Browne Jacobson advises the world’s largest baby and toddler swim school on international acquisition

UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson has advised the shareholders of Water Babies on its acquisition from funds managed by Elmsley Capital (Elmsley) and Westerly Group (Westerly) and management’s investment into the buyer’s group.

Since its inception in 2002, Water Babies has grown into the world’s largest baby swim school, today teaching more than 80,000 babies every year through a network of family run franchise businesses across the UK, Ireland, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, China and the USA. The organisation is widely regarded as the leading authority on baby swimming in the UK.

This change of hands will allow Water Babies to build on its success in the UK and existing international markets. Elmsley and Westerly have a history of partnering together to support and grow established brands within the youth enrichment space, and Water Babies will leverage its collective experience in positioning the business for further international expansion within the U.S. market.

Water Babies founder, Paul Thompson, will remain involved in the business as a Non-Executive Board Director. 

The Browne Jacobson team included partner Nigel Blackwell, senior associate Matt Dorman and associate Alys Bratch, who acted for the shareholders on the sale. Partner Gareth Davies and associate Ffion Morgan acted for management investing in the buyer’s group.

Matt Dorman, Senior Associate at Browne Jacobson, said:

"We’re thrilled to have advised the Water Babies team on this transaction. Supporting UK-based firms on international growth is something we pride ourselves on, and the success of this transaction is a testament to that. We look forward to seeing Water Babies grow from strength to strength in their global endeavours."

Howard Harrison, Group CEO of Water Babies said:

"Bringing new ownership into Water Babies has been part of our strategy for a long time. This acquisition by Westerly and Elmsley will help us drive international growth and provide the support to take Water Babies to the next level. 

"We’d also like to express our thanks to Nigel and the Browne Jacobson team. Their expertise on international M&A has been integral in getting this over the line for us, and we’ve very much valued their support."

Recent international transactions which the firm has advised on include global digital transformation services provider Bluprintx’s acquisition of US-based e-commerce consultancy ITG Commerce, and IT and cyber services provider Littlefish’s acquisition of technology consultancy Storm Technology based in Ireland.