DLA Piper makes strategic Private Equity hire as Markjan van Schaardenburgh joins market-leading global platform

DLA Piper, the world’s leading legal adviser by M&A deal volume for 16 consecutive years, has appointed Markjan van Schaardenburgh as a partner in its Private Equity team in London, further strengthening its ability to advise clients on complex cross-border transactions.

Dual qualified in England & Wales and South Africa, Markjan brings over 25 years of experience advising leading private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies across Europe and Africa on downstream private equity and private capital transactions alongside complex M&A. His practice complements the firm’s established strength advising PE sponsors investing in mid-market and upper mid-market multinational businesses across multiple sectors.

The appointment follows a series of strategic hires globally, including Chris Field in London, and comes as the firm today announces the appointments of Gareth Amdor (Tax) and Mark Brown and Cathrine Foldberg Møller (both Finance).

Jon Kenworthy, Global Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate Group, commented: “Markjan’s appointment further strengthens our ability to support clients on their most complex and strategically significant transactions. His extensive experience and proven track record enhance the depth of our practice and reinforce our commitment to investing in leading talent across our global platform”.

Ed Griffiths, Co-Head of Private Equity at DLA Piper, added: “In a market where PE houses increasingly value cross-border capability and sector depth, Markjan’s arrival further differentiates our platform. His deep experience across technology, financial services, consumer and life sciences sectors, combined with our truly international bench of sector-leading lawyers, enables our clients to execute complex, cross-border transactions seamlessly and achieve better deal outcomes”.

DLA Piper’s Private Equity team is ranked #1 for European PE exits for the seventh consecutive year (PitchBook). Recent noteworthy transactions include advising:

• MidEuropa on the acquisition of a controlling stake in FAMAR
• MidEuropa on the acquisition of a majority stake in MBL Group
• Carlyle and HSO Group on HSO Group’s sale to Bain Capital
• Waterland Private Equity on the acquisition of Koole Group from FAMAX Holding
• Sun European Partners on the sale of Freshpak Chilled Food
• Duke Street on its acquisition of McAvoy
• Eurazeo (Nov Santé) on its acquisition of a minority stake in the Proteor group
• Synova on the acquisition of Allgeier IT Services GmbH

DLA Piper has the strongest M&A practice in the world, ranked as the leading legal adviser by deal volume for 16 consecutive years by Mergermarket. The firm is also the most active legal adviser for European Private Equity for the seventh consecutive year (PitchBook), reflecting its unique ability to offer PE sponsors integrated cross-border corporate, finance, and tax advice across all major European markets.