The corporate and mergers & acquisitions team from Bristol-headquartered national law firm Burges Salmon has advised world-leading specialist optical components manufacturer Gooch & Housego on its most recent takeover.
The £6.75m acquisition of Phoenix Optical will accelerate Ilminster, Somerset-based Gooch & Housego’s expansion into the UK and European aerospace and defence markets while also creating new cross-selling opportunities. 
North Wales-based Phoenix Optical supplies polished, coated and assembled precision optics to customers around the world and has one of Europe’s largest diamond turning facilities.
London Stock Exchange-listed Gooch & Housego, a longstanding client of Burges Salmon, said the deal was in line with its strategy of making ‘speed to value’ acquisitions and would support it in delivering exceptional customer experience while speeding up its progress towards sustainable margin growth.
Burges Salmon’s team was led by partner AJ Venter and supported by associates Dan Wood and Isabel Rawlings and trainee solicitor Hannah Bellingall from the corporate and M&A team.
They were supported by director Silvana van der Velde and associate Pav Jureczko on tax matters, while director Alexandra Clayton and associate Richard Watkins provided support on real estate matters.
Gooch & Housego chief financial officer Chris Jewell said: “Phoenix Optical is a great addition to the group, enabling us to bring together industry-leading technology and know-how to support the delivery of an exceptional customer experience.
“AJ and the broader Burges Salmon team provided invaluable legal expertise and advisory support throughout the transaction, and we are very appreciative of their professionalism and diligence in helping us successfully complete this acquisition.”
AJ Venter added: “As a longstanding client of the firm, we have had the privilege to support G&H on a number of transactions over the years and it was a pleasure to yet again work with Chris and the team on this acquisition.
“Phoenix Optical complements G&H’s specialist capabilities well and we look forward to seeing Phoenix Optical business grow within the G&H stable.”
Burges Salmon employs around 1,100 people across its offices in Bristol, Edinburgh and London.
