CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

BANKING & FINANCE

 Over the last few years we have advised:

• The Welsh Government alongside the in-house legal team, on a transaction that will see the world famous film company, Pinewood Studios, set up a new studio in Cardiff. We advised the Welsh Government in relation to the Collaboration Agreement entered into between it and Pinewood in respect of the new studios and the funding of new films/television programmes.
• Highly acclaimed artist Paul Cummins in relation to the financial agreements for the world famous “Blood Swept the Lands” installation at the Tower Of London
• The Arts Council of Wales on its capital funding projects involving the redevelopment of arts venues such as Sherman Cymru and Chapter Cardiff, as well as the construction of a new £49m combined theatre/arts and students union complex at Bangor University.

CORPORATE & M&A

 Our recent work includes advising:

• German investment bank DVB Bank S.E. on its sale of a 60% stake in TES Aviation Group, an aircraft engine maintenance and asset management business, to Mitsubishi Corporation and the Development Bank of Japan for a combined price of around US$55m. The sale took place by way of international auction and was conditional on merger control clearance from the European Commission. TES has operations in the UK, United States, Singapore and New Zealand.
• The shareholders of Aerfin, a UK-based provider of end-of-life aircraft and engine asset management services, in relation to the sale of a majority stake to the Minneapolis-based CarVal private equity house.
• Capper & Co and its shareholders on the sale of its entire issued share capital to A F Blakemore. Capper & Co operated over 400 SPAR stores in South Wales and Southern England as well as two distribution centres, and the combined business now operates over 1,000 SPAR stores.
• Schauenburg International GmbH on its purchase of Markes International, a UK-based manufacturer of specialist analytical instrumentation for £13m.
• Finance Wales and other institutional investors on the £15m sale of their shareholdings in Q Chip to Midatech Pharma and the simultaneous admission of Midatech’s shares to the AIM market in London. The IPO raised around £32m of new money, giving a total post-admission valuation of £75m.
• The shareholders of Midlands-based Majesticare on the sale of seven of the company’s care homes to Four Seasons Health Care, the UK’s largest independent health and social care provider.
• The shareholders of Burrows & Close Limited on their disposal of the company to Boots UK, which has resulted in the sale of its 17 well-established pharmacies.
• Street Energy Limited on the sale of 100% of the shares in one of its subsidiaries, which had developed a solar energy park in Cambridgeshire, to Lightsource. Lightsource is one of the most acquisitive players in the solar energy market and will develop the park to completion.
• The shareholders of S&B Commercials plc, a Mercedes-Benz truck dealership, on the sale of their company to Imperial Holdings, the multinational Mercedes dealership. The deal involved a pre-sale restructuring including the settlement of an employee benefit scheme.
• Van Oord NV and their UK subsidiary Van Oord UK Limited on the acquisition of specialist marine civil contractor J.T. Mackley & Co Ltd. This acquisition will strengthen Van Oord’s leading position in the UK flood defence and coastal construction market.
• Maven Capital Partners and the management team on the successful sale of Camwatch Limited to VPS (UK) Limited for an undisclosed sum.
• Synseal on the acquisition of The Lichfield Group’s UK window, trade extrusion and door businesses. Trading as LB Plastics Ltd and Manse Masterdor Ltd, the Nether Heage based-businesses represent the latest expansion for Synseal, which is recognised as the UK’s fastest growing window and conservatory systems manufacturer.
• US-based Professional Compounding Centers of America, Inc on its purchase of three pharmaceutical companies from UDG Healthcare PLC, an Irish company quoted on the London Stock Exchange, in a deal worth £23.5m.
• Mel Morris on a variety of investments including; Derby County Football Club, Brief Your Market and Restoration Partners.
• The shareholders of Collstream Limited in the sale of the company to Esendex Limited.
• On the sale of the entire issued share capital of Henry Howard Finance PLC to Henry Howard Group Holdings Limited, an acquisition vehicle set up by Cabot Square Capital, and the subsequent investment by Cabot Square and the Sellers in the group.
• Simbec Holdings Limited on its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Orion Clinical Services Limited (and its subsidiaries) in France, Italy, Germany, the US and Australia, and related funding from the Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund and HSBC.
• The shareholders of Harp International on the sale of 75% of its share capital to French conglomerate, Gazechim. Harp International has operations in Wales, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and North America. The deal involved a full international auction process.
• On the acquisition by Astra Games Limited of, and investment in, CP Asian Solutions Corp, a company incorporated in the Philippines to provide real time, live interactive casino/gaming services over the internet in the Asian market space.
• The Welsh Government on its EADS Foundation Wales research and development joint venture with EADS (now Airbus) and Cardiff University.
• Finance Wales in relation to a range of equity, loan and mezzanine investments totalling around £6m per annum.
• The shareholders of Creo Pharma Limited, a generic pharmaceuticals company, on the sale of shares in the company to Amneal Pharmaceuticals, a US-based generics pharmaceuticals company.
• Dutch-owned compliance and testing specialists Shield Group International and Kiwa on their acquisitions of SaferSpaces, Hertel Solutions, Product Compliance Specialists Limited and Product Authentication Inspectorate Limited over the last 18 months. These strategic acquisitions have enabled Shield and Kiwa to expand their portfolio of services in the UK market.
• The management team of Sofa Brands International (SBI) on the sale of one of Britain’s most successful furniture manufacturers. SBI is the UK’s leading branded sofa group with over 750 employees and manufacturing sites throughout the UK, including Long Eaton and Riddings. The business was acquired by investors, led by Promethean Investments, and the group’s management team.