corporate finance 27 Busy start to the year for Coffin Mew


The corporate team at South Coast law firm, Coffin Mew Solicitors, has had an extremely busy year so far, and current deals awaiting completion show that this trend is going to continue


Corporate partner Nick Gross and solicitor Jamie Earley advised Phil and Sonia Dickinson on the sale of Philson Haulage (Southern) to national haulage company Gregory Distribution.


Corporate finance advice was provided by Mike Barcia and Joe Jeffers of Meridian Corporate Finance and accountancy and tax advice by Graham Figgins and Allison Walker of Taylor Cocks.


Gross and Earley also completed the sale of a building supply merchant for an undisclosed seven-figure sum with Mike Dawe of Menzies providing accountancy advice to the sellers. More recently Gross and Earley completed a £3.3 million purchase of an online sports retailer on behalf of a longstanding client of the firm.


Corporate partner Amanda Brockwell and associate Richard


Swain recently completed a deal for a major player in the flower and plant industry to achieve a successful result in its management buyout.


Landgard UK was owned by a German parent, but in a deal led by its managing director, Jim Floor, and backed by the Butters Group, it has rebranded itself as Verde and is set to continue sourcing and distributing plants, flowers and related products to some of the country’s top household names, including Waitrose, Tesco, B&Q and Morrisons. This has created a £70m plant, bulb and flower business.


The business will continue to trade independently from its garden centre sites in Hampshire and West Sussex, but will utilise Butters’ expertise in IT and sourcing to “substantially grow the business within the UK market“.


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David Copley, Michelle Harris and Nick Williams at RSM Tenon provided corporate finance, due diligence and tax expertise. The cross-border deal was not without its complexities; the fluctuating value of the euro and sales affected by unpredictable weather conditions were some of the team’s challenges.


Brockwell with solicitor Rachel Allen also worked for TRL (the Transport Research Laboratory) in acquiring Appia Infrastructure Solutions, a consultancy and software company which has developed and successfully rolled out a software solution for the management of highways infrastructure assets to bring about real, sustainable efficiencies and service improvements.


Paul Page-Tickell, Coffin Mew’s IT and technology partner, focused


on the software elements of the transaction.


Swain has also completed a number of deals since his arrival in late 2012, including a £2.5m business sale in the retail sector, and a management buyout of a company providing distribution services. In addition, Swain presently has several ongoing deals, which will be due to complete in the coming weeks.


Brockwell commented: “We have had a very strong start to the year, which shows the mergers and acquisition market continues to steadily grow – and our pipeline is also strong. What is more noteworthy, however, is that the size, diversity and cross-border nature of the deals further demonstrates our reputation in the market – gained from showing a strong commitment to the ambitions of our clients.“


Details: Amanda Brockwell 023-8033-4661 amandabrockwell@coffinmew.co.uk


As a firm that's been around since 1888, we have never rested on our laurels. Our forward thinking approach has been recognised by Independent Directories such as Legal 500 and Chambers over many years - and our client service excellence is often commented on by our clients, contacts and referrers.


Coffin Mew’s business services lawyers provide individually focused advice to clients at every stage of their life cycle across many different kinds of organisations - including businesses, banks, investors, education and entrepreneurs. Our geographic location and key offices in Southampton and Portsmouth provides you with ease of access to a full suite of specialist teams.


These include Corporate, Commercial Services, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Insolvency, IT & Technology and Property.


By fully understanding your needs and employing best legal practice, we deliver practical solutions that enhance your long- term success.


Contact: Amanda Brockwell T: 0800 827168 E: amandabrockwell@coffinmew.co.uk


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JUNE 2013


www.businessmag.co.uk


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