Permira Appoints Peter Gibbs as the Next General Counsel

Permira Appoints Peter Gibbs as the Next General Counsel

Permira, a buyout firm headquartered in London, has appointed Peter Gibbs, a former private equity lawyer at Clifford Chance, as its new Global General Counsel.

Gibbs will assume his new role at Permira succeeding Ulrich Gasse, who is also a former Clifford Chance lawyer upon his retirement at the beginning of next year.

Gibbs arrives at Permira with an impressive 27 years of rich experience. Having initially joined the firm in 2001 from the prominent Magic Circle law firm Clifford and Chance, he brings a wealth of experience having worked closely with Permira as a key private equity client during his time at Clifford Chance. Currently holding the positions of Managing Director and Chief Fund Counsel, Gibbs has played a significant role in Permira's success. Previously, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Permira Credit from its inception in 2007 until 2021. In that capacity, he skilfully managed operational aspects, including fund and product structuring, capital raising, legal and compliance matters, as well as overseeing the investment process

Frankfurt-based Gasse is retiring at the end of this year after a 20 years stint with Permira. Before joining the company, he spent five years in the M&A private equity team at Clifford Chance.

In an official statement, Permira acknowledged the significant contributions made by Gasse in establishing and expanding the company's legal function on a global scale. Under his leadership, the legal team has grown to include 10 professionals. Gasse's expertise and support have been instrumental in facilitating over 30 transactions across Permira's core sectors, which encompass technology, consumer goods, healthcare, and services.

Notable acquisitions, such as Italian shoemaker Golden Goose, German software developer TeamViewer, and Neuraxpharm, have all involved the assistance and counsel of Clifford Chance as Permira's trusted legal advisor.

Permira is a prominent advisory firm, overseeing funds with a combined committed capital exceeding €77 billion. The company specialises in making both majority and minority long-term investments across two key asset classes: private equity and credit. Notably, Permira recently achieved a significant milestone with the successful final closing of its latest flagship buyout fund, P8, amassing a total of €16.7 billion in capital commitments.

It is worth mentioning that Gibbs and Gasse have maintained a close working relationship for over a decade. During this time, they have collaboratively prepared for the smooth transition of leadership within Permira.