Cripps advise shareholders of FE Protect on their sale to Gallagher

Cripps’ corporate team has advised the shareholders of AT Squared Holdings Limited (FE Protect) on the sale of FE Protect to Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited (Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.).

Founded in 2016, FE Protect is the leading insurance broker to the UK further education college sector and has been privately owned since 2019, following a management buyout. Based in Formby, Liverpool, the business has chartered status with 20 employees and also operates under the brands Education Protect and Education Protect Scotland. Andy Thomson and Alan Tune, both Directors at FE Protect, will continue with the business post-completion joining the Gallagher public sector and education practice.

Gallagher is one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firms. The retail division has an extensive presence in the university sector and FE Protect’s market leading position with colleges, independent schools and universities will further strengthen its specialist education practice.

Another successful transaction to bolster Cripps’ impressive credentials acting for clients in the insurance sector. The Cripps team advising on the acquisition was led by corporate partner Lowri Jones supported by Laura Wilson and Jade Hallam (both corporate) and Emma Saunders (employment). The team worked closely alongside IMAS Corporate Finance and Parisi Tax, both acting for the sellers.

Commenting on the legal support provided by the team, Andy Thomson and Alan Tune of FE Protect, commented, “FE Protect undertook an in depth selection process before appointing a solicitor with enough experience of sale of insurance brokers as a regulated business. We undertook interviews with all the leading local firms in the North West before concluding we needed to go to a specialist in sale of insurance brokers. After speaking to corporate finance providers, we came up with a shortlist nationwide that included Cripps.

We were initially concerned with the distance from us, but Teams has made this irrelevant. I’d recommend expertise over local every time as it made a stressful situation more manageable with advice you could trust with someone who has done this over 100 times in our sector. I wholeheartedly recommend Cripps.”

To learn more about how Cripps can support your business on its growth journey, please contact a member of the corporate team.