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Media Releases
2006

03 July
2006

Mine's a pint - Merger clearance obtained for leading drinks distribution joint venture

A joint venture, which constitutes one of the largest logistics contracts of its kind in the UK, has been given merger clearance by the European Commission.

Shepherd and Wedderburn and TLT's competition teams have worked together to obtain European merger clearance for a joint venture between Kuehne + Nagel Logistics Limited and Scottish & Newcastle UK Limited (S&N) for the (primary and secondary) distribution of S&N's well known drinks brands such as Foster's, John Smith's and Kronenbourg across the UK, initially for ten years.

The joint venture has been formed by consolidating the relevant UK distribution assets of both companies, their combined turnover meeting the threshold for a review by the European Commission. The combined business will have nationwide coverage through 22 depots, with around 850 vehicles and nearly 3,000 people and has created one of the biggest and best-invested drinks logistics businesses in the UK.

Shepherd and Wedderburn's UK-wide competition and regulation team has a proven track record of expertise in competition law. Legal 500 comments that the team 'displays a broad and deep knowledge of the structures and business practices in various industries, and an immensely practical approach to getting the job done'. The team, which is led by partners Gordon Downie, Richard Cockburn and John Schmidt, is supported by a further ten lawyers. The team recently advised Scottish Power on the £96million sale of its Byley gas storage facility to Germany's E.ON.


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