Palatine-owned SMP Group completes acquisition

Deal agreed

The SMP Group of Companies, owned by Manchester-based Palatine Private Equity, has completed an acquisition this afternoon.

Isle of Man-based SMP has acquired Helm Trust Company Limited, a trust and corporate services provider based in Jersey, for an undisclosed sum.

The deal, originally announced in July, has been approved by the Jersey Financial Services Commission.

Helm has now begun trading as SMP Helm Trust Company Limited, as part of a staged integration process that will see SMP’s existing Jersey office merge with the acquired business.

Lewis Buckley, who has been a director of Helm since 2011, has moved into the position of managing director of SMP Helm, providing continuity of leadership. He has also joined the board of SMP Group, alongside fellow Helm director, Claire Machin.

Mr Buckley said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for staff and clients of SMP Helm alike.

“Joining the group means significant, rapid, and targeted investment into our business, allowing us to drive improvements and modernisation across the board.

“We are also eager to act on the many opportunities for our clients resulting from an expanded service suite and office network.”

David Hudson, group chief executive of SMP Group, added: “We have long considered Jersey to be a strategically important jurisdiction for us, something which is reflected in this deal and the invitation to Lewis and Claire to join our global board.

“We are really pleased to welcome such a strong team of professionals into our group and discover just how much we are able to achieve together, honing and developing our global service offering.”

Andy Lees, partner at Palatine Private Equity, said: “We completed the MBO of SMP in June and have quickly followed that with a very significant acquisition in Helm.

“The group now has real scale in the Isle of Man, Jersey and the Caribbean. With additional international reach, SMP can offer its clients a truly global service.”

The acquisition was supported with additional debt funding provided by Apera Asset Management.

Law firm Gately advised SMP Group on the deal, which was led by partner Rebecca Grisewood and legal director Kate Richards.

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