Vertex Law: Experience

Further Back
Recent work

	Irish waste recycling group makes further acquisition in South East with purchase of Any Waste Solution Limited and Any Waste Recycling Limited 18 Mar 08 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law’s M&A Team headed by Stuart Butler-Gallie acted on the sale of Any Waste Solution Limited (“AWSL”) and Any Waste Recycling Limited (“AWRL”) to the UK holding company of Irish recycling and treatment group, One51 plc. The acquisition of AWSL and AWRL continues One51’s expansion policy in the recycling and treatment market through successful integration and targeting of acquisitions. This represents One51’s third acquisition in the region ranging from Country Waste Management Limited based in Croydon (focusing on construction and demolition waste recycling operations) to Reclamet Limited based in Birchington (an end of life vehicles and metals recycling business). Richard Monks joint MD of Any Waste Solution said “Stuart and his team took control of the whole process for us. Stuart’s knowledge of the sector and issues that arise in these types of deals meant that even when we suffered set backs, he kept the entire deal moving forward”. Jamie Houston joint MD of Any Waste Solution said “Stuart was recommended to us by someone who had used Vertex Law in the sector for a similar transaction and we would have no hesitation recommending him to anyone else, in fact, if you’re in waste and recycling you’d be mad not to use him”.

	Charlton seek £20m injection 29 Feb 08 by Private & Public Equity Vertex Law’s M&A Team, headed by Stuart Butler-Gallie, has advised Charlton Athletic PLC on the proposed issue of up to 66,666,667 convertible secure corporate bonds each with a value of 30p to be approved at a general meeting of the Company on Monday 10th March 2008. The Club are seeking to raise £20million through the issue of the new convertible secure bonds. Charlton have already raised £14million of the proposed issue through loans made over the last 12 months by five Charlton plc directors. The money raised will be used to repay existing loans to directors and provide working capital for the Club for the remainder of the season. The Corporate Bond issue comes after the Club’s relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season and speculation of a potential sale to outside investors. Charlton Athletic have agreed that the Club and its shareholders interests are best served under the current ownership and management structure. Peter Varney, Charlton Athletic Chief Executive said “The high level of support from the senior directors for this bond issue demonstrates their ongoing commitment to and belief in the future of the football club to help ensure that the Club is well placed to challenge for the Premier League.” Stuart Butler-Gallie of Vertex Law said “We have been working very closely with the board of directors of the Company to create the convertible debt instrument that helps the company to move short term debt into a longer term position that also gives the holders an opportunity to take larger equity stakes if circumstances make that attractive”. Peter Varney went on to say “Stuart has been with us every step of the way on reaching this creative solution to the challenges we face outside the Premier League after seven years. He is best placed to understand the Club’s needs in this respect, given his close association with Charlton Athletic for over 11 years”.

	Municipal and Commercial Waste Group, Verdant Group plc becomes target for expanding recycling led entity, Greenstar 01 Nov 07 by Mergers & Acquisitions Greenstar UK, one of the leading recycling led waste management companies in the UK has acquired Kent based Verdant Group plc, the leading independent municipal services provider to UK local authorities. Verdant Group’s core business is providing refuse collection, recycling collection, street cleansing and associated services to 19 local authorities, mainly based in the South East. Vertex Law’s M&A Team (led by Stuart Butler-Gallie and consisting of Nick Austen, Patrick Lockton, Rachel Saunders and Sue Crist (Corporate), Jeremy Licence, Ed Auger and Kieran Martyn (Property & Environmental) and Pete Kenyon (Tech & Media) assisted by Heidi Smart of HR Smart (Employment) acted for the sellers, Simon and Jon Miles, Roger Edwards and Chris Peal. Simon Miles, Managing Director and joint principal shareholder in Verdant Group plc said “Stuart has advised us on our entire journey with Verdant since we acquired the Ecovert municipal waste business from Saur UK in 2001. He has an intrinsic and detailed knowledge of our Company and together with the professionalism of our lead advisors, KPMG Corporate Finance, Vertex Law’s input led by Stuart, has brought us to a very satisfactory conclusion in a tight and highly controlled sale process.” Jon Miles, Executive Chairman and joint principal shareholder of Verdant said “Trust is a key element in any relationship with any advisor. The trust we have of Stuart goes back to the beginning of our own plans for Verdant in 2001. This is further assisted by Vertex Law’s understanding of the waste industry as a whole.”

	Vertex Law wins legal advisory role for Chatham Maritime Trust 31 Oct 07 by Property & Environmental Chatham Maritime Trust has appointed Vertex Law to advise the Trust on property and commercial matters relating to the South Maritime Estate at Chatham. The Trust owns and manages the Estate which incorporates some of the most important commercial development projects in the Medway Towns area. Dickens World and the Dockside Outlet Centre are major South Eastern visitor attractions within the Estate. In addition work has recently begun on the construction of two new landmark towers immediately adjacent to the dock basin which will contain luxury apartments and associated facilities. The Estate is at the centre of the exciting new development of the Thames Gateway, and has a rich and nationally relevant historical past. Chatham Maritime Trust is the long-term guardian of the Estate and acquires legal title to cmpleted developments and infrastructure from SEEDA, under agreements entered into when the Trust was established in 1997. Trust Chief Executive, Martyn Calder says “The Trustees have been given an important mandate to manage the Estate for many decades to come, and it is very important to us that our advisers appreciate the nature of the Trust’s responsibilities and are able to deal with the complexity of our ownership. When choosing Vertex Law we were particularly impressed with the depth of their experience on a wide range of other challenging projects.”

	New Life For Old Hospital 30 Oct 07 by Property & Environmental A former hospital and university accommodation site is to be turned into a collection of new homes in Canterbury. Monro Homes has bought a plot at Stodmarsh Road and plans to convert some of the existing buildings as part of the development, which will create 21 new homes. Originally the buildings were opened as the Canterbury Sanotorium in 1897 and later in 1948 were acquired by the National Health Service and renamed as the Canterbury Fever Hospital. The site was renamed again in 1958 as The Mount Hospital before it was later used by Christ Church University College as student accommodation. In 1990 the land was designed as a conservation area. Alistair Morrison, Chairman of Monro Homes said: “We were delighted with the service offered by Vertex as they were able to act very quickly to secure the site in a contracts race. We have enjoyed a close working relationship with Vertex and they have been able to offer us a complete package from acquiring the land to selling the finished project. “We are particularly pleased to be able to breathe new life into this area which already possesses a fascinating history to it and I am sure these homes will provide an equally interesting future.”

	Vertex Plays Pivotal Role In Massive Regeneration Projects 29 Sep 07 by Property & Environmental Kent company Vertex Law has been appointed to play a major role in two of the largest regeneration projects in the UK. The Wembley development is transforming over 70 acres of brownfield land around the newly-opened opened iconic and world-renowned football stadium. Built by property investment and development company Quintain Estates and Development PLC, the scheme promises to create a dazzling urban quarter including 4,000 homes and state-of-the-art leisure facilities with shopping, offices, improved transport links as well as hotels and restaurants. Vertex will also be dealing with the sale of all private apartments at Middlehaven - a project to redevelop the former Middlesbrough Docks site. The 80-acre area adjacent to Middlesbrough town centre is a mixed-use regeneration project, which aims to bring back to life the once vibrant dock area, which was the catalyst for the growth of the region as an international industrial centre. Helen Devy, Head of Residential Sales & Marketing at Quintain, said “The ideal for any developer is to sell units as early in the development process as possible. To achieve this we need a committed team. Sue Lattin and Vertex Law are very much part of that team focused on our delivery needs and with an extensive understanding of the complexities associated with these sites at Wembley and Middlesbrough.”

	Showing the Way 12 Sep 07 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law’s M&A team advised the shareholders of Active Sign Maintenance Limited (“ASML”) on the sale of their shares to local competitor Blaze Neon Holdings Limited (“Blaze”) for an undisclosed sum. Matrix Private Equity backed Blaze, continued its impressive growth by acquiring the highly desirable blue chip client base of ASML that boasts accounts including Sainsburys and Halifax Bank of Scotland. The shareholders of ASML continue to operate in the sign manufacturing sector through retained company, Active Signs Limited. Ian Robinson, Vendor and CEO of Active Signs Limited said: “Vertex Law had been recommended to us from a number of quarters as the best lawyers to get the job done and they did not disappoint; Stuart, Nick and their team worked on time and to budget to deliver the deal that was right for us”. Peter Hickson, Vendor and FD of Active Signs Limited added: “A potentially difficult sale between competitive rivals was made so much easier by the professionalism, focus and human side of a team that understands and could guide us every step of the way in this sometimes challenging process”.

	Multimedia Publishing Business Secures New Investment 30 Aug 07 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law’s Corporate Team advised the principal shareholders of Friday Project Media plc (FPM) in a second round fund raising exercise. Vertex Law advised FPM on regulatory issues applicable to unlisted public limited companies and provided legal and commercial advice on the strategy planning stages of the fund raising exercise. Vertex Law also drafted and advised on a shareholders’ agreement to be entered into between the principal shareholders and new Investor and on the production of documentation required for the 170 existing shareholders in FPM to participate in the fund raising exercise. Clare Christian, Managing Director of FPM said: “Any fundraising process is by its nature complex and time-consuming but Vertex Law handled the legal aspects extremely efficiently. Having confidence in their team allowed me to focus on other elements of the process, and most importantly, to ensure our core publishing business was not affected.”

	PHS All Clear cleans up Leeds based 3B Waste 02 Aug 07 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law’s M&A team further strengthened its reputation as a leading player in the waste and recycling sector in acting for the shareholders of 3B Waste Solutions Limited in the sale of the Company to Charterhouse private equity backed Personnel Hygiene Services Limited for an undisclosed sum. 3B Waste has developed over a period of only 5 years as the leading independent trade waste operator in Leeds, with additional operations in Hull and York. 3B Waste gives PHS the perfect platform to develop its commercial waste operations in Yorkshire. 3B Waste’s Managing Director and principal shareholder, Matthew Miles said “Stuart Butler-Gallie of Vertex Law acted for me on the sale of my previous business to Cleanaway. He has been an intrinsic part of developing 3B towards this exit and performed an additional invaluable corporate finance function with PHS to whom he has sold other commercial waste operators in the past”. Matthew Miles also said “Stuart and his team not only have an extensive knowledge of the sector but deliver a very personal and committed service in what is often a complex process even for a seasoned vendor like myself.”

	Eureka is the solution for Commidea 18 Jul 07 by Property & Environmental A market leading company from Kent specialising in card payment processing solutions is to relocate its headquarters to new state of the art offices at Eureka Park, Ashford. Commidea, which is currently based in Maidstone, has opted to move to the recently completed Northdown complex of the new business park, as the company looks to build on its growing success. Commidea’s Managing Director Simon Wilding said: “Our relocation to new modern offices at Eureka Park fits in perfectly with the direction of the company. The area is developing fast, making it a very attractive prospect for businesses. We are pleased to be leading the way in the regeneration of the area.” Kings Hill based Vertex Law helped negotiate the lease for Commidea’s relocation and property lawyer Robert Dodgson said the move was another boost for Ashford. He added: “Eureka Park is a landmark development and a very prestigious addition to Ashford providing a welcome boost to the local economy. Having such a successful company as Commidea as an anchor tenant of the new Northdown site will only add to the park’s reputation and will make the rest of the business world sit up and take notice.”

	Care UK takes control of leading Kent homecare services provider 14 Jun 07 by Mergers & Acquisitions Members of Vertex Law’s M&A Team advised the shareholders of Homecare Services (Kent) Limited (HCS) in their sale of the entire issued share capital of the Company to a subsidiary of Care UK PLC, Care UK Homecare Limited for an undisclosed sum. HCS is one of the leading independent domiciliary care providers in Kent. It has a close working relationship with Kent County Council and its acquisition by Care UK provides the listed PLC with a presence in the County that to date was missing in its national coverage. Anne Taylor, Managing Director of HCS said “Vertex Law had advised us on the merger with Procare (Kent ) Limited in 2005 following which HCS was able to consolidate its position across both east and west Kent. Stuart and his team have a detailed and intrinsic knowledge of our business as well as the sector as a whole. Vertex Law provided a comprehensive advice and project management package to us which made us feel fully supported throughout the whole sale process.” Norman Temple, Strategic Director of HCS, who was tasked with negotiating the terms of the deal with Care UK said “Stuart not only provided us with the detailed legal advice in this matter but was instrumental in negotiating the complexities of the deal structure directly with Care UK plc alongside me.”

	Vertex Law wins mill redevelopment legal advisory role 05 May 07 by Property & Environmental Vertex Law has been appointed by M-Real (Sittingbourne) Limited to provide legal advice as part of the project team tasked to prepare the former paper mill site at Sittingbourne for redevelopment. The overall project team is lead by Strutt and Partner out of their Canterbury Office headed by Ralph Craythorne and consisting of Simon Reynolds and Stephen Deakin. The Vertex Law Project team will be headed by Stuart Butler-Gallie (Project Management and Commercial) and Robert Dodgson (Property, Planning and Environmental). Stuart Butler-Gallie said "This is an excellent project for Vertex Law to be involved in and enables us to utilise all our specialist areas and our now established expertise in working on large projects in our specialist sectors. It is also a great opportunity to work with another established leading team in the area of development, Strutt and Parker and to further links with them".

	Creative Offer requires creative legal input 13 Mar 07 by Commercial Vertex Law's Commercial Team advised Charlton Athletic on its current groundbreaking season-ticket offer that could result in fans watching Premiership football for free at The Valley for the 2008/9 Season. Charlton Athletic's current offer to fans to renew their season tickets before 30th April 2007 means the reduced prices will apply whether or not the Club is relegated this season. The potential upside is that if Charlton Athletic regains its Premiership status at the first attempt the Club will issue a free season ticket for that Premiership season. Sarah Whibley and Sarah Astley of our Commercial Team advised on various issues relating to "cooling off periods" and the impact of the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 on how the offer was presented to fans.

	Paper Mill back on a roll 01 Mar 07 by Property & Environmental Nearly seven years after it closed, a former paper mill is set to become a key element in Dover’s regeneration. Buckland Mill, which occupies a prime 3.9 hectare site on the banks of the Dour, is now subject to a planning application for a mixed-use development. The move follows a development agreement negotiated by Vertex Law on behalf of the developer, Gillcrest Homes, with the site owner, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). “This was a very complex deal that has resulted in a high quality, imaginative scheme going before Dover planners,” said Vertex Law’s Robert Dodgson. “The proposal comprises affordable and private housing, restaurant/bar, convenience store, nursing home, children's outdoor play areas and community facilities. “It is an exciting scheme and if it gets the go-ahead a regenerated Buckland Mill has the potential to encourage further new investment and development in the area.” SEEDA has already demolished a number of derelict buildings and removed the culverting from the River Dour, which runs through the centre of the site, formerly an Arjo Wiggins paper manufacturing plant. The river has been restored to its original course and it is anticipated this will be an attractive draw for residents and employees who live and work at the site in the future. Development Manager for Gillcrest Homes, Alan Burns added: "This is an exciting and ambitious project and we are delighted to be a part of it. We are committed to creating high quality housing, employment potential and integrated community facilities that we hope will be a catalyst for the future regeneration of the whole Dover area."

	Winners of the Kent Design Building Design Award 2006 aquire another site 27 Feb 07 by Property & Environmental DJ Ellis Construction Limited have successfully concluded the purchase of a site and rights to an adjoining site which promises to become a landmark development in Ramsgate. With the support of the dedicated property team based in Maidstone, DJ Ellis secured the first part of what was a complicated deal earlier in the year. David Kiernan their Relationship Manager said, "this was not a straightforward transaction but it has opened the door to a much larger opportunity". "With the help of Robert Dodgson and his Property Team at Vertex, who were always on the front foot dealing with and anticipating issues protecting both the Bank and our client we have now arranged finance for the final part of the jigsaw and we can look forward to more exciting times with Darren Ellis as the site progresses" David Kiernan added "This is not the first time that we have chosen to use the teams at Vertex who have always delivered a first class service to us and our customers and this was endorsed by a number ofclients recently at a Vertex hosted event in Canterbury".

	Kent Company acquires London Firm 20 Feb 07 by Mergers & Acquisitions Kent Risk Management and Insurance Broking Group Aston Scott Group plc has acquired London general insurers firm White Morgan in a takeover deal. West Malling based Aston Scott, which also has offices in Sheerness, Kent as well as Guildford, Surrey and Pladstow, Cornwall completed the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, with the help from Kings Hill firm Vertex Law. Andrew Scott, Chief Executive of Aston Scott, said "Vertex were superb and provided a valuable service in terms of legal and strategic input. I was particularly impressed with the ability of their staff to dovetail so seamlessly especially if people were absent. They were as proactive, friendly and efficient a team of lawyers, I have come across in 25 years of business".

Ashford business motors to new commercial future 16 Dec 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions One of Kent’s largest commercial vehicles specialists has changed hands after being bought by its management team. Since being founded in 1987 by outgoing owners Tony Chudleigh and Ron Stupple, Channel Commercials has grown into a £40m-a-year business with premises in Strood, Sevenoaks and Canterbury in addition to its headquarters at Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate, Ashford. Channel Commercials’ Mike Macintyre added: “Although a simple deal in principle, it took the professionalism of all those involved to make it happen. We were lucky to be pointed in the direction of Vertex Law by our bankers RBS. That early introduction enabled the management team to benefit from the professionalism of James Beatton from Vertex who, whenever a problem arose, just dealt with it quietly and amicably and made it disappear. It’s not often I make recommendations, but on this occasion, I would happily recommend Vertex Law to anyone needing commercial legal advice.”

	Share Subscription and Capital Reorganisation at Flightstore 01 Dec 06 by Private & Public Equity AIM Listed company Flightstore Group plc has been advised by the Public and Private Equity Team at Vertex Law LLP in relation to a capital reorganisation and share subscription which has led to the new subscribers taking a 95% shareholding in the company. The investment is designed to enable Flightstore to have sufficient funds to continue to look for a reverse takeover target. The concert party of investors have stated that it is their intention to look for targets based in solar technologies. David Sebire, the outgoing chairman of Flightstore Group plc, thanked the team at Vertex for all their support for the company from the time when Stuart Butler-Gallie had first acted for the company in taking it to AIM in December 2003.

	Verdant Group embarks on diversification plan 31 Oct 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions The Vertex Law M&A team advised Verdant Group plc on its acquisition of Southampton based, Waste Services (UK) Limited from it shareholders Christopher and Sue Nutbrown for an undisclosed sum. The Waste Services (UK) Limited acquisition represents a diversification for Verdant into pure commercial waste services from its municipal waste focus as part of its overall plan to grow its position as one of the largest and leading independently owned waste and recycling groups in the UK. Verdant Chairman, Jon Miles, said “Waste Services is an ideal strategic and locational fit for the Verdant Group, enabling us to augment our municipal services with a commercial offering in an area where we are very strong”. Jon Miles added “We have worked for over 10 years with Stuart and his team and recognise their expertise and understanding of the waste sector, so that they invariably form an extension to our own team”.

	Vertex Law acts for The Royal Bank of Scotland on its funding of the MBO of Cathedral Works Organisation (Chichester) Limited (“CWO”) 17 Oct 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions The RBS Structured Debt Solutions Team has provided a financial package to support the MBO of West Sussex business CWO. RBS were represented by Vertex Law. CWO is one of the country’s leading stonemasons and restoration specialists. It has a Royal Warrant of Appointment by Her Majesty the Queen and is an approved contractor to the Government, County Councils and Local Authorities as well as English Heritage, The National Trust, Heritage Trusts and property companies. CWO has had the privilege of working on many prestigious developments, including Windsor Castle and the Princess Diana Memorial in Kensington. Bernard Burns, Managing Director of CWO commented: "This is an exciting time for our management team and we are most grateful to the team at RBS and Vertex Law." Mathew Glentworth, Associate Director, Structured Debt Solutions at RBS commented: "I enjoyed working with the Vertex Law team. Their practical hands-on approach ensured we were able to drive forward to completion quickly. Their advice was clear and commercial and they were always accessible."

	"One-Stop-Shop" Property Group acquires leading property insurance broker 18 Sep 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions The Vertex Law M&A team advised the vendors of Keelan Westall plc on the sale of their shares to Hanover Park Commercial Limited, the insurance services division of fully listed Erinaceous Group plc, for the aggregate sum of £19.7m. Erinaceous Group, the “one-stop-shop” property services group offer property solutions from investment, building design and surveying to property management and insurance. Stuart Butler-Gallie said “This deal was a real team effort and we enjoyed working closely with the Keelan Westall management team in a sector we understand well”. Tony Trueman said he was "delighted with the level of service provided by Stuart, Nick and their team and particularly their willingness to go the “extra mile” to deliver to timescales and the way in which they really cared about the outcome for us as vendors”.

	Charlton Athletic plc cancels its AIM Listing 18 Sep 06 by Private & Public Equity Vertex Law Public & Private Equity team, headed by Stuart Butler-Gallie, advised Charlton Athletic plc on the cancellation of the listing of its shares on the Alternative Investment Market effective from 21st September 2006. The de-listing was another personal milestone for Stuart Butler-Gallie in his involvement with Charlton Athletic, as it was ten years ago that he first became involved with the Club in its preparation for the listing on AIM in March 1997. Since then, Stuart has acted on every capital and debt raising exercise undertaken by Charlton Athletic plc.

	Edgewing deal flys for Vertex 29 Aug 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law advised the Shareholders of Edgewing Limited on the sale of one of the UK’s leading data integration software consultancies. The company was acquired by Business Objects (UK) Limited which is the UK subsidiary of one of the largest software houses in the world. Clive Bellmore and Steve Crook who were the main shareholders will both be employed by Business Objects to assist in developing an in house team, based round the Edgewing employees,. To help build a new area of focus by the company around the data management space. Clive Bellmore the founder of Edgewing Limited said: “We were introduced to Vertex by a trusted colleague and we have been very impressed with the service they have given us. They have worked closely with us to ensure a smooth transaction that has achieved the desired result.”

	Photolibrary beefs up its food business 01 Aug 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions The Anthony Blake Photo Library, the UK's leading specialist library for food and drink images, based in Putney, has been sold to one of the leading worldwide stock libraries, the Sydney based Photolibrary Group. Vertex Law LLP acted for the sellers. Clare Parker, M.D. of Anthony Blake and one of the sellers who will remain with the company post-completion said “From our initial meeting through to completing the sale, Vertex have done a great job advising and supporting the shareholders, making sure that deal was right for us and for the Library. We have been extremely impressed by the way Ed and Trevor anticipated the obstacles and talked us through the process from start to finish. With Photolibrary’s lawyers they came up with reasonable and sensible solutions to the issues and avoided any unnecessary disputes.” Clare and the sellers bought The Anthony Blake Photo Library from the photographer, Anthony Blake, seven years ago and have worked hard with their team to build the company into a profitable entity and the brand into the UK’s leading specialist stock library for food and drink images.

	Americans get green fingers in the UK 27 Jul 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law advised the Shareholders of Field (GB) Limited and K & S Fumigation Services Limited on the sale of an established UK irrigation design and supply business for the horticultural market and the sale of an established UK soil fumigation and horticultural import and export business. Both companies were acquired by Trical, Inc., a Californian based company recognised as an industry leader in these sectors in the States and currently expanding into Europe. Brian and Wendy Neal who were the principal Shareholders of both companies will remain on the boards of directors to assist in the handover of the businesses and Trical's move into the UK market. Brian Neal said of the transaction and Vertex Law, "Initially the sale process appeared to be relatively straight forward. However the completion date kept sliding and the process became more and more protracted. Andrew Hawkins worked tirelessly to keep the momentum going with input well into the night on many occasions. Without Andrew and Vertex Law’s commitment to succeed I am sure this sale would not have been completed. I would recommend Vertex Law to anybody."

	Sand shifts to InterQuest 22 Jun 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions Sand Resources, the Tunbridge Wells based specialist provider of IT recruitment services to the public sector has been sold to AIM-quoted IT recruitment specialist, InterQuest Group plc. Vertex Law LLP acted for the sellers. David Seear, M.D. of Sand and one of the sellers, who will be appointed to Interquest’s Operational Management Board, said “Vertex have done a great job for Mike Haffenden and I and we have been very impressed with the way Nick and Ed worked with us to overcome the hurdles that were placed in our path. They came up with reasonable and sensible suggestions to the problems which we had and avoided the posturing which can be a factor in these deals.”

	Business Recovery Team acts on the administration of the Sira Group 01 Jun 06 by Commercial The Vertex Law Business Recovery team has provided strategic and legal advice on the restructuring and entry into administration of the Sira Group of companies. The team worked closely with the directors, major creditors and the administrators, Grant Thornton, to ensure that the process into administration was managed in such a way as to maximise the potential return to creditors. In total five companies were placed into administration. The Vertex team provided specific advice on the disposal of Sira's freehold premises, the entry into administration of the five companies and the sale of seven separate businesses. Rob Skelton, the former finance director of Sira said, "The advice and support that we received from Vertex Law and, in particular, Trevor Carney was first rate. I would recommend Vertex Law and its Business Recovery team to anyone". Martin Ellis of Grant Thornton said, "Vertex Law provided the Administrators with excellent responsiveness, thoroughness and commerciality at all stages leading up to the Administrations and in the subsequent business sale processes and property issues. I look forward to working with their Business Recovery team in the future ". The Vertex team was led by Chief Executive Trevor Carney and head of Business Recovery, James Beatton assisted by Andrew Hawkins, Robert Dodgson, Jeremy Laws, Richard Ludlow, Simon Jones and Irfan Baluch.

	FujiFilm Sericol strengthens Dutch business 09 May 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law’s M&A team advised FujiFilm Sericol, the international ink solution business with its UK and European headquarters based in Broadstairs, Kent, on the acquisition by Fujifilm Sericol Nederland BV of the Dutch business Profisol BV. Nick Austen of Vertex Law project managed the acquisition, which was made subject to English law, of the Dutch company after having referred the matter to Vertex Dutch legal correspondent firm, Houthoff Buruma NV. Houthoff Buruma dealt with all the Dutch legal requirements relating to the transfer of title to the shares in the target company. Roy Wiles, Group Finance Director of FujiFilm Sericol, said “we are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of Profisol, whose flexibility and focus on customer needs has built an excellent reputation within the Dutch screen-printing market. Now, with the backing of Fujifilm Sericol, with its extensive Technical, Manufacturing and Marketing resources, we can look to develop the Profisol business still further in existing and new applications. We are delighted to have identified a refreshingly creative and responsive legal business that can assist us to meet our own goals that has the added skill of being able to project manage transactions as if they were part of our own team."

	Waste/Plant Hire Group makes acquisitions in quick succession 28 Apr 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions The Vertex Law M&A Team has acted for the FGS Group of Companies (including FGS Plant Limited and Countrystyle Recycling Limited) in the acquisitions of the business and assets of Kent Soils and Composts Limited (in relation to its skip hire operation) and White Contracting Limited (in relation to its plant hire operation based in Essex). These acquisitions were completed in consecutive months. Trevor Heathcote, MD of the FGS Group of Companies said “Vertex Law were recommended to us by our bank, NatWest, as experts in the field of waste and recycling. Not only have they proven themselves as such experts but through their approach of working closely with us and understanding the reasoning for each of our acquisitions, combined with their sheer commitment to the job, we have been able to complete the KSC and White’s acquisitions with little or no fuss or distractions”.

	Management Team take on M&E Business 21 Mar 06 by Private & Public Equity Vertex Law’s Public and Private Equity Team acted on the management buy-out (by way of a purchase from the administrative receivers) of the business of Mechelec Engineering Services Limited, the combined mechanical and electrical contract services business based in Dover and operating throughout Kent. Dave Wilkinson said “having grown the business independently of its parent, RTT Group PLC, over the last five years we are delighted to now have control both as owners and managers. We received truly practical, commercial and timely advice from the Vertex Team of Stuart Butler-Gallie and Andrew Hoad. There was also the added advantage of Vertex’s ability to source the business angel funding for us."

	Kent has a Great Deal to Offer 16 Mar 06 by Mergers & Acquisitions Vertex Law advised Kent Attractions LLP on the acquisition of one of Kent’s leading visitor attractions, the award winning Hop Farm. The acquisition will be the foundation of a major new tourism business in the county. The Hop Farm will join Kent Attractions’ other interests in the county which include Lamberhurst Vineyard - a founder member of ‘Seven Wonders of the Weald’ - and the Smart & Simple Hotel in Tunbridge Wells. The move will bring Kent Attractions’ assets to an enterprise value approaching £20 million. Simon Hume-Kendall added: “Kent is an ideal place to develop a network of tourism-focused businesses. Not only are we close to London, the area is on the doorstep of Thames Gateway, Medway Towns and Ashford, areas which in the coming years should see significant population growth and therefore demand for leisure activities.”