Global law firm Ashurst has advised LGC in relation to the sale of its drug development solutions (DDS) business to Alliance Pharma, a US-based bioanalytical contract research organisation and an Ampersand Capital Partners portfolio company. KKR has also become an equal shareholder in the combined business alongside Ampersand.
The DDS business is a European provider of bioanalytical and analytical and materials science solutions to pharma, biopharma, consumer healthcare and consumer products clients, located in both Cambridge and Sandwich, UK.
The Ashurst team was led by partner Aaron Shute, assisted by corporate partner Bruce Hanton, senior associates James Powell and Jack Mendelssohn and associates Victoria Mills and Annie Marriner. Partners Christopher Bates, David Futter and Rhiannon Webster and senior associate Richard Holmes advised on commercial law and IP matters, counsel David Razzell advised on real estate aspects, and partner Eleanor Reeves and senior associate James Nierinck advised on environmental matters. Partner Crowley Woodford, counsel John Gordon, senior associate Hannah Martin and associate Natalie Flynn advised on employment and pensions matters. Partner Steven Vaz, counsel Maria Held and associate Louisa Northover advised on competition law matters and partner Nick Gardner and associate Luis De Freitas provided tax advice.
