Global law firm Clifford Chance has advised Bay Collective, a multi club women’s football ownership platform backed by Sixth Street, on its agreement to acquire a majority stake in Sunderland AFC Women.
Bay Collective, led by Kay Cossington MBE, former Women’s Technical Director of The English Football Association, plans to bring its athlete-first model, deep women’s football expertise and knowledge, and long-term resources to launch a new era of success for Sunderland Women on and off the pitch.
The investment will see Sunderland AFC Women become the second club in Bay Collective’s global platform, alongside Bay FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Private equity partner Neil Barlow led the transaction alongside Jamie Andrew, Eric Schaffer, and Alex Walker.
They were further assisted by, Private equity: senior associates Craig Grant, Jessica Berkeley and Josh Reynolds, lawyers Adam Clifton, Ariel Cohen and Amanda Teh and trainee Rachel Tong; Commercial team including senior associates Orsolya Gondos and Lourenço Limão Oliveira, lawyers Kamryn Rana and Jennifer Allardice and trainee Nurin Choudhury; Real estate team including partner Alis Pay and senior associate Alex Pennington; Tax team including partner Nicola Hemsley, senior associate Paul Harrington and associate Archie Zverev; IP including associate Molly Margiotta; Regulatory team including partner James Cranston, senior associates Tom Shiel and Ryan Byrne and lawyer Kieran Mathiak;and Employment, Incentives and Pensions team including partners Amy Bird, Sarah McAleer and Andrew Patterson and senior associates Ben Purkiss, Kristen Hammond, Portia Wainman and Kate Haywood.
