Ogier advises Albert Bartlett on acquisition of The Jersey Royal Company

Ogier has advised its longstanding client Albert Bartlett on its acquisition of The Jersey Royal Company Limited.

The acquisition makes Albert Bartlett the leading grower and distributor of the famous Jersey Royal potatoes, a variety which has Protected Designation of Origin status.

Ogier, as sole legal adviser to Albert Bartlett, advised across all aspects of the transaction, including property and employment. In particular, Ogier provided specific advice and guidance on the competition implications of the transaction from the outset, ultimately securing the approval of the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority to the transaction.

The Ogier team was led by practice leader Matthew Shaxson (Corporate and Regulatory/Competition) and partner Jonathan Hughes (head of Local Legal Services), with assistance from Kevin Grove (managing associate, Corporate), Will Austin-Vautier (counsel, Employment), Laura Shirreffs (senior associate, Property), Charles Le Maistre (managing conveyancer, Property) and Aaron Forster (associate, Corporate).

Matthew Shaxson said: "We're delighted to have assisted our client on this transaction, which marks a transitional moment for the business of growing and distributing the famous Jersey Royal potatoes and Jersey's agricultural sector generally. Due to the seasonal nature of the businesses of the parties, it was an inherently fast-moving transaction which had to be carefully managed alongside the competition merger approval process to ensure that approval of the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority was obtained in time for the commencement of the 2024 season."