Osborne Clarke advises space sector specialist Telespazio UK on e2E acquisition

By Peter Davison

16 November 2023

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Damocles Merry

Bristol-based lawyers at international law firm Osborne Clarke have advised Telespazio UK on its acquisition of Oxfordshire-based space systems engineering and consultancy group e2E Group.

With over 45 years of heritage in the UK marketplace, Telespazio UK - a subsidiary of Telespazio; a joint venture between Leonardo, 67 per cent, and Thales, 33 per cent - has a track record of success delivering systems, services and engineering support to the European Space Agency (ESA), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), space primes, and national civil and defence customers.

e2E Group is a leading UK independent space systems engineering and consultancy group who provide high calibre and bespoke technical support and expertise.

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The addition of deep satellite communications engineering expertise from e2E provides Telespazio UK with enhanced capability in the delivery of space-enabled services, and the strong heritage of e2E working with defence and commercial customers deeply complements the decadal heritage with Telespazio UK’s institutional customers.

The acquisition provides a huge step forward in Telespazio UK’s journey to make a major impact in helping to deliver the National Space Strategy, from both a civil and defence perspective.

Telespazio UK was advised by Osborne Clarke’s defence, security and aerospace team, led by corporate partner Damocles Merry who was supported by Rebecca Ewing, Adam Turner, Olivier Jacquelin and Shauna Poole. They are all based in the firm’s Bristol office.

Marc Shrimpling, who is also Bristol based, and Joachim Piotrowski managed the National Security and Investment Act notification to the Investment Security Unit.

Tracey Wright and Helena Zaba, from the firm’s Bristol office, provided tax support, while Claire Bowles and Sarah Smith provided employment advice.

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Following the acquisition Damocles said: "The space sector is really reaching a maturity where we are not only seeing increased activity for our venture capital practice but also an increase in the number of M&A mandates.'"

Mark Hewer, Telespazio UK CEO said: "Damocles and the broader team were invaluable, they brought insight into the key areas and trends that were core to making this deal a success. It was incredibly reassuring to be guided and advised by such a great team and firm."

By Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country.

An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts.

Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.