LG advises on C&C Group's £180 million acquisition of Scotland's number one lager brand business from AB-InBev
8 September 2009
Lawrence Graham LLP ("LG") has advised new client C&C Group Plc ("C&C") on its £180 million acquisition of the Irish and Scottish businesses of Anheuser-Busch InBev ("ABI").
The acquisition will include the iconic Tennent's Lager brands as well as the Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow and the customer base in Scotland and Ireland. Alongside the acquisition, C&C will enter into a long term strategic alliance with ABI, giving C&C exclusive long term distribution rights for a portfolio of ABI brands (including Stella Artois, Beck's, Bass and Staropramen) in Ireland and Northern Ireland and non-exclusive rights in the on-trade in Scotland.
C&C is the manufacturer of the Magners Original Irish cider. It is led by John Dunsmore, Chief Executive, and Stephen Glancey, Chief Operating Officer, who previously held the same roles at Scottish & Newcastle until its takeover by Heineken. In November 2008 they joined C&C with a view to developing a new strategic direction for the company and appointed Paul Walker, corporate partner at LG, with whom they had worked for many years at S&N, to advise them. Today's acquisition is an important element in implementing the new strategy.
The LG team handling the acquisition was headed by Paul Walker, assisted by senior solicitors Richard Evans (Corporate/acquisition), David Ponsford (Corporate/stock exchange) and Rosie Choueka (Competition). Specialists in intellectual property, employment, commercial, corporate, competition, property and tax restructuring were also involved.
John Dunsmore said "We are very excited about this deal which takes us substantially forward in pursuing our vision for the C&C Group. Paul's and his team's performance in helping to bring this deal to fruition in a very short timescale has been outstanding."
Paul Walker said: "We are delighted to have assisted John Dunsmore and Stephen Glancey and the rest of the C&C management team on this acquisition, which is the first they have made since joining C&C. It has been very rewarding to work with them in implementing their compelling new strategy for the company."
Notes to editors:
LG is a London-based business law firm with over 240 lawyers, advising international entrepreneurial and growth market clients seeking to raise capital for their business ventures.
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