Gentleman’s agreements

In case you missed it North East entrepreneurs make first move into healthcare sector with Caremore acquisition

Two well-known North East entrepreneurs have taken their first steps into the healthcare sector with the acquisition of a successful Teesside equipment supplier.

Left to right: Michael Cantwell and Alex Wilby with Richard and Julie Bennett Richard Bennett says: “Since acquiring NPS three years ago, we’ve focused on providing an extensive range of commercial print to customers both within and outside the North East, but as the pandemic hit, they began to ask us for help in sourcing much needed PPE as supplies were scarce and difficult to access. “With our scientific background and contacts, it was an area in which we had quite a bit of knowledge, and we were able to obtain the items that our customers needed.

“As soon as we became aware that Caremore Services was up for sale, we jumped at the chance to acquire it as it was a perfect strategic fit for our business and allowed us to formalise our entry into the healthcare sector.

“The business has developed a strong reputation for the supply of goods and services to the healthcare sector over many years that is based on trust and dependable delivery, and we’re confident that we can build on this to make it even more successful.

“The excellent support we’ve had from the RMT and Swinburne Maddison teams has helped the transaction to progress smoothly and we’re looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunities that we know are ahead of us.”

Michael Cantwell, head of corporate finance at RMT Accountants, adds: "Richard and Julie know what it takes to build successful businesses, and this latest acquisition will allow them to ally their commercial and scientific knowledge and expertise to great effect.” Alex Wilby, partner at Swinburne Maddison LLP, says: “Having worked with Richard and Julie for a number of years and on a number of projects, it’s fantastic to have been able to successfully work through a number of tricky issues and to assist in concluding their latest acquisition. Equally, it was a pleasure to work alongside Michael whose advice was as expert and pragmatic as ever.”

Richard and Julie Bennett, owners of specialist regional print and design firm Newcastle Print Solutions (NPS), have purchased Caremore Services of Redcar from directors Peter Moore and David Caley for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition has followed on from the Bennetts, who were the founders of Derwentside Environmental Testing, being asked by NPS clients during the pandemic to use their knowledge of and contacts in the scientific sector to source items of personal protective equipment (PPE) that were proving difficult to find.

Established for more than 15 years, Caremore Services provides medical and janitorial products to regional clients in the healthcare and care home sector, as well as a range of other items, including electric profiling beds, shower chairs, medical hoists, lifting slings, pressure reducing and relieving products and furniture.

Michael Cantwell, head of corporate finance at Gosforth-based RMT Accountants and Business Advisors, lead on the acquisition on behalf of the Bennetts, with Alex Wilby, partner at Swinburne Maddison LLP in Durham, providing them with legal advice. Craig Malarkey, partner at Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP, provided legal advice to the vendors. Read our full interview with Richard Bennett on pages 16 - 17.

It’s fantastic to have been able to successfully work through a number of tricky issues and to assist in concluding their latest acquisition.

QUESTIONS

Lewis Brown Solicitor, Dispute Resolution team

Where did you study law and why did you want to become a lawyer?

I studied law at the University of Sheffield, where I also completed the Legal Practice Course. I loved my time at Sheffield – it is a fantastic city for students and I was able to get a flavour of what it would be like to be a lawyer by working on real cases as part of the University’s Freelaw legal advice clinic.

My interest in law goes back a bit further than that though. I first started studying law relatively early when I was at sixth form, and have always enjoyed learning about the theoretical side of the subject as well as the practical aspects, gaining an understanding of how the law has adapted over the years to meet changing social needs and attitudes. Points of law often divide opinion and spark debates, and I suppose, ultimately, I wanted to become a lawyer so that I could be a part of this evolving area and have the opportunity to weigh up the nuances of different arguments and opinions, rather than just dealing with questions that have a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

Why did you want to specialise in Litigation work?

I was exposed to a great deal of litigious work during my Training Contract, so I think I naturally fell into this area because I had acquired so much experience of it at an early stage in my career. I may be biased, but to me Litigation work is the most exciting. I enjoy formulating arguments, weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of a case, and putting my client’s best foot forward to obtain the best result possible. I also really appreciate the variety of work I get to deal with as a Litigation lawyer, whether that be assisting an individual with a neighbour dispute or representing a business in a multi-million pound contractual dispute. No two cases are the same.

What has been your greatest achievement at Swinburne Maddison?

Since joining the firm in March 2020, I have worked on a number of high value and complex cases which are certainly some of the highlights of my career so far. However, I think my biggest achievement has been managing to build my own caseload during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. I started working at the firm just one week before the first lockdown – I had barely got started in my new role before being sent away with my PC in a box to work from home! It was a challenging time, but with some determination, and the encouragement of a very supportive team, I have been able to establish great relationships with a number of the firm’s key clients and develop my experience across a wide range of matters. As life slowly becomes more “normal”, I look forward to meeting some of my clients in person and continuing to build my network of professional contacts.

Meet the Management

Team A committee of three Partners now presides over Finance, Operations and Business Development, with Jonathan Moreland taking overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the firm as Managing Partner. The newly-formed Management Team will report to the wider partnership on any strategic decisions but day-to-day matters will be dealt with independently. Or, as Jonathan likes to say, the team of four will be responsible for sailing the ship day-to-day while the wider group of nine partners decides on its destination. So, let’s find out a bit more about the four Partners behind the wheel!

Earlier this year we were very excited to announce that, hot on the heels of an exceptional 2020-21 financial performance, Swinburne Maddison will be embarking on an ambitious expansion plan over the next 3 years, with a newly-formed Management Team at the helm.

Jonathan Moreland

Managing Partner and Head of the Employment and Dispute Resolution teams

What has been your proudest achievement at Swinburne Maddison to date? At the risk of showing my age, I have been present for all of the milestone events in Swinburne Maddison’s history so far: from the merger in 1998, when we became Swinburne Maddison, to the big move out of Durham City Centre up to our current premises at Venture House, and the rebrand, expansion and refurbishment which followed. All of these moments made me incredibly proud to be part of such a progressive and ambitious firm, but my proudest personal achievement has to be the one which took place only this year; my appointment as Managing Partner. It really is an immense privilege to accept this responsibility and I couldn’t be prouder of the team which makes Swinburne Maddison the firm it is today.

You celebrate your 30th year with Swinburne Maddison this year and have seen the firm weather a number of different storms in that time, though none quite on the scale of a global pandemic. What has been the biggest challenge of the past 18 months? I’d have to say the uncertainty. Obviously, there were significant technical and logistical issues to overcome, but the real challenge was the “not knowing.” I would have loved to have been able to provide more certainty and reassurance to our team, particularly in the early days of the pandemic, but we were dealing with so many unknowns at that stage, not least how long the various restrictions would be in place or what the long-term economic impact would be for the legal sector. That wasn’t easy for anyone, but I am so proud of the resilience which our whole team demonstrated during that time and it is testament to their strength of character that we have come through it stronger than ever. Management Team role: Managing Partner

Victoria Walton

Partner and Head of the Commercial Property team

Management Team role: Head of Business Development

What has been your proudest achievement at Swinburne Maddison to date? I am extremely proud of the work that myself and my fellow Partners, Kate Stephenson and Simon Robinson, have put into growing the firm’s Commercial Property team. Through careful planning, targeted recruitment and ongoing staff training, we now have a team of lawyers with expertise that spans a broad range of specialisms and are able to offer our clients a fully-tailored service whatever the nature of their instructions. I was also very proud to be one of the Partners responsible for overseeing the firm’s rebrand in 2012 and subsequent brand refresh in 2018. As a law firm of regionwide standing and stature, it is important that our brand reflects that, and I have always enjoyed taking an active role in this side of the business.

In a year which has really brought home the importance of having a strong support network behind you, can you sum up what makes the Swinburne Maddison team so special? Honestly, I can’t stress enough how hard everyone has worked throughout this entire period. Their resilience and fortitude has been remarkable but what has impressed me more than anything was how personally motivated everyone was to “step up to the plate” and do their bit to make sure that client expectations were met and work was delivered on time, even in the face of some extraordinary personal and logistical challenges. It is that shared determination and commitment to delivering outstanding client service which makes the Swinburne Maddison team truly special.

Martyn Tennant

Partner and Head of the Corporate & Commercial team

Management Team role: Head of Finance

What has been your proudest achievement at Swinburne Maddison to date? I am incredibly proud of my role in developing the firm’s commercial offering and building the Corporate and Commercial team into the regional competitor it is today. In just over 10 years we have more than quadrupled in size and, thanks to the incredible work ethic and client focus of every member of our team – as well as the broad range of specialisms and experience we are able to offer – we are now ranked in the Top Tier of The Legal 500 and named by Experian as one of the North East’s top 5 M&A advisors by volume of deals completed in 2021 YTD.

What have you missed the most in the past 18 months which you are looking forward to seeing more of? Face-to-face collaboration. One of our strengths is our technical ability (the “behind the scenes” work that often goes unnoticed to clients) and the quality improves immeasurably when we work together and share knowledge throughout the team. Whilst we strived to continue to do this during lockdown, it was certainly not as easy as being in the office. On a personal note, I am really looking forward to spending more social time with my colleagues across the entire firm, and clients, in person again.

Carolyn Beal

Partner and Practice Manager

Management Team role: Head of Operations

What has been your proudest achievement at Swinburne Maddison to date? I am particularly proud of taking responsibility for achieving and maintaining the Firm’s Lexcel accreditation from the Law Society, which is an award to recognise excellent Practice Management. I was also responsible, along with David Low, for overseeing the total refurbishment of the office in 2018; a project which proved transformational for the business in more ways than we could have envisaged and created the perfect backdrop for the next phase of Swinburne Maddison’s journey.

Have there been any positives from the past 18 months that you would like to see stick around? Perhaps surprisingly, there have been quite a few positives that have helped to shape our longer-term plans for the next 3 years. We have substantially developed our existing flexible working policy to launch a new Hybrid Working policy, which will allow everyone at all levels of the firm to adopt an element of flexibility into their work. We are also extremely proud of our strong team ethic, which has been at the forefront during the pandemic, and we want to continue to build on that when working with our clients.