Ed Freeman

ED FREEMAN has a wide range of experience advising leading private equity investors on the full spectrum of financial sponsor-related transactions, including private M&A, equity investments, consortium arrangements, and co-investments. Ed also advises on bolt-on acquisitions, joint ventures, management incentive arrangements, corporate restructurings, and advisory work for private equity portfolio companies.

Ed advises clients on investments in a number of sectors, including energy and energy transition, climate change, digital infrastructure, logistics and transportation, and social infrastructure.

Ed has received acknowledgement from numerous industry ranking guides:

• Legal 500 UK 2025 – Named as a “Next Generation Partner” for Infrastructure: M&A and Acquisition Financing, where clients note that “Ed Freeman is an experienced leader, able to effortlessly pre-empt and advise on issues, negotiate and drive outcomes for the client.”
• Legal 500 UK 2024 – Recommended for Infrastructure: M&A and Acquisition Financing.
• Legal 500 UK 2023 – Recognized as a key lawyer for both Private Equity and Infrastructure, in which clients have commented that he “simplifies complicated matters to straight forward commercial decisions and thinks along with the team to get to the most pragmatic solution.” Ed was also described as having “deep knowledge and experience” and is “hands on, responsive, pragmatic.”
• Law.com 2022 – Named “Private Equity Rising Star.”

Prior to joining Sidley in 2023, Ed was a partner in the private equity practice of another international law firm.

Recent examples of Ed’s work include advising:

• VisionEdgeOne in its investment in RE2sources, an Italian biomethane producer.
• Infrabridge and Achieve together on the strategic acquisition by Achieve together of the adult residential services business from Outcomes First Group.
• A leading infrastructure fund in its acquisition of Melita, a fully converged digital infrastructure owner and operator delivering broadband, mobile connectivity and data centre solutions across Malta.
• Northleaf Capital Partners on the acquisition of CCT Group, a leading tri modal container port terminal business, from iCON Infrastructure Partners.
• Pictet Alternative Advisors in its acquisition of Technology Services Group Limited.
• Stonepeak, a leading alternative investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets with approximately US$57.1 billion of assets under management, on its strategic, preferred investment into AGP Sustainable Real Assets (AGP), a global infrastructure and real assets developer and operator across three key investment themes: renewable energy, infrastructure and communities, and natural capital.
• Infrabridge on the sale of a co-controlling equity stake in Telecom Infrastructure Partners, a global lease aggregator of telecom sites in Europe and Latin America, to Swiss Life.
• APG Asset Management, Patrizia Infrastructure, and Smart City Infrastructure Fund on the acquisition of, and other equity matters in connection with, their stakes in SiFi Networks.
• APG Asset Management on the establishment of, and equity matters in connection with, Future Fiber Networks.
• Astarte Capital Partners LLP on its partnership with Quintana Infrastructure & Development LLC to form Quintana Adaptive Infrastructure Capital.
• Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board on the acquisition of an increased stake in Scotia Gas Networks.
• Terra Firma on the sale of Parmaco to Partners Group.
• Her Majesty’s Government as part of a 50/50 consortium with Bharti Global in the consortium’s acquisition, in a chapter 11 court-supervised sale process, of OneWeb Global, and a number of subsequent connected matters.
• Polhem Infra on the acquisition of Telia Carrier, the world’s largest internet backbone network, and its investment in the 231MW Skaftåsen onshore wind farm.
• InfraBridge (then AMP Capital) on the acquisition of Care Management Group from Court Cavendish and ongoing advisory work for Achieve Together, the combined business of the Regard Group and the Care Management Group.
• iCON Infrastructure on its acquisition of Choice Care Group.
• NIBC on the sale of its European infrastructure portfolio, including Welcome Break to Applegreen plc and its portfolio of social infrastructure and renewables assets to Equitix.
• OMERS Infrastructure on a number of syndications.
• Arison Investments on its disposal of Miya Water, the leading private operator of water distribution in Portugal, to Bridgepoint.
• Ardian on the sale of its stake in Luton Airport to AMP Capital.
• MidEuropa Partners on its sale of Walmark to STADA AG.
• MIRA on the equity and co-invest arrangements with respect to the acquisition of Empark Aparcamientos y Servicios S.A.
• Crystal Palace Football Club on a number of matters.
• Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners on its sale of its stake in Redexis (through a series of transactions) to existing indirect co-investors, USS, and ATP, and a consortium of CNIC and Guoxin Guotong Fund LLP.
• OTPP and USS on their acquisition of Westerleigh Group from Antin Infrastructure Partners.
• Clayton Dubilier & Rice on: (i) its acquisition of Motor Fuel Group from Patron Capital for approximately £500 million; and (ii) its successful bid, through Motor Fuel Group, for MRH.
• USS and MIRA on their co-investment into a vehicle established to acquire certain offshore wind assets from the Green Investment Bank coincident with the sale of GIB to Macquarie.
• Antin Infrastructure Partners on its £153 million acquisition of Roadchef and on the (debt and equity) financing of the acquisition of the shares in Eurofibre from Doughty Hanson and Reggeborgh for €875 million.
• Banco Santander S.A. on: (i) the establishment of Cubico Sustainable Investments with OTPP and PSP; (ii) the sale of its global portfolio of renewable energy and water infrastructure projects, valued at over US$2 billion, to Cubico; and (iii) subsequent sale of its stake in Cubico to OTPP and PSP.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.