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Durham law firm Swinburne Maddison LLP advises on £11.85m Hargreaves acquisition

Durham-based legal firm Swinburne Maddison LLP has acted on behalf of Hargreaves Services plc, in its acquisition of Colchester-based C.A. Blackwell Group Limited for £11.85m.

Swinburne Maddison LLP has acted on behalf of Durham’s Hargreaves Services plc, in its acquisition of Colchester-based C.A. Blackwell Group Limited for £11.85m.

The legal firm, also situated in Durham, has a longstanding relationship with Hargreaves, acting on a number of its prior transactions.

A provider of solid fuel supply & bulk material logistics, Hargreaves’ acquisition forms part of an overall strategy to extend its service range.

Corporate and commercial partner Martyn Tennant, with support from 13 other lawyers, has been working on the Blackwell acquisition for over six months, drafting and negotiating the principal documents as well as assisting in the negotiation of the key commercial aspects of the transaction.

Completion of the deal has required support from a number of other legal disciplines within the law firm including commercial property, employment and dispute resolution.

Martyn said: “C.A. Blackwell has been operating in the field of bulk earth removal and civil engineering for over 50 years and like Hargreaves, has many active subsidiaries.

“As a result, there has been a need for detailed and extensive financial and legal due diligence aside from the provision of expert advice in the structure of the deal itself, which provides for part of the purchase price to be held in escrow pending resolution of certain post-completion issues.”

He added: “This has been a complex deal which I am delighted has been concluded to everyone’s satisfaction.

Kevin Dougan, Hargreaves Group Commercial Director, added: “We are delighted to welcome the Blackwell team into the Group and look forward to combining our expertise to work with them on the growing market opportunities in the UK.

“The service from Swinburne Maddison has been outstanding, with the firm responding to our needs and requirements in a timely, efficient and professional manner.”