Law firm hails record deal activity

The corporate and commercial team at law firm Lodders has completed a record £50m total value of deals since August.

Notable deals for the team include the completion of the sale of diaphragm pump business Flotronic Pumps by its owners Whitehouse Industrie in August, followed by the sale of furniture and props hire business Granger Hertzog for the sellers to a newco owned by management and the sellers, in September.

In October, Lodders’ team advised LDC-backed Solid Solutions on the acquisition of Desktop Engineering (DTE), with several other high-value completions following in November including the sales of Cotek Papers to German manufacturer Laufenberg, and Avanta UK to the existing management team via a Vendor Initiated Management Buy-out (VIMBO).

Corporate partner Graham Spalding says the “very active period” began in August 2020, with further deal highlights earlier this year when Lodders’ team advised the founders on the sale of Chrysalis Automotive to automotive software business Autofutura, the buyout team on the purchase of Nottingham-based Print Solutions, the sellers on the disposal of agricultural machinery business Murley Agriculture, and LDC-backed Solid Solutions on the purchase of Design Rule.

“It’s been a very busy and rewarding period for the corporate and commercial team, which has sustained this year’s trend of winning high-value, high quality work,” said Spalding.

“We have completed a record-breaking number of deals for companies and owner managers in the US, South Africa, London, Leeds, the Cotswolds and across the Midlands, in sectors including automotive, manufacturing, industrial engineering, and film and broadcast.

“2022 is looking to be another very busy year for corporate activity for the team and we are already instructed on several transactions set for completion early in the new year.”