Cripps team advises on nursery group sale to Family First

Cripps’ corporate team has advised on the sale of nursery group Davidson-Roberts Ltd to Family First Nursery Group.

Nursery group Davidson-Roberts Ltd was set up in 2006 and has expanded over the years and now operates ten nurseries and pre-schools in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. It also operates a number of out of school and holiday clubs in the East of England.

Established in 2019 and backed by August Equity, Family First Nursery Group has grown rapidly in recent years and aims to become the number one quality childcare provider in the UK.

The Cripps team, which was led by Julie Hughes and included Katie Haylock, Lauren Romo, Andreea Rusu and Hannah Morris, advised on the group restructuring (including a refinancing with Lloyds) and the legal aspects of the sale, working closely with specialist property lawyers Crane Staples and with Mike Tillson, Andrew Frame and Elizabeth MacGowan at Grant Thornton on the corporate finance aspects of the deal.

Commenting on the support provided by Cripps, owner Jane Roberts said, “I initially selected Cripps because I felt confident that both the restructuring and subsequent sale process would be completed with competence and efficiency. My instincts were right. Cripps worked closely with the other advisers, involved me at appropriate time points and delivered the project to the required timeline. In summary, Cripps handled the work efficiently and competently. I would have no hesitation in using them again in the future”

If you would like details of other transactions the team has completed in the childcare sector, please contact Sam Jones.