WBD advises The NWH Group on latest acquisition

Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has advised Midlothian-based The NWH Group, a waste management company serving the whole of Scotland and Newcastle, on its acquisition of the business and assets of J&J Stanley Recycling, located in Tyne And Wear. The deal, secured through a pre-pack transaction, also involved a team from specialist business advisory firm, FRP.

The acquisition has saved a number of jobs, bringing NWH’s headcount to 354, and expanded the firm’s recycling facilities with the addition of J&J Stanley’s 4.87-acre waste recycling site in Blaydon. The deal also adds around £5m to The NWH Group’s annual turnover.

The WBD team advising NWH on the acquisition was led by partner Sam Dixon, managing associates Nicola Guss and Francesca Hodgson and associates Asa Buchanan and Laura Daniels. The team provided key legal expertise on restructuring, insolvency, property, regulatory and employment issues.

Sam Dixon of WBD commented: “We’re thrilled to have advised our client NWH on this exciting development for the business, which will support the growth of the company and create a number of new job opportunities in the North East.

“There has been a huge amount of deal activity in the North East over the past 12 months and it seems the corporate M&A market has been undeterred by the global pandemic. It is pleasing to see so much of this investment coming from the North East and flowing back into region to support the growth of local businesses and save jobs.”

Mark Williams, CEO at NWH Group, said: “These are exciting times for our business as we successfully deliver on our strategy for growth through geographical expansion and we are delighted to announce our acquisition of this 45-year-old family business. Building on the foundations laid by J&J Stanley Recycling, we will be able to better service our existing customers in the area and expand our trade waste business across the north east of England. We’re grateful to the whole WBD team for excellent value-adding advice and for their dedication and responsiveness to ensure the deal was completed within a challenging timescale.”

With 27 offices across the UK and US and as the largest law firm in the North East, WBD has deep roots in the region and its largest UK office of over 450 professionals is based in Newcastle. The firm is committed to playing its part in the future prosperity of the North East and Cumbria by using its local, national and international reach and expertise to benefit the region’s leading sectors, businesses, people and organisations.

The firm is a member of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Partnership Programme, demonstrating its commitment to promoting the strengths of the North, and actively collaborates with the North East Chamber of Commerce on a range of initiatives.