Ogier advises Carlyle Group in connection with £91 million take-private acquisition of Harwood Wealth Management

Ogier advised its long established client, Carlyle Group, a global investment firm with US$221 billion of assets under management, in connection with the Jersey aspects of a take-private acquisition of leading financial planning and wealth management firm Harwood Wealth Management Group PLC.

The business of the AIM-listed Harwood Group, valued in the deal at £90.7 million, is regulated, in part, by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. The transaction was implemented by a UK court sanctioned scheme of arrangement.

Ogier advised the client on the establishment of the Jersey corporate structure, including Hurst Point Topco Limited, a newly incorporated joint venture Jersey company owned by three Carlyle controlled funds, for the purposes of facilitating the transaction and on the related regulatory filings with the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The transaction involved advice on a number complex corporate and regulatory issues.

As well as assisting with the corporate acquisition and regulatory aspects of the transaction, Ogier also advised the Carlyle Group in connection with a term loan facility and a revolving credit facility made available to the acquisition structure by Investec Bank Plc for the purposes of financing of the acquisition.

The multi-disciplinary team, part of Ogier's private equity offering, was led by Jersey-based partners Niamh Lalor (who advised on corporate and regulatory matters) and Richard Daggett (who advised on financing matters). They were assisted by managing associate Tatiana Collins and associate Gayoung McLellan.

Niamh commented: "We were delighted to act for Carlyle on another major PE transaction, where we leveraged our expertise across our private equity group to provide the very best service to a long standing client."