Drawing upon a ‘deep knowledge of the private equity sector’, as well as having strong finance and corporate transactional expertise, A&O Shearman maintains a market-leading offering for financial sponsors on their downstream investment activity as well as on any exit processes. The team also benefits from access to a well-established network, ensuring they can provide ‘high-quality feedback across jurisdictions’ on large cross-border transactions. A trusted adviser to many private capital clients, Jacques Graas is a key resource on sponsor-backed M&A, where he deploys a combination of ‘technical excellence, commercial pragmatism, and accessibility’. Fabian Beullekens handles a significant volume of private equity work in his role as head of M&A, often acting as lead adviser on multi-jurisdictional deals. Peter Myners has excellent insight into the sector, both through his fee-earning work as well as in his role as a Luxembourg Private Equity Association (LPEA) board member. Sylvain Cailleau and the recently promoted Pol Theisen round out the team on partner level.

Led by Adrian Aldinger, the ‘well-oiled’ cross-disciplinary team at Arendt & Medernach provides ‘client-focused and service-oriented advice’ to private equity sponsors through every aspect of the value chain, including on their acquisitions and exits. Praised for his ‘broad experience and commercial and pragmatic attitude’, Philippe Harles is very well versed at handling buy and sell-side work for sponsors involving mature companies and is also highly proficient for early stage or start-up fundraising within Luxembourg’s thriving venture capital ecosystem. The vastly experienced Laurent Schummer is also a key figure for start-up work, as well as advising private equity sponsors on later stage and more general corporate M&A matters. Pierre Beissel has deep insight into the private equity space throughout the life-cycle, from initial fund formation, through to downstream M&A, as well as general corporate advice for portfolio companies.

Leveraging deep sectoral knowledge and a very collaborative approach that draws from other complementary local practice areas (including fund formation and tax) and a large international network, Clifford Chance can ‘deliver the best results’ to an impressive roster of financial sponsors on their fund formation and M&A needs. Managing partner Katia Gauzès has deep market insight through her role on the board of directors of the LPEA, as well as her fee-earning work for heavy-hitters, including the Partners Group, which she advises on the buy and sell-side. Saskia Myners is a key contact for sponsors, including advising on their real estate investments, and is adept at handling standard M&A mandates as well as on deals involving strategic partnerships/JVs. Senior partner Christian Kremer co-heads the team alongside Gauzès and Myners.

Drawing upon strong M&A and fund structuring capabilities, in particular, Elvinger Hoss Prussen provides ‘outstanding end-to-end Luxembourg execution’ to many financial sponsor clients on their cross-border investment strategies. As well as receiving direct client instructions, the firm’s independent status also ensures that it also regularly receives referral work to advise on the drafting of the Luxembourg vehicle structure. The vastly experienced Toinon Hoss is regularly engaged by many of the firm’s highest-profile fund clients to advise on their buy and sell-side work. Katia Panichi co-heads the team alongside Hoss that also includes the ‘hands-on, solutions-oriented, and calm’ Thierry Kauffman.

Led from Luxembourg by Rémy Bonneau and able to leverage vast international resources throughout the firm’s global network of offices, Linklaters provides a ‘responsive and very service-oriented’ offering to many large financial sponsors on their cross-border M&A mandates. As well as his traditional private equity work, which includes advice on public-to-private transactions and deals in the infrastructure field, Bonneau also regularly handles M&A work for sovereign wealth funds. Much of Manfred Müller‘s corporate and M&A work is centred around the private equity space, both big-ticket and mid-market deals, with recent mandates including bolt-on transactions for a major financial investor. Other key contacts include recently promoted partner Florence Forster, whose workflow includes advice on co-investment structures and management incentive plans, and Catherine Kremer, whose private equity experience also includes work for infrastructure-focused funds.

With strong capabilities on the fund formation, corporate, tax and restructuring fronts, the multidisciplinary team at Loyens & Loeff provides ‘very responsive and business-oriented’ advice to private equity sponsors throughout their investment life-cycle. The team has particularly good traction among US sponsors, helped by a New York office, headed by the ‘pragmatic and business-friendly’ Frank van Kuijk which can provide real-time advice to funds seeking to realise European capital raises. In Luxembourg, Mathilde Lattard heads up the M&A team and is a key contact for many of the most significant private equity-led deals, including handling a considerable volume for EQT. Other key lawyers include managing partner Thierry Lohest, who heads up the firm’s representative London office which focuses on handling work for UK sponsors; the ‘prodigious’ Frédéric Franckx, who excels at handling work for US sponsors;  ‘seasoned strategist’ Guy Palmaers; fund formation private equity head Marc Meyers; and Ana Andreiana, who is able to handle both the corporate and finance aspects of a deal and is responsible for developing the team’s Lat Am links.

Drawing upon a collaborative approach which leans into the firm’s strong tax and fund structuring capabilities, as well as the resources afforded to clients through its vast international network, Baker McKenzie is well positioned to advise financial sponsors on complex cross-border M&A transactions, in particular. Combining ‘deep technical knowledge with a genuinely commercial approach’, the team is also adept at advising on exit strategies and on portfolio management issues. Jean-François Findling and Elodie Duchêne are the two main sponsor-focused M&A practitioners, with the ‘exceptional’ Olivier Dal Farra very skilled at providing the tax advice connected with investment structuring and M&A transactions.

Centred around some key marquee clients, BSP handles a range of major instructions where it acts on the Luxembourg structuring associated with cross-border M&A transactions. Team head Linda Harroch is the relationship partner for Advent, with longstanding ties to the US-headquartered global private equity fund which have seen her involved in many important acquisitions and exits. Michaël Kitai is the main contact for Goldman Sachs, and is a key member of the team alongside corporate and tax expert Cécile Jager and Christèle Pierre-Alexandre, who has developed a particular strength in infrastructure-related work through her ties with GIP.

Combining both corporate and fund structuring expertise, CMS Luxembourg provides a one-stop-shop service to private equity sponsors on the implementation of the vehicles used to structure their transactions and the advice pertinent to the subsequent execution of the downstream investment. Team head Gérard Maitrejean is well versed at advising on cross-border transactions involving European, US and Asian assets across a range of sectors, including real estate and technology. Pawel Hermelinski is the other main contact for private equity-related transactional work, and alongside advising on acquisitions is also skilled handling exits and JV structuring.

The ‘dynamic’ team at Mourant continues to grow its offering for private equity clients, with ‘brilliant’ fund structuring expert Lara Forte being the latest to join, following her arrival from Arendt & Medernach in February 2025. She adds further weight behind a team that is well placed to provide end-to-end legal support across the full private equity transaction lifecycle. For M&A work, the team is led from the front by the ‘highly knowledgeable’ Aldric Grosjean, who is regularly first port of call for international funds and referring law firms to provide advice on the Luxembourg-related structuring aspects of complex cross-border transactions. The ‘results oriented and pragmatic’ Jan Dobrzensky is also a vital resource to clients and is appreciated for his ‘creativity and ideas in the context of Luxembourg SPV structuring’.

Working with colleagues from Brussels and Amsterdam on Benelux deals, as well as regularly acting as Luxembourg counsel on multi-jurisdictional mandates involving other countries, NautaDutilh has solid deal flow for private equity firms across a range of transactions, including buy-outs, public-to-privates and exits. Key to this work is team head Margaretha Wilkenhuysen who also handles restructuring and refinancing work for portfolio companies as well as venture capital and growth equity financing. Other core contacts include Caroline Notté, who often handles work for Mid Europa Partners, and the ‘responsive and commercial’ Romain Sabatier, whose workflow includes conventional and distressed M&A for funds.

Led by Bernard Beerens, the ‘pragmatic and customer-oriented’ team at Stibbe regularly works alongside international law firms as co-counsel to financial sponsors, providing the structuring of the Luxembourg investment vehicles and the execution of the pursuant transactions. The ‘solutions-oriented’ Gérald Origer is vastly experienced in the space and is a trusted adviser to a number of large international funds, advising them on downstream investments and applicable management incentive plans, as well as on portfolio management work.

The ‘solutions-oriented’ team at Strelia delivers ‘pragmatic and tailored’ advice on the Luxembourg structuring and execution of domestic and cross-border transactions for a growing roster of private equity sponsor clients. Vanessa Schmitt, who is well versed at handling acquisitions and exits, is also regularly instructed to advise on portfolio management issues as well as on management incentive plans. Michaël Meylan, who co-heads the team alongside Schmitt, regularly handles buy-side mid and large-cap deals.

Combining ‘deep sector expertise with a commercial, solutions-focused approach’, GSK Stockmann is gaining traction among fund clients and international referring law firms for its ability to provide strong local knowledge and an international outlook on transactions and ancillary advice including management incentive schemes. This manifests itself on both private equity deals as well as on early stage matters, with Marcus Peter noted for his expertise at advising on domestic venture capital fintech start-up matters. Anna Gassner co-heads the team alongside Peter and is recognised as a ‘real deal-maker’.

Acting on its own as well as often deploying a transversal approach which utilises experts from the banking and funds practices, Stellan Partners‘ corporate and M&A team regularly advises private equity sponsors on their fund structuring and M&A execution. Catherine Baflast is pivotal to this transactional work and is also well versed in advising on ancillary matters, including the structuring of management incentive plans. Baflast co-heads the team alongside corporate structuring expert Jean-Yves Lhommel.

Effectively leveraging a greater presence on the ground in Luxembourg as well as from its more well-established Brussels office, White & Case S.à r.l. continues to pick up an increased volume of Luxembourg structuring work for private equity clients. Much of this is in service of the firm’s institutional sponsor client base, although the team has also picked up some of its own clients, including for a Luxembourg-based family office, which it recently advised in a joint venture with an established fund. Thierry Bosly and Thomas Glauden co-head the team and split their time between Brussels and Luxembourg.