News

Read about the latest developments at Shepherd and Wedderburn - as well as updates on the law. There are also details of our latest deals, and our media centre for journalists.

Media Releases
2010

10 August
2010

Shepherd and Wedderburn Closes Three Key Deals for Funds Managed by FourWinds Capital Management in 2010

The London-based private equity team at leading UK law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn has advised in a third water/wastewater investment opportunity for funds managed by FourWinds Capital Management ("FWCM") in 2010.  FWCM is an investment management firm specialising in natural resources and commodities with approximately US$1 billion of assets under management.

Aqua Resources Fund Limited ("Aqua"), the Authorised Closed-ended investment scheme managed by FWCM and established to invest in global water opportunities, announced this week that it has subscribed for £2 million of secured loan notes due 2012, together with warrants to subscribe for equity shares in Bluewater Bio International ("BBI"), a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and involved in the design and marketing of an advanced biological solution for the treatment of wastewater, as part of a £4 million fundraising by BBI.

This follows Aqua's EUR20 million investment in convertible bonds of Waterleau Group NV ("Waterleau"), a privately held global environmental technology, solutions and services company, in February of this year. Waterleau provides a wide range of water, wastewater and solid waste and air treatment solutions for both industrial and municipal clients. The investment by Aqua has provided Waterleau with growth capital to invest alongside its clients in Build Own Operate Transfer wastewater projects, as well as providing funds to make selective add-on acquisitions and further expand into new markets.

In July, Waste Resources Fund L.P. ("WRF"), a dedicated specialist fund established to invest in companies active in the waste management industry also managed by FWCM, invested in Monsal, the UK’s leading advanced digestion technology business. WRF made an initial investment of up to £4 million in Monsal, and has also committed, subject to certain conditions, to provide development funding of up to a further £10 million for projects to be developed by Monsal and WRF.

Corporate partners Angus Rollo and Guy Winter led all three deals for Shepherd and Wedderburn. 

Guy Winter commented: "These deals give Aqua and WRF significant stakes in some of the most exciting growth companies and technologies in the European water and wastewater sector. FourWinds has built a very strong brand in the WWW space, and that should throw off some great opportunities both for the funds, and for their portfolio companies.

“This is a key sector for us, and as a corporate team we were able to draw on a huge amount of industry expertise from Pat Hawthorn, who heads up our Waste team, and Lynne Scott in our construction division."
 


« Back to Press Releases