Gerry Fitzsimons (28 August 1959—22 November 2007) was a British businessman, chief executive of TTP Ventures, a director of TeraView, Oxford Diffraction and TTP Group plc.
[See: ;] He was
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. The businesses and organisations that make up its membership are typical of those ...
's first company secretary.
Career
With a degree in jurisprudence from
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, he left
University College
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...
in 1981. After the College of Law in Guildford, he joined
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a member of the "Magic Circle", a group of London-based multinational law firms. It ranks as one of top ten largest law firms in the world measured bo ...
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 LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in New York City, United States. The firm's lawyers come from some 80 countries, speak more than 60 languages and practice US, English, EU, French, Spanish, German, Hong Kong, OHAD ...
.
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
The Enron scandal was an accounting scandal involving Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas. Upon being publicized in October 2001, the company declared bankruptcy and its accounting firm, Arthur Andersen then on ...
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 and
Lloyds Development Capital
Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Limited (LDC), is a mid-market private equity house and subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group, established in 1981 as Lloyds Development Capital Limited. From 1999 to 2011, it was known as Lloyds TSB Developme ...
,
Amadeus Capital Partners Limited, First Cambridge Gateway and TTP Ventures.
Death
Gerry Fitzsimons died aged 47 following a lengthy battle against lung cancer.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzsimons, Gerry
1959 births
2007 deaths
20th-century British businesspeople