Simmons & Simmons has advised new client Serco Group on the £48.6m hostile buy-out of the other half of a private prison services joint venture (JV).

The firm won the corporate instruction off the back of its work advising Serco Group on a court case with its 50% JV partner – Wackenhut Correction UK (WCUK) – over its right to buy-out WCUK’s share in Premier Custodial Group.