The first award was the National/International Deal of the Year for the acquisition of Kudos Shower Products, by Sanswiss, a subsidiary of The Ronal Group. The DWF team included Wendy Harrison, Amy Woodfine, Scott Kennedy, Francesca Kinsella, Katy Butler, Jordan Colliston, and Alice Gilman, with assistance from tax expert James Cashman. Kudos, a bathroom products manufacturer, with operations both in the UK and South Africa, was identified by Sanswiss as a strategic partner to expand its existing operations throughout Europe.
The team secured their second award of the night with the Deal of the Year (£5m to £25m). This accolade recognised their instrumental role in the multi-award-winning acquisition of The Data Shed by Hippo Digital, a deal that had previously earned them the Business Desk Rainmakers Award for Deal of the Year in June 2023. Notably, the entire tech ecosystem involved in the deal, including sellers, the target, buyers, corporate financiers, and advisors, was rooted in Leeds. Amy Woodfine, Director in the corporate team, along with Francesca Kinsella, Jordan Collison, and Alice Gilman, adeptly navigated the complexities of the buy-side representation for the sellers.
Amy Woodfine, who played a pivotal role in both deals, accepted the awards on behalf of the team, commenting, "Transactions of this quality and complexity demonstrate the strength and depth of the corporate team, both in Leeds and across the firm. We are delighted to have worked with our clients and other advisors in the region on these important deals."
We are recognised for our skill in combining legal expertise within the corporate space with a distinctively energetic, decisive and clear approach, leveraging the use of bespoke technology pre, post and during the transaction. From start-ups to multinationals, listed and quoted organisations through to family-run businesses, we manage a wide range of corporate transactions across diverse sectors.
Our 230-strong legal team can advise in relation to private equity transactions for both institutions and management teams, public and private mergers and acquisitions, IPOs on AIM and the Main Market and secondary fundraisings. We also assist clients with shareholder agreements, partnership transactions, joint ventures, as well as providing corporate governance advice on an ongoing basis.
