Private equity boost for deals market

The Leeds-based corporate finance team from Addleshaw Goddard has acted on a string of high-profile deals in recent months such as Chelsea Building Society's merger with Yorkshire Building Society.

The Yorkshire market has seen a number of major transactions following a relatively quiet

2009.

Corporate partner Yunus Seedat said: "From the start of 2010, we've seen the market improving across a range of deals – mergers, acquisitions, private equity and restructurings.

"In particular, the trend towards private equity houses funding the whole transaction and dealing with raising debt afterwards is having a really positive impact on the market," he said.

The law firm's corporate partner team of Mr Seedat, Simon Pilling, Neil Woolhouse, Garry Elliott, Adam Bennett, Sean Lippell and Ian McIntosh advised the sellers on the 350m sale of leading Yorkshire retailer the Card Factory.

The team also advised the principal shareholders on the investment by Phoenix Equity Partners in Yorkshire-based car parts distributor Andrew Page, which valued the business at 100m.