Southampton: IP services provider acquired by Scottish patent attorneys
The Southampton-based corporate team of national law firm Clarke Willmott has advised on the successful sale of Chapman IP, a leading provider of intellectual property services also based in Southampton, to Murgitroyd Group for £6.6m.
Established in 2002 by Helga Chapman, Chapman IP has grown to become a highly respected, specialist intellectual property (IP) practice.
Following the acquisition Helga Chapman stepped down as managing director and has now taken a position as non-executive director at Glasgow-headquartered Murgitroyd, one of the largest groups of patent and trademark attorneys in Europe.
Richard Swain, partner, and Hollie Blackwood Fisher, solicitor in Clarke Willmott’s corporate team, advised Helga Chapman on the sale of her firm to Murgitroyd.
Swain said: “For over 15 years Chapman IP has delivered first-class IP services helping a broad mix of clients, from SMEs to multinational corporations.
“We were extremely pleased to have been instructed by Helga and also to work closely with her team to the successful completion of this deal.”
He added: “Last year was an exceptionally busy time for our team and 2019 has continued in a similar vein, underlining our market-leading credentials when it comes to M&A deals.”
Clarke Willmott’s Southampton office now has over 85 staff, including 14 partners, advising clients and individuals nationally, including more than 25 Solent 250 companies.
In November the team advised the vendors on the sale of Basingstoke-based specialist on-track hire firm Total Rail Solutions (TRS), in a private equity-backed management buyout.
