Uxbridge: IBB advises Ardmore on sale to global education leader

IBB’s corporate commercial team advised owner David Walker of Ardmore Group, specialists in language and educational travel programmes, on the sale of Ardmore Language Schools, the parent company of the Ardmore Group, to Cognita, a global leader in independent education.

The Uxbridge-based IBB team advising Walker was led by partner Adam Dowdney and included senior solicitor Jaspreet Patter and trainee solicitor Azra Yousef of the corporate commercial team as well as Richard Devall, employment partner, Jeff Elphee, real-estate partner. The seller was also advised by Paul Gilbert and its accountants, Elman Wall. 

Cognita was advised by EMW Law LLP and PwC.

Commenting on the deal, Dowdney said: “We were delighted to have acted for David on the sale of the Ardmore Group. Given the tight deadline for completion, both parties worked extremely hard to get this over the line and adopted a reasonable and commercial approach to points of contention. GDPR was certainly a big contender in respect of the due-diligence process, warranties and indemnities, but we achieved the desired position for our client.”

Paul Gilbert commented: “It was a delight to work with IBB.  In particular, Adam and Jas took the time to understand the personalities and commercial complexities involved, demonstrating admirable professional skills in leading and focusing the project to bring the transaction to a successful conclusion.”