Shoosmiths advises Solihull wine merchant
The Birmingham office of law firm Shoosmiths has revealed it advised the buyout of 37 Oddbins stores. The team supported Solihull-based Whittalls Wine Merchants on the deal which saved about 200 jobs.
It is the third deal secured by the team in recent months.
Partner and national head of insolvency James Keates and his team Charles Williams and solicitor Aaron Harlow led advice to EFB Retail as its Whittalls Wine Merchants subsidiary bought the wine merchant’s outlets.
The insolvency team was supported in the deal by partner and real estate lawyer Vaqas Farooq, and partner and corporate specialist Mark Dawson.
More than 200 jobs have been saved at the stores, which are primarily in London and Scotland.
Oddbins, which had stores across the UK, went into administration at the beginning of April.
Keates said: "EFB was already the largest family owned independent alcohol retailer in the UK, and when Oddbins went into administration it saw an opportunity to add to its existing business.
"Not only that, but in agreeing with the joint administrators to purchase the assets of 37 Oddbins stores, Whittalls Wine Merchants has become a national player, adding new trading areas, namely London and Scotland."
