Gerry Fitzsimons
Encyclopedia
Gerry Fitzsimons was a British
businessman, chief executive of TTP Ventures, a director of TeraView, Oxford Diffraction and TTP Group plc. He was Cambridge Network
's first Company Secretary.
in 1982 and qualified as a solicitor in 1984. After qualification he spent time at Clifford Chance—now the world's largest law firm—and with the leading New York law firm of Shearman & Sterling
.
In 1987 Gerry moved to Taylor Vinters in Cambridge where he remained until 1996, when he started up the Cambridge Garretts office alongside Arthur Andersen
. He was managing partner of the Cambridge office of Andersen Legal until 2002 when its global offices were hit by the fall-out at Arthur Andersen following the Enron scandal
and the firm was closed down.
Gerry then took up the chief executive role at TTP Ventures with his familiar passion. He had been external legal counsel to TTP Group since it was formed and to the fund. He was also a director of TeraView, Oxford Diffraction and TTP Group plc.
Gerry had extensive experience of negotiating and structuring private equity transactions and exits. As a top corporate lawyer with a particular focus on the technology sector, he undertook a large number of private equity transactions - both for investee companies and funds. The major legal profession guides all rated him “an outstanding rainmaker.”
His significant transactions included the October 2000 IPO of TTP Communications plc, the December 2000 merger of The Astron Group Limited and Tactica Group plc and the merger of Dalehead Foods Limited and Roche Foods Limited in September 1999.
His regular venture capital clients had included Technomark/Lloyds TSB Development Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners Limited, First Cambridge Gateway and TTP Ventures.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
businessman, chief executive of TTP Ventures, a director of TeraView, Oxford Diffraction and TTP Group plc. He was Cambridge Network
Cambridge Network
The Cambridge Network is a commercial business networking organisation for business people and academics working in technology fields in the Cambridge area of the UK...
's first Company Secretary.
Career
With a degree in jurisprudence from Oxford University, he left University College in 1981. After the College of Law in Guildford, he joined Clifford ChanceClifford Chance
Clifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue...
in 1982 and qualified as a solicitor in 1984. After qualification he spent time at Clifford Chance—now the world's largest law firm—and with the leading New York law firm of Shearman & Sterling
Shearman & Sterling
Shearman & Sterling LLP is a law firm headquartered in New York City with 20 offices located in major financial centers around the world founded in 1873. It is well known for both its litigation and transactional capabilities, especially in International Arbitration, Capital Markets, Finance, and...
.
In 1987 Gerry moved to Taylor Vinters in Cambridge where he remained until 1996, when he started up the Cambridge Garretts office alongside Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen LLP, based in Chicago, was once one of the "Big Five" accounting firms among PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young and KPMG, providing auditing, tax, and consulting services to large corporations...
. He was managing partner of the Cambridge office of Andersen Legal until 2002 when its global offices were hit by the fall-out at Arthur Andersen following the Enron scandal
Enron scandal
The Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world...
and the firm was closed down.
Gerry then took up the chief executive role at TTP Ventures with his familiar passion. He had been external legal counsel to TTP Group since it was formed and to the fund. He was also a director of TeraView, Oxford Diffraction and TTP Group plc.
Gerry had extensive experience of negotiating and structuring private equity transactions and exits. As a top corporate lawyer with a particular focus on the technology sector, he undertook a large number of private equity transactions - both for investee companies and funds. The major legal profession guides all rated him “an outstanding rainmaker.”
His significant transactions included the October 2000 IPO of TTP Communications plc, the December 2000 merger of The Astron Group Limited and Tactica Group plc and the merger of Dalehead Foods Limited and Roche Foods Limited in September 1999.
His regular venture capital clients had included Technomark/Lloyds TSB Development Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners Limited, First Cambridge Gateway and TTP Ventures.