DLA Piper supports Duke Street acquisition

DLA Piper has recently announced its role in advising Duke Street, a prominent mid-market investor based in Europe, on the acquisition of McAvoy, a distinguished manufacturer and provider of modular buildings and social infrastructure. This acquisition was made from funds managed by Blantyre Capital. Founded in 1972, McAvoy is headquartered in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and boasts a workforce of over 160 employees with additional offices located in Dublin, Birmingham, Bristol, and London. The company has earned a solid reputation for its expertise in designing, building, and renting premium space solutions, catering to a variety of sectors including health, education, pharmaceuticals, and commercial industries across the UK and Ireland.

Duke Street's investment in McAvoy is poised to enhance the size and quality of its rental offerings, thereby enabling an expansion of the company's portfolio of high-quality and premium buildings. DLA Piper’s UK cross-practice team played a crucial role in facilitating this transaction, with corporate partners Tim Wright and John Pyror leading the effort. They were supported by partners in key areas including tax and finance, namely David Thompson and Neil Campbell, along with Chris Wilson from the corporate sector.

In reflecting on the significance of this acquisition, John Pyror stated that "Duke Street's acquisition of McAvoy is another example of its focus on investing in social infrastructure services following its investment into AGITO Medical. By investing in McAvoy, Duke Street is backing a premium business that supports essential services with a strong management team." He further highlighted DLA Piper’s advantage in being able to provide legal services across both the UK and Ireland, illustrating the firm's strength in mid-market private equity and M&A capabilities.

DLA Piper continues to affirm its status as a leader in the M&A sector, having been recognised as the highest-ranked legal advisor for M&A by volume for the 15th consecutive year according to Mergermarket. Additionally, it has maintained the title of the most active legal advisor for European private equity transactions for the seventh consecutive year as reported by PitchBook.

The full team from DLA Piper that contributed to this advising effort included Lilly Alamir, who serves as legal director in Finance, along with senior associates Ben Wilson and Isabella Gee from the Corporate division. Associates Jenni Entwisle and Matthew Manwaring, as well as Radina Denkova from Finance and trainee solicitor Freya Patten from Corporate, also played essential roles in facilitating the acquisition process