With unparalleled insight into the data center industry, Simpson Thacher provides one-stop, coordinated advice across the full lifecycle of data center investments.
The exponential growth of artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing has catalyzed a profound expansion in the data center industry. As such technologies continue to evolve and permeate various industry sectors, the demand for robust computational infrastructure has surged, with data centers as the backbone for data-driven innovation.
Advising on billions of dollars in data center transactions annually, Simpson Thacher is unparalleled in our understanding of the data center industry with a birds-eye view across the market. As a leading law firm across digital infrastructure, real estate and many other relevant practice areas, we provide full-service advice to data center owners, operators and investors with a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. Since 2018, our team has advised on over $100 billion in data center acquisitions and dispositions and over $35 billion in data center financings. Combining leading market knowledge with novel execution for the diverse participants in this sector, Simpson Thacher offers the tailored advice needed to handle our clients’ most important and complex matters.
Winner
Digital Infrastructure Legal Advisor (Value)
TMT M&A Awards USA, 2023
We have significant experience in transactions across the full lifecycle of a data center investment—from development to stabilization and optimization, as well as financing, acquisition and disposition—which enables us to serve as a one-stop advisor to our data center clients. In an evolving landscape, our Firm excels in offering innovative solutions to address the most challenging issues.
Since 2018, our team has advised on over $100 billion in data center acquisitions and dispositions and over $35 billion in data center financings, including the following notable transactions:
- Blackstone in its $7 billion joint venture with Digital Realty to develop four hyperscale data center campuses across three metro areas on two continents
- NTT Global Data Centers Americas (NTT GDCA) in connection with an investment by TC Global Investments Americas LLC, a group company of Tokyo Century, in NTT GDCA’s data center campus in Chicago, Illinois
- KKR in connection with its investment of S$1.1 billion (~US$800 million) for a 20% stake in Singtel’s regional data center business
- Apollo in its investment in the Yondr Group’s buildout of hyperscale data center facilities through Apollo-managed infrastructure funds
- KKR in the formation of Global Technical Realty, a build-to-suit and roll-up acquisition data center platform in Europe
- Leading data center owner/operator in over $2 billion of recapitalization transactions
- DigitalBridge Group in connection with a $6.4 billion equity investment round in Vantage Data Centers, led by investment vehicles managed by DigitalBridge and Silver Lake
- Latin America data center operator in connection with an up to US$500 million preferred equity investment by a US hedge fund
- DigitalBridge Group and IFM Investors in their $11 billion acquisition of Switch, Inc.
- Blackstone in its $10 billion acquisition of QTS Data Centers
- Stonepeak in the acquisition and $3 billion recapitalization of Cologix
- Stonepeak in connection with its $2.7 billion acquisition of Cirion, the Latin American business of Lumen Technologies, Inc.
- Stonepeak in the formation of Digital Edge, a diversified Asia Pacific data center platform
- TierPoint in the initial securitization and multiple ABS offerings of Secured Data Center Revenue Notes, totaling over $1.6 billion
- DataBank in connection with the first-ever securitization comprised solely of colocation data center revenue and in subsequent ABS offerings
- Flexential in the initial securitization and multiple ABS offerings of Secured Data Center Revenue Notes, totaling over $2.5 billion
- QTS Data Centers in numerous construction term loan facilities for the development of hyperscale build-to-suit data centers
- Vantage Data Centers in connection with the first-ever securitization of data center revenue and in subsequent ABS offerings of Secured Data Center Revenue Notes