Charles Russell Speechlys advises the Morgan family and trustees on the sale of a majority stake in the Morgan Motor Company to Investindustrial

A multi-disciplinary team from Charles Russell Speechlys has advised the shareholders of Morgan Motor Company Limited on the sale of a majority stake in the company to Investindustrial, a leading European investment group. The Morgan family shareholders will continue to act as stewards of the brand and will retain a minority shareholding.

The iconic British sports car manufacturer was founded in 1909, hand-building premium sports cars with a classic design. The brand is a symbol of quintessential British craftsmanship, elegance, performance and design. The company sells around 700 cars per year from a portfolio of unique car designs.

Investindustrial will support Morgan to accelerate new product development, following the launch of the new Plus Six at the Geneva Motor show. Morgan adds to its prominence in the automotive industry, following investments into Aston Martin and Ducati.

Lawrence Price, Managing Director of Rockworth Management Partners, corporate finance adviser to the Morgan family, commented: “Having very carefully considered all the options for the future success of Morgan, the family concluded that this new ownership structure, and the expertise of Investindustrial, combines the pedigree and resources to secure the long-term future of Morgan. It was important for the family to retain a shareholding, and we are delighted that our loyal management team and workforce will now also have a share in the business going forward. The team at Charles Russell Speechlys were a great support to us in offering a full service of legal advice, helping us to strategically navigate through the complexities of the deal”.

Corporate partners Mark Howard and Adam Crossley who co-led the deal commented “we were delighted to advise Lawrence, the trustees and the other Morgan family shareholders on this transaction. Family-owned businesses are a key focus for the firm, where we are able to field a multi-disciplinary team of experts across Corporate, Private Wealth, Commercial, IP, Real Estate, Employment and Regulatory. This conjunction of full service private client and business capabilities is something that few law firms are able to provide.”

Charles Russell Speechlys previously advised the owners of British luxury furniture brand OKA on the sale of the company to Investindustrial in January 2018.

The team at Charles Russell Speechlys also included: associates Laura Melody, Ashwin Pillay and trainee Nouf Mattar (Corporate), senior associate Helen Coward and associate Elliot Michaelson (Tax), senior associate James Austen and associate Alice Mason (Private Client), associate Caroline Young (Commercial), partner Sarah Morley, associate Tom Sharman and trainee Molly Mosely (Real Estate), associate Syma Spanjers (Employment), partners Noel Wardle, Steve Burns and associate Tom Plowman (Regulatory and Dispute Resolution), and partner Ludovic de Walden (Arts).