<PAGE>
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Esprit Telecom Group plc
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name of Issuer)
Ordinary Shares, nominal value (pound)0.01 per share
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Title of Class of Securities)
29665W104
------------------
(CUSIP Number)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
SEC 1745 (2/95)
1
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- -----------------------------
CUSIP No. 29665W104 13G
- -----------------------------
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Warburg, Pincus Ventures, L.P.
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
-0-
------ ----------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 15,442,150
OWNED BY
------ ----------------------------------------------------
EACH 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON -0-
WITH
------ ----------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
15,442,150
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
15,442,150
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
[ ]
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
12.5%
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
2
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- -----------------------------
CUSIP No. 29665W104 13G
- -----------------------------
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Warburg, Pincus & Co.
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
-0-
------ ----------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 15,442,150
OWNED BY
------ ----------------------------------------------------
EACH 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON -0-
WITH
------ ----------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
15,442,150
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
15,442,150
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
[ ]
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
12.5%
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
PN
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
3
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- -----------------------------
CUSIP No. 29665W104 13G
- -----------------------------
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co., LLC
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 SEC USE ONLY
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
-0-
------ ----------------------------------------------------
NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY 15,442,150
OWNED BY
------ ----------------------------------------------------
EACH 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING
PERSON -0-
WITH
------ ----------------------------------------------------
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
15,442,150
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
15,442,150
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES
CERTAIN SHARES* [ ]
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
12.5%
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
OO
- ------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
4
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Item 1(a). Name of Issuer:
- --------- --------------
Esprit Telecom Group plc (the "Issuer")
Item 1(b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
- --------- -----------------------------------------------
Minerva House
Valpy Street
Reading RG1 1AR
United Kingdom
Items 2(a) Name of Person Filing; Address of
and (b). Principal Business Office:
- ---------- ---------------------------------
This statement is filed by and on behalf of
(a) Warburg, Pincus Ventures, L.P., a Delaware
limited partnership ("WPV"); (b) Warburg, Pincus &
Co., a New York general partnership ("WP"); and (c)
E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co., LLC, a New York limited
liability company ("EMW LLC"), which manages WPV.
WP, as the sole general partner of WPV, has a 15%
interest in the profits of WPV as the general
partner, and also owns approximately 1.2% of the
limited partnership interests in WPV. Lionel I.
Pincus is the managing partner of WP and the
managing member of EMW LLC and may be deemed to
control both WP and EMW LLC. The members of EMW LLC
are substantially the same as the partners of WP.
Mr. Dominic Shorthouse, a director of the Issuer,
is a Managing Director and member of EMW LLC. Mr.
Shorthouse disclaims beneficial ownership, for
purposes of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise, of
the Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by WPV. The
business address of each of the foregoing is 466
Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017.
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Item 2(c). Citizenship:
- --------- -----------
Not Applicable.
Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities:
- --------- ----------------------------
Ordinary Shares, nominal value (pound)0.01 per
share (the "Ordinary Shares"), of the Issuer.
Item 2(e). CUSIP Number:
- --------- ------------
29665W104
Item 3. Not Applicable.
- ------
Item 4. Ownership:
- ------ ---------
(a) 15,442,150 Ordinary Shares, as of
December 31, 1997
(b) 12.5%
(c) (i) -0-
(ii) 15,442,150
(iii) -0-
(iv) 15,442,150
Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
- ------ --------------------------------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on
- ------ Behalf of Another Person:
--------------------------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 7. Identification and Classification of the
- ------ Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being
Reported on By the Parent Holding Company:
---------------------------------------------------
Not Applicable.
6
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Item 8. Identification and Classification of
- ------- Members of the Group:
--------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group:
- ------ ------------------------------
Not Applicable.
Item 10. Certification:
- ------- -------------
Not Applicable.
7
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SIGNATURE
---------
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.
Dated: February 10, 1998
WARBURG, PINCUS VENTURES, L.P.
By: Warburg, Pincus & Co.,
General Partner
By: /s/ Stephen Distler
---------------------------
Name: Stephen Distler
Title: Partner
WARBURG, PINCUS & CO.
By: /s/ Stephen Distler
---------------------------
Name: Stephen Distler
Title: Partner
E.M. WARBURG, PINCUS & CO., LLC
By: /s/ Stephen Distler
---------------------------
Name: Stephen Distler
Title: Member
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit I Joint Filing Agreement, dated February 10, 1998,
among the signatories to this Schedule 13G.
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Exhibit I
JOINT FILING AGREEMENT
PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-1(f)(1)
----------------------------
The undersigned acknowledge and agree that the foregoing statement on
Schedule 13G is filed on behalf of each of the undersigned and that all
subsequent amendments to this statement on Schedule 13G shall be filed on behalf
of each of the undersigned without the necessity of filing additional joint
filing agreements. The undersigned acknowledge that each shall be responsible
for the timely filing of such amendments, and for the completeness and accuracy
of the information concerning it contained therein, but shall not be responsible
for the completeness and accuracy of the information concerning the others,
except to the extent that it knows or has reason to believe that such
information is inaccurate. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and all of such counterparts taken together shall constitute one
and the same instrument.
Dated: February 10, 1998
WARBURG, PINCUS VENTURES, L.P.
By: Warburg, Pincus & Co.,
General Partner
By: /s/ Stephen Distler
Name: Stephen Distler
Title: Partner
WARBURG, PINCUS & CO.
By: /s/ Stephen Distler
Name: Stephen Distler
Title: Partner
E.M. WARBURG, PINCUS & CO., LLC
By: /s/ Stephen Distler
Name: Stephen Distler
Title: Member
10
