International law firm Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has advised Gardner Aerospace, a UK based manufacturer of aerospace components on the sale of its business to Chinese industrial group, Shaanxi Ligeance Mineral Resources (SLMR) for £326m.
Owned by UK investment fund, Better Capital, Gardner Aerospace specialises in the manufacture of complex metal component and assemblies, and has production sites in Poland, the UK, and India as well as France. It is one of Airbus’ main suppliers.
Listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, SLMR was historically focused on the mining sector and has diversified in the past decade into aerospace, establishing a division devoted to the manufacturing and assembly of aeronautical components.
WFW advised Gardner Aerospace throughout the sale process and assisted on the legal, tax and employment law matters raised throughout the transaction regarding its French subsidiaries.
The WFW Paris team advising Gardner Aerospace was led by Partner Pascal Roux (Corporate), assisted by Partners Romain Girtanner (Tax) and Arnaud Troizier (Regulatory), and by Associates Ariane Massonnaud (Employment) and Anne-Kelly d’Amécourt (Corporate).
Pascal and his team previously advised Better Capital on its 2012 takeover of the companies in the Airia Group, owned by Gardner Aerospace France.
SLMR was advised by a team from Herbert Smith Freehills led by Partner Hubert Segain, assisted by Maëliss Bourbon. Corporate teams from their London and Hong Kong offices advised on aspects of English and Chinese law relevant to the transaction.