Member Article

Womble Bond Dickinson assists North East law firm on sale to Simplify

Womble Bond Dickinson’s corporate team has assisted North East lawyers Gordon Brown Law Firm on the sale of its conveyancing business to Simplify, the UK’s largest conveyancing and property services group.

Gordon Brown Law Firm, based in Gateshead, is one of the largest and most respected conveyancing focused law firms in the North East of England. A team of advisers from KPMG and Womble Bond Dickinson’s Newcastle corporate team advised Gordon Brown Law Firm throughout the sale process. The Womble Bond Dickinson team was led by corporate lawyers Jamie Pass and David Ridley.

Jamie Pass, corporate partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, said: “We were delighted to be chosen to advise Gordon Brown Law Firm on this important transaction. It was a big compliment to us that the Gordon Brown team, who are conveyancing experts, turned to us when they needed expert corporate law advice on a key transaction for their business.”

The transaction is the latest in a string of acquisitions for Simplify, which operates through the DC Law and other brands and which also recently acquired Cook Taylor Woodhouse in the south-east. Simplify also owns the QualitySolicitors marketing network and the leading conveyancing panel management and property services specialist Move with Us.

Kathryn Taylor, managing partner at Gordon Brown Law Firm, said: “Having built and established the Gordon Brown brand over the last 39 years, this move allows us to focus on our core conveyancing business and to look forward to even greater success in the future. Jamie and David were great to work with and enabled us to complete the transaction against a tight timetable.”

The transaction represents the latest in a stream of transactions completed by Womble Bond Dickinson’s Newcastle corporate team, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. This includes advising:

• Newcastle software company Caspian on its investment from NASDAQ
• Carpetright on its acquisition of Keswick Flooring
• LDC on its investment in Connect Health
• Mercia Asset Management’s investment on a breast cancer detection technology business
• On the creation of Northern Accelerator’s Seed Investment Fund
• Northumberland robotics manufacturer Tharsus on the extension of its deal with retail giant Ocado.

WBD has deep roots in the region and is committed to playing its part in the rejuvenation of the North East and Cumbria by using its local, national and international reach and expertise to benefit the region’s leading sectors, businesses, people and organisations. The firm is a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme, demonstrating its commitment to promoting the strengths of the North, and actively collaborates with the North East Chamber of Commerce on a range of initiatives.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Womble Bond Dickinson LLP .