Travers Smith has advised Peel Group on the sale of APCL Group to Balaena Group, a privately-owned, maritime engineering group based in Cornwall.
APCL Group brings together a number of long-established UK maritime and shipyard businesses, including Cammell Laird and A&P Group. Cammell Laird has operated from Birkenhead since the 1820s, with a history encompassing the construction, repair and maintenance of complex vessels, including warships, aircraft carriers and submarines. A&P Group, with shipyards at Tyne and Falmouth, is well known for its capabilities in commercial ship repair, conversion and upgrade work, as well as naval and defence refit projects.
The acquisition of APCL represents a significant strategic step for Balaena, bringing together its maritime expertise, entrepreneurial culture, and strategically advantaged international shipbuilding and repair assets and APCL Group's heritage, infrastructure and operational capabilities. The combination is expected to provide a strong platform for future growth, offering Balaena a unique and compelling proposition to the market.
The Travers Smith team was led by corporate partner Mohammed Senouci, with support from Senior Associate Jonathan Fritz, Associates Natalia Ivanova, Marie Morazzani and Gloria Cuccu, and Trainee Hari Rattan. Merger control and FDI advice was provided by Partner Nigel Seay and Associate Laura Reuther.
Financial advice was provided by a team led by Ian Brown of Rothschild & Co.
