Kem Ihenacho, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, is an M&A lawyer with more than 25 years of experience focusing on private equity, infrastructure, and M&A transactions. He is recognized as a leader in his field by numerous publications. He is the Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Africa Practice and the former Global Vice Chair of the firm's Private Equity & Investment Funds Practice.

Kem’s representative transactions include advising:

  • GTCR on its acquisition of Once For All, a leading compliance and supply chain management software provider, from Warburg Pincus
  • KoBold Metals, a California-based exploration firm, in its US$150 million Mingomba Deposit investment for a copper mine development 
  • Rimac Group, a leader in electrified vehicle technology, on its €500 million Series D financing
  • Digital Realty on its acquisition of Teraco, Africa's leading carrier-neutral colocation provider
  • Brookfield Asset Management in the acquisition of Spanish slate producer Cupa from The Carlyle Group
  • PureGym and Leonard Green & Partners (the majority shareholder of the PureGym Group) on the £300 million equity investment in the Group by KKR
  • African Capital Alliance on its equity investment into WIOCC (West Indian Ocean Cable Company), Africa’s hyperscale infrastructure provider 
  • Digital Realty Trust on its strategic investment in AtlasEdge, a European edge data center provider 
  • Francisco Partners and BluJay Solutions on its sale of BluJay to E2open Parent Holdings, Inc. for a mix of cash and shares at an enterprise value of US$1.7 billion 
  • Partners Group and International Schools Partnership (ISP), a leading international group of K-12 schools, in relation to the investment by Partners Group and OMERS in ISP, valuing ISP at an enterprise value of €1.9 billion
  • The Rise Fund, TPG’s global impact investing platform, on their US$200 million minority investment in the mobile money business of LSE premium listed company, Airtel Africa PLC 
  • TPG and other selling shareholders in relation to the sale of the Prezzo group, the Italian casual dining restaurants, to a subsidiary of Cain International
  • KKR
    • On its US$1.1 billion acquisition of Kobalt Capital’s Music Rights Portfolio
    • On its acquisition of Prometic Bioseparations, a company engaged in the research of bioseparations and subsidiary of Liminal BioSciences
    • On its €50 million investment in Univercells, an innovative bioprocessing provider focused on increasing the availability of affordable biologics to address global health challenges
  • GIC
    • On its investment in, and the subsequent IPO of, Birkenstock
    • In consortium with HgCapital, ICG, and Montagu Private Equity on its acquisition of a 40% stake in Visma
    • On its investment in The Access Group
  • Bay Grove Capital and its portfolio company Lineage Logistics
    • On the acquisition of Kloosterboer Group BV, Europe’s largest independent integrated platform for temperature-controlled storage, logistics, and value-added services
    • On the acquisition of Partner Logistics, a leading European automated warehouse business
    • On the acquisition of Yearsley Group, a leading UK temperature controlled logistics service provider and frozen food distributor
  • William Demant Invest A/S in connection with its acquisition of Vision RT, a UK-based 3D surface imaging technology company developing products and solutions for surface guided radiation therapy
  • CVC Capital Partners
    • On its acquisition with Haveli of Jagex, a leading developer and publisher of video games, from Carlyle
    • On its acquisition of RGI, a leading independent provider of software solutions to the European insurance industry from Corsair
    • On its investment, alongside Oakley Capital, in TechInsights Inc., a leading provider of IP services and advanced technology analysis across a broad range of devices and markets
    • And Blackstone on the merger of Paysafe with Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) founded and led by Bill Foley
    • On the acquisition of 90.01% of Ethniki Insurance, Greece’s largest insurer, from the National Bank of Greece
    • On the sale of a 30% stake in Domestic & General Group, a UK-based provider of warranty and product protection services, to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
    • Growth Fund on its strategic investment in OMADA A/S, a global leader of Identity Governance and Administration software and services
    • In connection with the £2.4 billion IPO of Avast, the world’s largest consumer antivirus software supplier, listed on the London Stock Exchange
    • Leading a consortium with Blackstone on the £2.96 billion offer for Paysafe Group plc   
    • And portfolio company ASM on its joint venture with WPP and the Smollan Group
  • Leonard Green & Partners on its acquisition of Pure Gym
  • The Carlyle Group in relation to its investment in Diamond Bank
  • TA Associates
    • On its equity investment in Inspired Education, a UK-based provider of educational services
    • On the acquisition of a minority stake in Interswitch, headquartered in Nigeria and one of the largest Africa-focused digital payments providers
  • Energy Capital Partners on its acquisition of UK thermal generation assets from Engie
  • Onex Corporation on its acquisition of Survitec Group
  • Onex and Survitec on the acquisition of Wilhelmsen Maritime Solutions
  • Aon on the disposal of its insurance business in Southern Africa to Capital Works
  • Helios Investment Partners
    • On the sale of a 25% interest in Axxela, the largest private sector gas distributor in Nigeria, to Sojitz Corporation
    • And TA Associates in relation to the investment in Interswitch by VISA
    • On its joint venture with Vitol on the acquisition of Oando’s downstream Business
    • In relation to its investment in Vivo Energy
    • On the acquisition of Axella (Oando Gas & Power)
    • On its investment in renewable energy business Starsight
  • Wagamama, Duke Street, Hutton Collins, and the other selling shareholders in connection with the acquisition by The Restaurant Group plc of Wagamama

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Cardiff Law School, 1996
  • LLB (Hons), Cardiff University, 1995

Languages Spoken

  • English
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February 20, 2025 Recognition

Fintech Group of the Year: Latham

Firm honored by Law360 for advising startups, financial institutions, VCs, digital asset and Web3 participants, and corporations on their most innovative and complex transactions, investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters.

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