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Big deals boost law firm

Law firm Ward Hadaway has been involved in everything from gold mines to garden centres after working on some major deals in the region. The Newcastle-based firm has advised on almost £100m worth of deals in the past month.

Highlights included Ward Hadaway’s plc team advising China Goldmines on its recent £30m share placing on the AIM market.

The law firm’s corporate finance team also led three deals which saw high-profile North East companies change hands.

The team advised Billingham-based Imperial Tankers on its £7m sale to Hargreaves Services, Peter Barratt’s Garden Centres on its sale to Wyevale Garden Centres and Henderson Pharmacy on its sale to Alliance Boots.

Martin Hulls, head of corporate finance at Ward Hadaway, said: “This has been an extremely busy but rewarding time for the firm. “Our experience across a range of sectors and our ability to bring in dedicated expertise from other departments within the firm to work on transactions has enabled us to help make these deals happen. “They are all significant transactions and we are pleased to have helped our clients to bring their plans to fruition.”

Ward Hadaway also recently advised medical equipment company IDS on a simultaneous £12m AIM placing and 23m euro acquisition and advised China Goldmines when it floated on AIM in 2006.

The firm’s corporate finance team was praised by independent legal directory the Legal 500 in its recently published 2007 edition. The directory said: “According to both clients and peers, the firm is starting to edge ahead of its rivals because of the quality of its advice and levels of client care: it is only a matter of time before it clearly moves ahead of the chasing pack.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .