This includes deals completed nationally and internationally and have been for businesses in diverse sectors such as ecommerce, telecoms, online shopping, subscription model gaming and e-learning companies.
High profile deals completed by DWF in the last six months include acting for Zedra Trust as a selling shareholder in the £5.4 billion IPO of THG Holdings plc and acting on the sale of a majority interest in IT consultancy business DMW to Omnicom, the global advertising and marketing group, for £70 million.
DWF also advised mobile operator FREE on the sale of its passive infrastructure portfolio of 1,200 towers and roof top antennas in Senegal with an additional 400 built to suit sites; acted on the acquisition by Aurora Kendrick James Limited, part of the Daisy Group, of Shaftesbury Systems Limited and Union Street Technologies Limited; CentralNic Group plc on its cash box placing and subsequent acquisition of the Polish businesses Zeropark and Voluum; and advised Keywords Studios on its placing to raise approximately £100m.
Frank Shephard, partner and UK Head of Corporate at DWF, said: "This year the global technology sector has demonstrated how robust it is against the challenges of the pandemic. Those businesses within the TMT sector which have shown themselves to be more immune to the change in people's circumstances have done well, as have associated sectors such as fulfilment and logistics which have fed off the rising demand for online retail and changing consumer behavior.
"Private equity firms have actively directed their investment into the technology sector, buoyed by the businesses demonstrating growth even during the darkest days of COVID-19. We have acted on numerous VC and PE transactions including platform investments involving Inflexion, LDC and Waterland Private Equity amongst others.
"With 59 per cent of our deals in the first half of our financial year within the technology sector, this demonstrates not only our global expertise in advising clients in this space, but also the appetite to get deals over the line during this economic climate.
"We have also continued to see sustained activity in equity capital markets, with businesses not only looking to strengthen their balance sheets but also IPOs and reverse takeovers still being completed."
DWF's 250-strong global corporate team has advised on deals spanning all of its eight core sectors. In addition to Technology, this includes Energy and Industrials, Financial Services, Insurance, Real Estate, Retail, Food and Hospitality, Transport and Public Sector.
Other notable deals throughout the first half of DWF's financial year include:
- Advising JD Sports Gyms Limited on the acquisition of Xercise4less gyms.
- Acting for co-founder of Gymshark Limited, Lewis Morgan in the sale of his minority interest in Gymshark for £100m following investment in to Gymshark by General Atlantic.
- Advising Cordia International, the European residential real estate developer, on the acquisition of Birmingham-based PRS-specialist developer Blackswan Property.
- Advising AIM listed client Erris Resources plc (now called Zinnwald Lithium plc) on the reverse takeover of a 50% stake in the Zinnwald Lithium project in Germany from AIM listed Bacanora Lithium plc, a placing of £3.75m and the spin out of Erris' Lock Tay gold project by a capital reduction demerger to existing shareholders.
- Advising Waterland on its investment into Integrated MedHealth Communications Group (UK and North America) and later, the acquisition of the Porterhouse Group (UK and America).
- Advising Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd, a non-life global specialty insurance company, on the acquisition of Inceptum Insurance Company Limited from Syndicate Holding Corp.
- Advising Zeus Capital and Liberum Capital in their capacity as nominated advisors and joint bookrunners to Accrol Group Holdings plc on their £41.8m placing.
- Advising LDC on the sale £59m sale of UK-based employment law specialist Ellis Whittam to Marlowe, a London-listed safety and regulatory compliance expert.
- Advising the shareholders of Rhino Products Holdings Limited on their investment by LDC.
