News | By practice area

Wednesday 26th March 2008

SJ Berwin has advised the shareholders of SBJ Group Limited on the acquisition of the company by Axa Advisory Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Axa UK Plc. Corporate partner, Joanna Hamilton, led the SJ Berwin team assisted by senior associate Sally Roberts with tax advice from partner Gareth Amdor and associate Anna Downey.

George Boden, Chief Executive of SBJ said "SJ Berwin have become part of our team. At the same time they gave us first class advice and opinions. Couple all that with seemingly unlimited energy and drive and it was a winning combination. That's why we've always gone back to them".

Joanna has worked with SBJ Group for many years, having initially advised on the "public to private" transaction backed by Graphite Capital in 1999. Since then, she has advised the company in relation to a number of acquisitions and disposals as well as the exit of Graphite Capital in 2001 the acquisition of 51% of the company by the private equity investor, Cap Z, in 2004, and a major refinancing in 2007.

For more information please contact:
 
Joanna Hamilton, Partner on +44 (0) 207 111 2294 or by emailing joanna.hamilton@sjberwin.com

Sara Mahdavian, Business Development Executive on +44 (0) 207 111 5074 or by emailing sara.mahdavian@sjberwin.com

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• 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:
  - “Corporate Team of the Year - Mid Market" at The Lawyer Awards 2007
  - “UK Firm of the Year” at the Global Chambers Awards 2007 
  - “Private Equity Team of the Year” Financial News Legal Awards 2007
  - “Fund Formation Team of the Year” 2006 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.