Squirrell hatches plan for legal advice on major deal
The East Midlands corporate team at law firm Shakespeare Martineau has supported Adam Price, the founder of financial planning firm Hatch Financial Planning, through a multimillion-pound acquisition by Octopus Group.
Hatch, which works with the likes of MoneySuperMarket, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Epson, and Experian, offering financial coaching, will shortly rebrand to Octopus Moneycoach. Plans are in place to grow the business from 30 to 200 employees over the next two years and to bring financial coaching to the mass market, with both AI and human advice services available to customers.
Led by Lincoln-based corporate partner Michael Squirrell, the Shakespeare Martineau team providedAdam Price, the founder and CEO of Hatch, with legal advice on the deal.
Squirrell, said: “Octopus Group is one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies, unafraid to invest in other entrepreneurially-minded businesses. With Hatch being a leading player in the financial coaching market, the synergies between the businesses are clear and the sale of Hatch proves that there remain plenty of great investment opportunities out there.
“It was a pleasure to act for Adam on the sale, playing our small part in this important step forward on Hatch’s mission. The creation of Octopus Moneycoach to complement Octopus’s existing financial services businesses is the perfect next stage for Hatch.”
Price said: “There is a misconception that financial services are only for corporate giants and multi-millionaires. Hatch’s goal has always been to change attitudes towards financial planning, making it a simple and affordable process for everyone. Octopus Group shares this vision, having consistently championed financial advice, making it a natural partner for Hatch.
“I am hugely grateful to Michael and the rest of the corporate team at Shakespeare Martineau, whose expertise and guidance made the acquisition as smooth as possible.”
The Shakespeare Martineau team involved in the acquisition comprised Michael Squirrell, Oliver Gutman, Sam Naunton, Oscar Ciaurro and Tait Grundy.
