Expertise
Darren has over 20 years of experience, 13 of those years in the Middle East, representing acquirers, sellers, founders, investors and management teams on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, joint ventures and corporate advisory matters across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Darren has advised on a significant number of corporate transactions, working with clients operating in the retail and consumer, industrial and technology sectors.
Experience
- Advising the founders of Create Group on the sale of its digital market business to Stagwell Inc.
- Advising the shareholders of Virtuzone on the sale of its business to Ascentium.
- Advising the shareholders of illumin8 Group on the majority sale of its business to the Mizuri Group.
- Advising the shareholders of the Talent Enterprise Group, a global talent assessment technology company to Mercer.
- Advising the shareholders of Sanipex on the sale of 25% of the business to Aliph Capital and all associated equity arrangements.
- Advising sellers and ongoing minority shareholders of Hug Digital, a leading digital media agency based in the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt and India on the majority sale to the WPP Group.
- Advising the founder shareholder of Socialize on its partnership with the We Are Social agency.
- Advising on the management buyout of Gymnation, the largest chain of fitness centres in the UAE, to a listed UK company.
- Advising Al Futtaim on an asset sale of their sports and retail division, Royal Sporting House, operating in East Asia, the GCC, and Egypt to Gulf Marketing Group.
- Advising the shareholders of Al Shirawi US Chillers on a 100% sale of their regional and US chillers business to Dalkia (EDF Group).
- Advising the sellers of UAE-headquartered Dear Systems, a leader in inventory management, to a US private equity investor.
- Advising the shareholders of the UAE’s Organic Foods and Cafe on a majority share sale to Gulf Japan Food Fund.