Charles Russell Speechlys advises Acora on acquisition of Westgate IT

Charles Russell Speechlys has advised IT managed services provider Acora on its acquisition of Westgate IT, an IT support services provider. Acora delivers industry leading 24/7 IT infrastructure, cloud and end user support solutions services, working with over 300 clients to provide everything from the design and build of complex solutions to the day-to-day management of services.

Established in 1996, Westgate IT specialises in providing IT support to businesses in the South West, minimising the cost many businesses pay for an in-house IT department. Westgate’s diverse client portfolio ranges from smaller local businesses to large government agencies and blue chip companies. With a now 400+ strong team of IT Professionals working together, the combined businesses will deliver an unrivalled customer experience.

This is the second bolt-on acquisition on which the Charles Russell Speechlys team has advised Acora, following Acora’s acquisition of Veber Ltd in December 2020. In addition, CRS advised Acora’s shareholders and management team on the company’s investment round with Palatine Private Equity in March 2020.

David Hemmings, Chief Acquisition Officer at Acora, said: “Acora is one of the fastest growing IT managed services businesses in the UK. This acquisition is another important step for our growth strategy. Many thanks once again to the Charles Russell Speechlys team for their invaluable support and technology sector expertise in getting this deal completed”.

Mark Howard, Corporate Partner and co-head of Charles Russell Speechlys Technology, Media and Telecommunications team, commented: “we are delighted to have helped David and the Acora team continue to grow their business with this second acquisition following their investment round with Palatine. Our team offers great expertise in the IT managed services sector and we look forward to working with Acora on future deals.”

The Charles Russell Speechlys team was led by Corporate Partner, Mark Howard, supported by Corporate Associates Alex Stevens and James Scott, Tax Partner Robert Birchall supported by Tax Associate Anna Reynolds and Employment Senior Associate Becky Lawton and Associate Jack Vaughan.