Slew of firms act on TalkTalk's acquisition of Tiscali's UK business

Addleshaw Goddard has scored a leading role acting opposite a raft of firms on Carphone Warehouse's £236m acquisition of the UK operations of internet services business Tiscali.

The national law firm advised Tiscali on the deal, which will see Carphone Warehouse subsidiary TalkTalk acquire Tiscali UK to take the broadband provider's customer base to more than 4.25 million people.

Addleshaws London-based corporate partner James Dawson, assisted by corporate associate Andrew Jackson, led the team advising Tiscali on the main aspects of the deal – including corporate real estate and antitrust advice.

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom took a role advising Tiscali on the finance aspects with London finance partner James Healy heading the team advising on the Italian company's ongoing debt restructuring. Part of the sale proceeds will go towards reducing Tiscali's debt. Charles Russell, meanwhile, advised Tiscali's management team.

Carphone Warehouse also turned to a trio of firms for advice. Osborne Clarke's head of competition Simon Neill advised the firm's longstanding client on antitrust aspects of the deal, while Manchester DLA Piper corporate partner James Kerrigan advised on corporate matters with Clyde & Co advising on finance.

The tie-up, agreed days after Carphone Warehouse confirmed its intention to demerge its retail business from TalkTalk to create two separate listed companies, came around a year after Tiscali started looking at selling its UK business.

Dawson said: "In the last 12 months I have worked on a number of attempted transactions for sellers and a lot have not got to the signing stage because the buyers have pushed too hard, given the current economic conditions."

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