Gateley Plc, the legal business of law-led professional services group Gateley, has advised safety solutions provider, Kee Safety on its sale to leading provider and manager of alternative global investment products, Investcorp for £280m. The business was acquired from Dunedin and LDC.
Kee Safety is a leading global supplier of fall protection systems, guardrails and working at height safety equipment designed to separate people from hazards and has clients across more than 60 countries ranging from multi-national corporations to distributors and installers. It has established operations in ten countries, including China and the US. Gateley Plc’s advice included preparation of a vendor legal due diligence report in relation to the group and coordination of similar reports from firms in the USA, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. Use of vendor reporting enabled the bidder to move quickly to exchange and completion. Kee Safety has been a client of Gateley Plc since 2013 when the firm acted on its management buyout in a transaction funded by Dunedin and LDC.
The Gateley Plc transaction team, led by Corporate partner and head of Gateley’s London office, Paul Hayward, included senior associate, Andrew Cowan and associate Natalie Georgiou. Transaction support was provided by a cross-discipline team led by Andrew Cowan and including specialist lawyers in Gateley Plc’s corporate, commercial, intellectual property, real estate, regulatory, banking & finance, employment and pensions teams.
Chairman for Kee Safety, Chris Milburn, said: “International expansion and an active acquisition strategy have formed key tenets of our growth story over recent years. It was therefore extremely important for us to identify the right partner capable of continuing to support us in this period of strong development for the company.
“We believe that Investcorp’s proven track record, global presence and network will be extremely valuable in this regard.”
Partner Paul Hayward, added: “Having worked with Chris and the team since 2013 it was a pleasure to work with them on this transaction which is a good move for Kee Safety and with its strong reputation and global presence, I expect they will do well with Investcorp’s plans to support their international growth. The transaction also provides a good return to our private equity clients, Dunedin and LDC. ”
Overseas legal advice was provided by Hodgson Russ LLP (USA), Görg (Germany), William Fry (Republic of Ireland) and Boels Zanders (Netherlands).
Gateley Plc’s Corporate team is one of the largest national teams in the UK and consistently advises on more transactions than other advisors in the mid-market.
