Outstanding first third of the year for Ashtons’ corporate team

Ashtons’ Business Client Group has recently advised a number of businesses in the successful sales of their companies.

Sale of Academy Plus Group Ltd in Cambridge

In Cambridge, they worked with the owners of Scott Bradbury Limited, a publisher of digital learning resources for improving performance and wellbeing at work, on the sale of the company to Academy Plus Group Ltd (trading as academy+), a multi-award-winning provider of eLearning and immediate access online training (in over 50 countries).

The Ashtons team was led by Craig Fiddaman (Corporate & Commercial) along with Tom Beattie (Employment) and Greg McCurday (Commercial Property).

Craig comments: “It was a pleasure to work with and advise Catherine and Hugh again (having had the pleasure of working with them over the course of a number of years), and we wish the business every success in the future. Becoming part of academy+ will provide an additional and wider selection of courses for users and provide a fantastic environment for continued innovation and growth in an ever-changing sector.”

Hugh Murray, co-founder of Scott Bradbury, said: “Craig and the team put a lot of work into this deal to get it across the line. We greatly appreciated the technical expertise and commercial experience of the team from Ashtons. In addition to this, it was great to deal with people who were so personable and able to remove many of the usual formalities – we really felt that they were on our side.”

Catherine de Salvo, co-founder of Scott Bradbury, said: “It was a pleasure to work with Ashtons again. Their team managed our expectations well, explained everything clearly and informed our decision-making process. Overall, the sale was a more pleasant and manageable experience as a result of our regular communication and excellent collaboration. The professionals we worked with were diligent, responded swiftly to our queries, and worked effectively to bring about a successful sale purchase agreement that worked for us all.”

Euston Ventures acquisition of Silex

Craig Fiddaman also supported Euston Ventures in its seven-figure acquisition of Hampshire-based silicone manufacturer Silex. Euston Ventures is an investment company established ten years ago that focuses on acquiring speciality manufacturing, engineering, and technical service businesses in the UK. The acquisition of Silex was due to its niche offering, unique market position, and heritage and was considered a natural fit for Euston’s existing portfolio of businesses.

Craig Comments: “It was great to continue our role in supporting the team at Euston as they look to build their portfolio of companies, and the team are always a pleasure to work with. This acquisition sits really well with their acquisitions to date and provides both growth in the UK and into mainland Europe.”

Mark Dominik of Euston Ventures commented: “We had worked with Craig and Ashtons on a number of acquisitions over the past few years, and again with Silex, the team at Ashtons demonstrated a clear understanding of our objectives, a high degree of responsiveness, and great pragmatism in getting a transaction with a degree of complexity, including a foreign subsidiary, across the line.”

Insurance sector success

There was further success for Craig Fiddaman within the insurance sector, completing a deal for the founders of Porticus Insurance. Craig was supported by colleagues Tom Beattie (Employment) and Greg McCurday (Commercial Property).

Porticus Insurance Consultants Limited, a high-net-worth specialist broker, were acquired by Clear Group Limited, an award-winning, independent insurance broker.

Craig comments: “Porticus is a well-respected business for those that it works with and, through its acquisition by Clear Group, has just moved into its next phase. We really enjoyed working with Bill and his team to help bring this about and wish the business every success in the future. Becoming part of Clear Group will hopefully provide staff and clients of Porticus with a fantastic environment to continue to innovate and grow in an ever-changing sector.”

Bill Baker, founder of Porticus, said: “From the beginning of the sales process, it was important for the shareholders to have good quality advice that helped us understand the contractual elements of the deal. Ashtons put a team together that managed our expectations well and simplified the language so we could make key decisions. All in all, they made the sale a more pleasant and manageable experience.”

Contact our Business Law solicitors today

The Business Client Group at Ashtons Legal assist and advise a large number of businesses of all sizes and across all industries, with a particular focus on privately owned businesses.

If you need legal assistance regarding the sale or acquisition of a business, please contact our Corporate and Commercial team using our online enquiry form or by calling 0330 191 4835. We will be happy to assist you with your enquiry.