International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised the individual shareholders, private equity firm LDC and VCT investor Octopus Intermediate Capital on the sale of Clifford Thames to US-based automotive technology provider OEConnection Holdings.
Clifford Thames, a vehicle data management company that serves more than 120 countries, creates and manages the data needed to repair and maintain vehicles for manufacturers, repairers and leasing and fleet companies. The merger will bring the two complementary businesses together under the same holding company and enables OEConnection Holdings to benefit from Clifford Thames’ global network.
Having advised LDC, a long standing and valued client of Osborne Clarke, on the initial investment in Clifford Thames two and half years ago, the firm has advised Clifford Thames on various corporate matters including its acquisition of AC Autoconsult in Germany in 2016.
The team who advised the shareholders on the sale of Clifford Thames was led by Partner Robert Wood, Partner Simon Neil, Senior Associate Caroline Drummond and Associate Anna Mattingley.
This deal is one of several recent transactions Osborne Clarke has advised on for LDC. Earlier this month, the firm advised them on the sale of A-Gas, a market- leader in the distribution and life-cycle management of specialty gases and chemicals, to KKR. Osborne Clarke also advised LDC on the sale of the Ministry of Cake to Mademoiselle Desserts in January 2017 and in June 2016, the firm acted on the LDC management buyout of heating systems specialist ADEY.
Osborne Clarke is one of the leading upper mid-market players in the UK, and increasingly European, corporate legal markets with a strong pipeline of corporate business spanning from private equity to M&A and public companies. Nationally the firm achieved a top-ten ranking for UK mid-market M&A and a top-20 ranking for European mid-market M&A according to Thomson Reuter’s research. While recent Mergermarket figures reported the firm in the top 15 by volume for all UK M&A.
