Penningtons Manches Cooper advises SOCOTEC UK Limited on acquisition of Hutton + Rostron

Posted: 06/12/2023

The corporate team at Penningtons Manches Cooper has advised SOCOTEC UK, a market leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) services for the construction, infrastructure, and environmental sectors, on the acquisition of building pathology specialists, Hutton + Rostron (H+R).

H+R is the market leader in building pathology, the study of building defects, decay, and performance failure for the purposes of formulating suitable remedial and management solutions. H+R previously provided investigative consultancy on the drying down of Windsor Castle after the destructive fire in 1992, which required more than a million gallons of water to be pumped in to extinguish the fire. A long-term monitoring programme was devised by H+R in support of the architects, Donald Insall Associates, and the Royal Household.

This strategic acquisition further enhances SOCOTEC’s position in the building and real estate market, increasing the breadth of services offered. It also marks the fourth UK-based acquisition Penningtons Manches Cooper has advised SOCOTEC on in the last 12 months, as it continues to strengthen its presence in the UK.

The Penningtons Manches Cooper team advising SOCOTEC UK was led by corporate partner Richard Wrigley, with support from associate Jennifer Ford. The wider team included support from corporate tax partner Oliver Gutman, commercial senior associate Nora Pook, pensions partner Alison Hills, employment associate Tom Pimenta, and real estate associate Ben Madden.

Jason Goodwin, CFO of Socotec UK Limited said, “H+R, building pathology experts, are a perfect addition to our existing building expertise, from building control to engineering. I’d like to extend thanks to Richard and the team at Penningtons Manches Cooper for their expertise and advice on this strategic acquisition which supports our ambition to become the sole UK company offering end-to-end solutions for all building types, including commercial, residential, industrial, and listed buildings.”

Richard Wrigley, corporate partner at Penningtons Manches Cooper, added: “We are very pleased to have advised SOCOTEC on this strategic acquisition. We look forward to continuing to support SOCOTEC UK in implementing its strategic growth plans in the future and further developing our relationship with them.”

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