘No-Deal Deal’,” The Columbia Law School Blue Sky Blog (February, 2018); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses Contingency Planning For Brexit,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (December, 2017); and “Expense Allocation: The SEC Brings Down The Hammer,” Vol. 16 No. 1, Journal of Investment Compliance (May, 2015).

Mr. Kittredge is a regular speaker at the Fundraising Masterclasses held by the Emerging Market Private Equity Association, including delivering sessions in Mumbai and London. Other recent speaking engagements include “Latest Trends in Fund Terms and How These May Evolve,” BVCA Summit 2019 (October, 2019); “Legal Strategies: Balancing GP Interests and Maintaining Marketable Positioning to LPs,” EMPEA Masterclass – London (October, 2019); “Does the Structure Fit the Purpose?,” EMPEA Sustainable Investing in Emerging Markets Summit (October, 2019); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2019); “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2019); “Legal Considerations – Structuring, Key Terms & LPA Negotiation,” BVCA Investor Relations and Fundraising (September, 2019); “Latest Trend in Fund Terms and the Implications for Managers and Investors,” Invest Europe Investor’s Forum (March, 2019); “International Real Estate Investment Vehicles: Debt Fund Structures,” Geneva Investors' Forum (March, 2019); “The conflicts of interest LPACs are addressing. What are the current hot issues?,” BVCA Roadshow (March, 2019); “The Legal Perspective,” First Time Fundraising (February, 2019); “The current state of the secondaries market,” BVCA Secondaries Roundtable (December, 2018); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” and “The Main Economic Terms,” Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (September, 2018); “PE Funds 101,” International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) 2018; Advanced Training (September, 2018); “Key Fund Terms and Market Trends,” and “The Main Economic Terms,” and Invest Europe Fund Structuring Training (March, 2018).

A regular contributor to the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report, he has contributed to articles including “EU Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers: Are the Trialogues Almost Over?,” “Spinouts of Private Equity Funds,” “UK Freedom of Information Act Could Spell Trouble for Private Funds,” “Advisory Committees in US and European Private Equity Funds” and “Emerging Markets Shine in a Difficult Year.”

Mr. Kittredge received his B.A. in 1984 from the University of Virginia, his M.B.A. in 1992 from Columbia University in Finance and Business Economics and his J.D. in 1996 from New York University, where he was an Editor of the Law Review.

Education

• New York University School of Law, 1996, J.D.
• Columbia University, 1992, M.B.A.
• University of Virginia, 1984, B.A.