Oliver Walker

Oliver advises clients on tax issues principally relating to corporate transactions, with particular focus on:

• private equity and general corporate M&A transactions and reorganisations;
• corporate restructurings;
• complex equity incentive arrangements;
• finance arrangements, debt and equity capital markets; and
• VAT planning.

Oliver is also regularly involved in tax cases before the English and European Courts, and led the tax aspects of various landmark cases, including Littlewoods v HMRC, one of the largest money judgements in English history.

Oliver is recommended for Corporate Tax and Tax Litigation by Legal 500 UK, where he is noted for his “extensive experience in handling a broad range of transactions in the corporate M&A and private equity space” and described as being “thoughtful and responsive”.

Representative experience includes advising:

• Bain Capital on a number of transactions, including recently on:
• the acquisition of Valeo Foods;
• the acquisition of a 60% stake in Kantar Media from WPP plc;
• the take-private of esure Group plc; and
• portfolio company Kantar on the:
• acquisition of Numerator from Vista Equity Partners;
• the carve-out and sale of its Health division to Cerner Corporation; and
• various standalone tax matters
• Advent International on numerous transactions, including recently on:
• the acquisition of a co-controlling stake in Planet Payment Group;
• the acquisition of Hoist Group;
• portfolio company Laird on the carve-out and sale of its
• Connectivity division;
• Performance Materials division to DuPont for $2.3bn; and
• Thermal Systems divisions to Bregal
• portfolio company Cobham on the carve-out and sale of its:
• Mission Systems division to Eaton Corporation plc for $2.83bn;
• Aerospace Connectivity division to TransDigm Group Inc. for $965m;  
• Aviation Services UK division to Draken International (a portfolio company of Blackstone);
• Slip Rings division to Naxicap; and
• Microwave division to FCDE
• portfolio company Transaction Services Group on the merger with Clearent (also a portfolio company of Advent International) to form Xplor Technologies
• General Atlantic on: the acquisition and sale of MeteoGroup; its investment in FNZ; and on its exit from Axel Springer Digital Classified; portfolio company Hyperion Insurance Group on its acquisition of RK Harrison and subsequently Hyperion on the $400m investment by CDPQ; and Depop and its selling shareholders on the sale of the company to Etsy for $1.625 billion
• Howden Group (formerly Hyperion Insurance Group) on: its acquisitions of A Plan and RK Harrison; the investments by CDPQ and Hg Saturn in Howden Group; and most recently on its acquisition of Aston Lark
• PSP on a number of transactions, including recently on: the consortium acquisition of Nestlé Skin Health; its consortium acquisition of Axel Springer; its acquisitions of Keter Plastics and Azelis; and on the sale of Sky Aviation Leasing
• Providence Equity on numerous European transactions, including recently on: its acquisition of Node4 Group; as selling shareholder and consortium member in the consortium's take-private of Masmovil Ibercom; and its acquisition of the shares in marketing services company Chime which were held by its co-investor WPP Group
• Sun European Partners on the acquisition of Sports & Leisure Group and on its sale of C&K Components to Littelfuse Inc.
• OMERS Private Equity on a number of transactions, including recently on: the acquisition, with Partners Group, of International Schools Partnership; acquisition of V.Group and subsequent sale; the acquisition and subsequent sale of Civica; the sale by Hayfin Capital Management of certain assets to The Future Fund; and on the acquisition of Alexander Mann Solutions
• the seller of the iconic Ritz hotel in London
• VINCI on the acquisition of Gatwick Airport
• CVC Capital Partners on the acquisition of RiverStone Europe from Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited
• PSG on its acquisition of Sign In App
• Securitas Direct and its core management team in connection with the restructuring of management’s equity following the acquisition of Bain’s interest in the group by Hellman & Friedman