Law firm advises investment company on two regional funds
Bristol-based law firm Osborne Clarke provided legal counsel to Foresight Group, a private equity and infrastructure investment company, in the launch of two regional funds.
These include the Northern Ireland Fund and a £50m equity fund for the Investment Fund for Wales (“IFW”).
Helen Parsonage, partner and UK head of the financial institutions group at Osborne Clarke led the legal team.
The team also included senior associate Lizette Hunter and associates Nick Kristensen and Eric Edwin, with partner Erika Jupe advising on tax matters.
The Northern Ireland Fund, launched with the support of British Business Investments, focuses on small debt and equity investments in established SMEs with growth potential in Northern Ireland. It collaborates with other Foresight-managed funds, including the AIB Foresight SME Impact Fund.
The £130m IFW, overseen by the British Business Bank, provides a blend of debt and equity funding to support startups and small to medium-sized businesses in Wales.
This collaboration marks the eighth and ninth regional funds on which Osborne Clarke has provided legal counsel to Foresight.
James Livingston, partner at Foresight, said: “We are thrilled to launch this Fund with support from British Business Investments. We have been operating in the Northern Irish market for more than 10 years. This Fund will increase the volume of Northern Irish SMEs we can support. We look forward to enabling promising companies across Northern Ireland to thrive, positively impact their local areas, and create high-quality, local jobs.”
