Following are the results from PrivateEquityOnline's annual poll of users where we let our readers vote for the best firms active in Europe's private equity markets.
The awards were run for the second time this year and the site’s 17,000 users were invited to vote in 20 categories. No short list was offered for voters to choose from and the voting was closely monitored to ensure that no results were distorted. Over 3000 votes were cast and were submitted from all over Europe, the US and Asia. Key results are:
- Apax overall winner Private Equity firm of the Year.
- Guy Hands Personality of the Year.
- Cinven win Fund Raising, Exit and UK firm of the year.
- Yell win Buyout of the Year.
- International private equity firms top some tables but local specialists dominate country awards [bar Germany]. Top advisory firms win with significant margin.
- The full results will be published in PrivateEquityOnline’s Annual Review that is released in early March.
The results:
| CATEGORY | WINNER | SECOND PLACE |
| European Private Equity Firm of the Year | Apax Partners | Permira |
| European Private Equity Personality of the Year | Guy Hands, Nomura Principal Finance [as of 2001] | Jon Moulton, Alchemy Partners |
| European Buyout of the Year | Yell [Apax Partners and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst | Messer Griesheim [Allianz Capital, Goldman Sachs] |
| European Exit of the Year | Generale de Sante [Cinven] | Birmingham Airport [Bridgepoint Capital] |
| BeNeLux Private Equity Firm of the Year | Gilde | CVC Capital Partners |
| Central & Eastern European Private Equity Firm of the Year | Enterprise Investors | Innova Capital |
| French Private Equity Firm of the Year | Paribas Affaires Industrielles | LBO France |
| German Private Equity Firm of the Year | Permira | Techno Venture Management [TVM] |
| Italian Private Equity Firm of the Year | Investitori Associati | B&S Private Equity Group |
| Nordic Private Equity Firm of the Year | EQT Partners | Industri Kapital |
| Spanish Private Equity Firm of the Year | Mercapital | CVC Capital Partners |
| Swiss Private Equity Firm of the Year | CapVis Partners | Index Ventures |
| UK Private Equity Firm of the Year | Cinven | Bridgepoint Capital |
| Best Private Equity Fundraising of 2001 | Cinven | Advent International |
| Best Debt Provider | Royal Bank of Scotland | Deutsche Bank |
| Best M&A Advisor | Goldman Sachs | Morgan Stanley |
| Best Law Firm [transactions] | Clifford Chance | SJ Berwin |
| Best Law Firm [documentation] | SJ Berwin | Clifford Chance |
| Best Accounting Firm | PriceWaterhouseCoopers | Andersen |
| Best Placement Agent | Merrill Lynch | Helix Associates |
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