Private Equity News & Analysis

PEI Awards winners find success in uncertain times

During December, thousands of private equity industry participants in more than 50 countries took the time to think about which firms, advisors and transactions truly stood out from the rest in 2010. They voted in our annual PEI Awards readers’ poll, the results of which were revealed this week and highlight the fact that the brightest firms in the industry have flourished despite challenging conditions.

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The results are in. An influential group of veteran private equity professionals – as well as a number of newer entrants – have been named best-in-breed by their peers in the Private Equity International Awards.

This week we revealed the private equity firms, investors, bankers, lawyers, fundraisers and advisors who went from steadfastly navigating uncertain market conditions in 2009 to successfully participating in and aiding the market recovery that began in 2010.

Some of the firms who were deemed winners not only in 2010, but who have consistently been given high marks by peers in the past include:

Apax Partners
AXA Private Equity
Baring Vostok Capital Partners
Capital Dynamics
CDH Investments
Coller Capital
Clifford Chance
Credit Suisse
Debevoise & Plimpton
EQT Partners
Gilde
HarbourVest Partners
ICG Group
JPMorgan
Landmark Partners
MVision Private Equity Advisers
Partners Group
Oaktree Capital Management
Rothschild
Sequoia Capital
Standard Chartered
SJ Berwin
TPG Capital

There were also many new names on the honour roll this year including:

Archer Capital Partners
ATP Private Equity Partners
Emerald Hill Capital Partners
GSO Capital Partners
HgCapital
Japan Industrial Partners
Mercury Capital Advisors
Navis Capital Partners
Sun European Partners
The Riverside Company
Triton Partners

Some of the new names were to be expected, as we introduced a number of new categories in line with the continued development of private equity as an asset class around the globe. Likewise, the appearance of new market participants on the winners’ podium also speaks to the industry’s revolution and evolution in the wake of the credit collapse and global financial crisis.

2010 was a year of transition; a period of cautious recovery from the historic lows of 2009. The winners of Private Equity International’s 2010 Awards were those professionals who seized the opportunity and waded into the uncertainty, helping to spur the market back into action after so many months of volatility and stagnation.

A very big thank you to our readers and voters – which is to say, you, the industry – for helping us identify the truly best-in-class. This is indeed what makes the PEI Awards unique: they are the only awards democratically decided by the industry itself.

And of course, our warmest congratulations to all the winners [click here for a full list and detailed coverage].

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