Monthly people move spotlight: Terence Rozier-Byrd joins Willkie
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Courtesy of Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Terence Rozier-Byrd joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner in the firm's asset management department.
Willkie guided Metropolis Technologies' acquisition of SP Plus Corporation for $1.5 billion, marking one of the biggest M&A transactions by a VC-backed company in 2023.
Context: Rozier-Byrd will represent private fund sponsors in forming and managing investment funds across various asset classes, including private equity, real estate and hedge funds.
- He'll also advise on co-investments, seed capital arrangements, venture capital investments and secondary transactions in private companies and funds.
📈 Trend spot: "I think all phases of the private equity life cycle are poised to benefit from a decrease in interest rates," Rozier-Byrd said. "There's been a renewed sense of optimism."
- Rozier-Byrd is also watching the secondaries industry. A great tool for liquidity when the market contracts, he said, there's also value in it moving forward, allowing both sponsors and investors to grow their most coveted assets.
- Though the venture capital secondaries market is smaller and less mature than the PE secondaries market, Rozier-Byrd said he's seeing LPs in venture funds seeking liquidity and venture-backed companies staying private longer.
📍How he got here: Rozier-Byrd, most recently a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, worked on Wall Street doing equity research at a large investment bank before attending law school.
- 🏀 Fun fact: Rozier-Byrd also played Division I basketball.
Best advice: Take ownership of your career.
- "Invest in yourself and be proactive, don't wait for things to happen to you," Rozier-Byrd said. "Steer your career in the direction that you want it to go in."
