Overview
LONDON – 26 February 2021 – McDermott Will and Emery advised Eight Roads in relation to the sale of the Optegra Group to H2 Equity Partners.
The Optegra Group is a leading pan-European ophthalmology group comprising 23 eye hospitals and clinics in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic (where trading as Lexum) and Poland. Optegra provides a range of critical eye-care services including cataract surgeries and AMD as well as leading innovative vision correction procedures. The business provides leading eye-care to publicly funded national healthcare systems such as the NHS as well as to self-pay patients. The group holds top-3 market positions in each of the countries in which it operates.
Optegra runs nine hospitals and clinics in the UK, many of them in prime locations such as London’s Harley Street, and has a network of nine branches across Poland, whilst the Czech-based Lexum is one of the largest and most sought after European eye clinics.
Eight Roads is a global proprietary investment firm backed by Fidelity. It has 50 years of investment experience partnering with ambitious technology and healthcare founders from all across the world. Eight Roads has a global portfolio of over 250 companies and investment teams across Asia, Europe and the US. H2 Equity Partners, founded in 1991, is a leading Western European hands-on investment firm focusing on the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Benelux. H2 Equity Partners is an entrepreneurial and hands-on investment company investing in mid-sized companies with significant growth or improvement potential.
William Blair acted as financial advisor to the seller.
Eversheds Sutherland acted as legal advisor to the buyer.
The McDermott cross practice team was led by London Private Equity partner Tom Whelan and senior associate Elisa de Carolis, supported by partner Sharon Lamb and associate Bella North (Health), partner Ashley Winton and associate Sophie Wood (Data Protection), partner Tom Calnan and associate Rose McSwiney (Real Estate), senior associate Sarah Gabbai (Tax) and associates Rosie Mist (Corporate) and Chris Lynn (Employment).
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