National law firm Browne Jacobson has completed a hat-trick of deals during a busy festive period for the firm’s corporate finance team.
Corporate finance lawyers from the firm’s Nottingham office advised on the sale of ODD to London listed Next 15 Communications Group plc, the global digital communications business. The deal will see Next 15 acquire the entire shareholding of co-founders Simon Glover and Nick Strickland. Following completion of the sale Nick and Simon will continue as Directors.
ODD is a London based creative agency whose clients include some of the world’s leading consumer-facing fashion and lifestyle brands including Henri Lloyd, Primark, Dr. Martens, Benefit, Forever 21, Nike and Eastpak.
On the same day the firm successfully advised existing chief executive Arlene Adams and incoming chairman Neville Davis of Peppermint Technology on a £10m investment from venture capital firm Scottish Equity Partners.
Peppermint Technology, a specialist legal and dispute management technology provider, has grown rapidly since its launch in 2010 and currently employs 60 personnel as its Nottingham based operation.
Both deals were led by corporate finance partner Nigel Blackwell, assisted by Sam Sharp.
Nigel Blackwell said:
“Once again we have had a very busy 2015 and we are ending the year on a high. Both deals demonstrate our strength in getting deals over the line and underline our credentials in the mid-market arena.”
To complete the hat-trick of deals Birmingham based corporate finance partner Kevin Jones advised Nottingham-based Central Lettings Solutions Limited as one of two delivery partners to Sigma Capital Group and Gatehouse Bank on the £114m second phase of their private rented sector project that will see around 900 new rental homes constructed across ten sites in the North West. The project’s house building partner is Countryside Properties (UK) Ltd.
Central Lettings Solutions is part of the Shepherd Direct Group and was established in 2011 to provide an end to end service to institutional investors and developers operating in the private rental sector.
Kevin Jones, added:
“Shepherd Direct Group is a long standing client and we are delighted to have acted for their private rented sector lettings division on this major project which is being supported by the Kuwait Investment Authority as part of a Government backed initiative to encourage foreign investment in the UK housing sector.”
Earlier this year Browne Jacobson advised Shepherd Direct Group on a £10m investment by the Business Growth Fund and in 2013 acted for the company on its agreement to acquire the licensing rights to operate the globally renowned Century 21 estate agency and lettings brand throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Gibraltar and Isle of Man.
