News | Private Equity

Tuesday 12th February 2008

Private Equity Team of the Year SJ Berwin LLP (Financial News Legal Awards) have advised the management of Geo, a leading provider of optical fibre networks in the UK, on its £62 million sale to private equity firm Alchemy Investment Plan from the Hutchison Whampoa Group.

The SJ Berwin team advising the management of Geo, was led by corporate partners Rob Day and Ed Harris and assisted by corporate associate Corrine Campbell.

Chris Smedley, Chief Executive of Geo commented, “We were very pleased with the team at SJB.  They had a thorough insight into the buy-out process and guided us well through out, always focusing on the key issues."

SJ Berwin’s European buyouts practice was ranked No 1 in the mergermarket European buyouts table midway through 2007, finishing in 4th position by volume at the end of 2007 and in the top ten globally. 

For further information please contact:

Rob Day, Partner on 020 7111 2988 or by emailing rob.day@sjberwin.com

Ed Harris, Partner on 020 7111 2473 or by emailing ed.harris@sjberwin.com

Aurelia Spivey, Business Development Manager on 020 7111 2060 or by emailing aurelia.spivey@sjberwin.com

To view other press releases click here.

• With more than 200 corporate finance lawyers, the depth and breadth of expertise of our pan-European Corporate Finance Department is considerable. We offer the complete range of corporate finance services, which extends to all aspects of domestic and cross-border M&A and buy-outs, private equity, equity capital markets, financial services and tax.
  
  
• SJ Berwin was created and thrives as a leading-edge legal services business, focusing on the European and international market place. Our clients are sophisticated buyers of legal services, principally entrepreneurial companies and financial institutions, whom we advise on a comprehensive range of services including Corporate, Commercial, Real Estate, Finance, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Financial Services, Litigation, Employment & Pensions, EU & Competition and Tax.
  
  
• The private equity team has won a number of recent awards including:
  
  -“UK Firm of the Year” 2007 at the Chambers Global Awards
  
  -“Private Equity Team of the Year “ 2007 at the Financial News Legal Awards
  
  -“Mid Market Law Firm of the Year” 2007 at The Lawyer Awards
  
  -“Fund Formation Team of the Year” 2006 and 2007 at the Financial News Awards for Excellence in Private Equity Advisory Services
  
  -“European Law Firm of the Year" 2004 -  2006 at the EVCA/Real Deals -European Private Equity Awards,
  
  -”European Law Firm of the Year" (fund formation) 2001 - 2007 by subscribers to PrivateEquityOnline and Private Equity International
  
  -"Private Equity Law Firm of the Year" 2004 -  2007 at the European Venture Capital journal awards 2004
  
  -"LBO Firm of the Year" 2004 at the Finance and Law Awards in Paris
  
  
• On 1 June 2005, SJ Berwin became SJ Berwin LLP, a limited liability partnership.  www.sjberwin.com. SJ Berwin LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.