Dylan Doran Kennett

Dylan is a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills where he co-leads its Venture and Growth Capital practice, and co-heads its Sports group.

Dylan has a wealth of experience in venture and growth equity transactions, as well as private equity, domestic and cross-border M&A. He has taken a number of high-growth companies ‘global’ advising on ‘land and expand’ strategy – through new jurisdictions, business lines or acquisitive entries into new markets. 

Dylan acts on both sides of the investment dialogue, advising both company-side and investor-side (whether institutional or strategic), as well as joint ventures and other collaborative transactions. He predominantly covers the technology (and its intersection with many industries), life sciences, media and sport sectors.

He is a ranked lawyer in the Legal 500 (Venture Capital).

• Advising Eagle Football, a London-based group founded by US digital entrepreneur and football enthusiast John Textor, on Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Limited, completing its acquisition of a significant controlling stake in Olympique Lyonnais Groupe, owner of French Ligue 1 football side Olympique Lyonnais on 19 December 2022. DLA Piper advised Eagle Football Holdings Limited on the structured combination of debt and equity funding, provided by leading global alternative investor Ares Management (Ares), as well as highly experienced investors Iconic Sports and Elmwood Partners, and personal capital in financing the acquisition, in addition to the contribution of John Textor’s existing football assets into Eagle Football. Members of the investment consortium were selected for their specific and meaningful experience in the ownership and development of sporting organisations, as well as in technology and entertainment. *
• Advising the Rugby Football Union on its participation in the Six Nations Rugby tournament and CVC’s £365m investment for a minority, one-seventh stake into the new commercial entity with the remainder controlled by the national unions that participate in the competition: England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.*
• Advising the Ricketts Family/Chicago Cubs on all aspects of their aborted acquisition of Chelsea Football Club. *
• Liberty Global on its USD18 million investment into iFlix, an OTT content streaming service in South East Asia and other emerging markets globally. Project completion March 2017. *
• Liberty Global plc and Discovery Communications, Inc. on their minority investment in Formula E racing series. *
• Discovery Communications, Inc. on their EUR491 million acquisition of Eurosport from TF1. *
• Discovery Communications, Inc. on their acquisition of Setanta Sports Asia, a rugby broadcasting station. *
• Discovery Communications, Inc. on the sale of SBS Discovery Radio to Bauer Media. *

*Prior experience to joining HSF

Contact

• Telephone: +44 2074 663 730
• E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Website: www.hsf/dylan-doran-kennett