Brexit concerns fail to dampen appetite for deals as Browne Jacobson completes Graitec’s acquisition of Opentree

Brexit concerns fail to dampen appetite for deals as Browne Jacobson completes Graitec’s acquisition of Opentree

Browne Jacobson has advised international specialist software developer Graitec on its acquisition of document management solutions company Opentree Ltd.

Stokesley based Opentree Ltd was founded in 1992 and develops enterprise document management solutions for clients including Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Celsa, Emirates Steel Industries, Siemens Rail, National Grid, Tata Steel.

Established in 1986, Paris headquartered Graitec specialises in developing BIM, CAD and CAE software for the civil engineering and construction sectors. It is also an authorised Autodesk Platinum Partner for Europe. The company operates 30 offices, including Nottingham, across 12 countries and employs over 400 employees.

Francis Guillemard, Graitec president said: “This acquisition will be pivotal in helping our customers with the day to day management of their project documentation from initial conception and tender, through to project delivery!”

Corporate finance partner Richard Cox, supported by Sian Harrison, led the Browne Jacobson team advising Graitec. In 2014 Richard also led the team advising Graitec UK based subsidiary, Adris, on its acquisition of Autodesk CAD solutions provider, MicroCAD.

This latest acquisition marked back-to-back deals for the Nottingham dealmaker who recently completed the sale of Davies Veterinary Specialists to The Linnaeus Group and follows an extremely busy few months for one of the UK’s leading corporate finance teams which saw it complete a record 34 deals in Quarter 4 alone.

Richard Cox added:

“We have had one of our busiest quarters, dispelling any concerns about the impact on deal activity levels due to Brexit. We are delighted to have completed this important acquisition for Graitec which is a strong strategic fit within our client’s existing portfolio and supports their long term growth strategy by enhancing their service offering to their global client base.”

Browne Jacobson’s award winning corporate finance team has been ranked by Experian as a top 12 UK corporate team, based on the volume of transactions completed and is recognised by independent legal directory Legal 500 as a leading firm for advising on corporate deals.