Memoria is the UK’s third largest developer and operator of high-quality, private crematoria and memorial parks. Low Cost Funeral is the country’s largest supplier of online, fulfilled direct cremation and attended funeral fixed price packages, as well as a major supplier of pre-arranged funeral plan products.
Darwin Alternatives is a long-standing client of the firm and investment advisor. The Darwin Bereavement Services Fund seeks to maximise return for its investors, typically local government treasury and pension funds, while supplying high-quality services and innovative products at affordable prices to the public.
The multi-disciplinary Burges Salmon team was led by Real Estate Investment partner Rick Read and Corporate partner Rupert Weston. They were assisted by a number of lawyers from across the firm, including associate Guy Francis (Corporate), senior associate Will Hall and associate Rebecca Bicknell (both Real Estate), and senior associate Chris Roberts (Banking).
James Penney, Chairman of Darwin Alternatives, comments: “We are delighted to have completed this acquisition. Inevitably there were challenges given the complexity of the transaction, but the team at Burges Salmon could not have worked harder on our behalf to achieve a successful outcome. Their commitment and their appreciation of the commercial imperatives of the deal were really impressive.”
Rick Read adds: “We are delighted to have acted on another transformational deal for Darwin. We worked incredibly closely with the Darwin team to address a variety of challenging issues and ultimately to achieve a successful conclusion for all involved. It really was a fantastic team effort.”