Herbert Smith acted for Automobile Association (AA) on its £1.1bn sale to GB Gas Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centrica, which closed last week. The proceeds were divided between the AA’s 4.6 million eligible members. Corporate partner Stephen Hancock led the team. Linklaters & Alliance, led by corporate partner Derek McMenamin, advised Centrica. Wilde Sapte, led by senior partner Mark Andrews, advised the AA’s individual liquidators. Norton Rose, led by senior partner David Lewis, advised individual committee members in their personal capacity.
Ashurst Morris Crisp advised Virgin Entertainment Group on the sale of its UK and Irish cinema chain to European cinema group, UGC, in a deal worth £215m. Corporate partner Nick Angel led the team. Denton Hall, led by property partner Joanne McGuinness and supported by property partner Richard Perkins, advised Virgin on the property aspects. Gouldens, led by corporate partner Andrew Gumbert, advised UGC.
Travers Smith Braithwaite acted for family-owned Go Plant, which provides road sweepers, on its acquisition of Shropshire Road Sweepers for an undisclosed sum. Corporate partner Nicholas Moore led the team, assisted by Paul Dolman. The acquisition was funded by debt provided by Barclays Bank, which was advised by Dibb Lupton Alsop, led by banking partner John Cutler. Funds were also provided by Foreign and Colonial Ventures. It was advised by Marriott Harrison, led by corporate partner Duncan Innes. Wragge & Co, led by corporate partner Graham Spalding, advised the vendors.
SJ Berwin & Co acted for Nasdaq-listed Concord Camera Corp, a company involved in the development, design and manufacture of advanced photo system single-use cameras and its UK subsidiary Concord Camera, on its merger with Goldine (Europe), a distributor of branded cameras in the UK and Europe. Corporate partners Jonathan Metliss and John Osler led the team. New York-based Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman, led by corporate partners Ralf Sutcliffe and Steven Weinberg, advised on US aspects. Northampton-based Hewitson Becke + Shaw, led by corporate partner Richard Ingram, acted for Goldine.
Rowe & Maw acted for EMI Publishing on its acquisition of a 51% stake in Hit & Run (Publishing), which controls the publishing rights of artists including Genesis. The value of the deal was £11.5m. Corporate partner Stephanie Bates led the team. Theodore Goddard, led by corporate partners Paddy Grafton-Green and William James, advised the vendors.
