Reading: Osborne Clarke advises on sale of Clifford Thames to US company

Reading-based lawyers at international legal practice Osborne Clarke have advised the individual shareholders, private equity firm LDC and Venture Capital Trust investor Octopus Intermediate Capital on the sale of Clifford Thames to US-based automotive technology provider OEConnection Holdings.

Clifford Thames is a vehicle data management company that serves more than 120 countries, creating and managing 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 on the initial investment in Clifford Thames more than two years ago, Osborne Clarke has advised the company on various corporate matters including its acquisition last year of AC Autoconsult in Germany.

The Osborne Clarke team which advised the shareholders on the sale of Clifford Thames included partner Robert Wood, who is head of the firm'’s Reading office, along with senior associate Caroline Drummond and associate Anna Mattingley, both based at the firm’s offices in Forbury Place. Simon Neill, head of the firm'’s competition practice, was also involved.

The deal is one of several recent transactions Osborne Clarke has advised on for LDC.

Earlier this month, the firm advised 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 this year and in June last year, on the LDC Management Buy Out 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 private equity, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and public companies.

Nationally the firm achieved a top 10 ranking for UK mid-market M&A and a top 20 ranking for European mid-market M&A according to Thomson Reuters’ research. Recent Mergermarket figures reported the firm in the top 15 by volume for all UK M&A.