Acuity Law Advises Premier Forest Products On Trio Of Acquisitions

Acuity Law is pleased to announce its role on two deals this November for long-standing client Premier Forest Products, having also advised on its acquisition of specialised panel processing business Decor Panel earlier in 2023.

At the beginning of November, the leading national timber company acquired PWIDF, distinguished for its bespoke fire doors, followed soon after by its acquisition of North-East Sheets & Panels Ltd (NESP), a County Durham-based manufacturer of made-to-measure doors, panels, cabinets and worktops. NESP is located a short distance away from Decor Panel, bolstering the company’s operations in the north of England and UK-wide reach from its headquarters in Newport, South Wales.

Acuity has supported Premier Forest Products on a total of five transactions in the last two years, including the sale of its Irish business (Brookes Timber & Building Supplies and Dublin Plywood & Veneer) to Murdock Builders Merchants and the acquisition of Mon Timber, both in 2022.

Acuity Law Partner Tom Saunderson said: “It was a pleasure working with Terry, Neil and the Premier Forest team again. They have an exceptional eye for acquisition opportunities, with an outstanding track record of seamlessly integrating and swiftly growing those new businesses. We’re delighted to continue supporting their ambitions.”

Terry Edgell, Co-Founder and CEO of Premier Forest said: “Tom and the rest of the team at Acuity have been instrumental in helping us deliver on our ambitious M&A strategy. Their advice is expert and efficient, and we value their ability to navigate complex transactions with speed and precision. We look forward to working with Acuity on the next phase of Premier Forest’s growth.”

Earlier this Autumn, Acuity’s Corporate team was once again awarded Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the Insider Wales Dealmakers Awards. To find out more about the team, drop us a line.

Quickfire Questions With… Future Trainee Sara Jetten

2024/25 trainee Sara Jetten explains why she chose Acuity and what she is looking forward to during her legal training.

Sara, what brought you to Acuity to work in your current role? I currently work on reception and as a part of the admin team at Acuity, with a training contract lined up to start in September 2024.

After having secured a training contract with Acuity, I wanted to get involved with the firm in the months leading up to my TC, which is why I took on the reception role. It has helped me get used to the systems, the people, and the clients, and hopefully will have me up to speed once I step into the training contract role.

Why did you choose Acuity for your upcoming training contract? I was attracted by the firm’s variety of practice areas. I’m not sure what type of law I want to qualify into yet so joining a firm that offers seats in a wide range of different departments will allow me to broaden my learning and development as a trainee solicitor.

When you were applying for training contracts, what did Acuity offer you that you felt was missing at other firms? When I was looking for a training contract, it was important for me to find a firm who supported the SQE route to qualifying, as it is fairly new and not many firms take on SQE candidates or don’t understand the new SQE route.

Do you feel Acuity is a good place to study for the SQE?

When I found Acuity Law, I was pleased to learn that they offer two types of training contracts for those qualifying through the SQE route. You can apply through SQE Rotational, where you get to train in a multitude of seats if you want to experience different departments, or you can apply through SQE Specialist if you have your heart set on a specific department. Not only is Acuity welcoming to SQE candidates, but they understand the process and are supportive of trainee’s development via this new route.

Acuity is a great place to study for the SQE. Not only are the SQE course fees fully funded by the firm, but you are supported by the firm by having paid days off to keep up with the course. A lot of the SQE materials apply directly to the firm’s practice areas, so it is valuable to be in a place where you can learn on the job about what you are learning in theory.

Why did you choose the SQE? The benefits of the SQE path for me is that it allowed me to study alongside work. I am currently taking the SQE 1 on a 40-week programme, and this gives me the flexibility to work on my own time and keep on top of the materials while simultaneously working at the firm and gaining practical experience here.

What are you most looking forward to about your training contract at Acuity? As an SQE Rotational trainee, I’m most looking forward to getting to know the firm’s partners, their teams and the systems. As each department runs its own operation, the training contract will be a good chance to work in a variety of different teams to see where I’m compatible when thinking about qualifying.

I feel I have a lot to gain from the breadth of the firm’s practices as well as the many talented solicitors and partners who head each department.  

If you’re interested in a Training Contract at Acuity Law, apply now!

Spotlight On… Sabina Kauser

At Acuity, we’ve been out and about in Birmingham, getting to know the key faces in our new neighbourhood!

Sabina Kauser is a long-standing member of the Birmingham legal community, winning Solicitor of the Year at the 2023 British Asian Professional Awards. She also heads our Immigration practice. We drop in on Sabina by for a coffee and a catch-up.

Sabina, tell me a bit about you. What was it like growing up in Birmingham?

I have enjoyed growing up in Birmingham. I have seen it develop and become a multicultural city. I have seen some of the iconic business developments, such as the Selfridges Building, the Central Library and even 103 Colmore Row, where we are based.

I was the first female graduate in my family, and I always aspired to give back to the community. That’s why, as well as my legal practice, I have worked as a chair of a local primary school and a director for two multi-academy trusts.

Did you always want to be a lawyer?

No, actually! I had a keen a keen interest in psychology and, at one point, I wanted to do a degree in criminal psychology… but, due to my interest in legal documentaries, dramas and a solution-focused approach, I decided to go into law.

How do you support the Birmingham legal market?

I have been elected to the Birmingham Law Society Council. The role of the Council is to represent the members of the Law Society in overseeing the activities of the Board. It is a diverse and representative sample of the Birmingham Law Society membership as a whole and I am excited to continue to use my voice to make a meaningful and positive contribution to the profession, and to pave the way for the next generation of lawyers to excel in their careers.

I am also the founding member and the chair and of the Birmingham Law Society‘s Immigration Committee. We meet on a monthly basis to discuss topical immigration issues, rules and regulations affecting the field. We are committed to providing training and guidance to fellow professionals to ensure that practitioners are providing high-quality services, which are compliant with SRA regulations. We also aim to represent practitioners from across the immigration field and to act as a voice for immigration lawyers.

What types of businesses do you work with?

Birmingham is home to a number of hospitals, dental practices and care homes. With the shortage of care workers in the UK, there is a high demand for workers, therefore the pace at which organisations and workers require immigration services is very fast paced.

We are also excited to continue to grow our practice servicing the corporate sectors. At Acuity, we understand the needs of our corporate clients, and tailor our offering to provide a seamless service and bespoke packages to assist our ongoing clients with their continuing immigration needs.

What do you enjoy most about working in Birmingham?

Birmingham is the UK’s second largest city. It is a multicultural business hub and is the ideal market to service corporate and private immigration work. Our office is perfectly placed in the heart of the city, in the Colmore Row Business district, enabling us to provide accessible and quality legal services nationwide.

To find out more about our expanded Midlands presence and its connection to our other national locations, drop us a line.

Do you run a healthcare business? We have just the resource for you. Check out our Acuity Healthcare Hub.

Acuity Law Adds Three Real Estate Partners To Its Cardiff Team.

Acuity Law is delighted to announce the arrival of three Real Estate partners from law firm Ince & Co to its Cardiff office.

The arrival of Real Estate heavyweights Aled Griffiths, Simon Morgan and Rupert Thomas boosts Acuity’s already strong bench of market-leading real estate experts led by Senior Partner Gareth Baker.

Aled Griffiths has built deep experience in real estate investment, while Rupert Thomas and Simon Morgan have distinguished reputations as a commercial property specialists. Together they have over 90 years of experience in the real estate market.

They join a Real Estate team at Acuity that is highly regarded for its complex and notable real estate work, handling projects that have transformed urban skylines across the UK and enabled the creation of vital community amenities and spaces.

Announcing the growth of the real estate team, Gareth Baker commented “We are thrilled to welcome Aled, Rupert and Simon to our growing Cardiff Real Estate team. They each bring with them a wealth of experience and success within the South Wales and London markets, which complements the national coverage we offer.

“We have seen significant growth within our Real Estate offering this year with several key appointments across our firmwide property teams. This will stand us in good stead for 2024 as market conditions stabilise, and further enables us to strengthen our reputation as an entrepreneurial team of experts.”

Acuity Law is a fast-growing national law firm, that offers partners a choice between joining as an employed partner or as a consultant partner. The firm has over 150 lawyers supporting business clients throughout the UK.

Acuity Law’s UK Expansion Continues with Opening of Birmingham Office

Leading national law firm Acuity Law’s expansion plans are continuing with the opening of a Birmingham office, its seventh across the country.

The office, situated at the city’s prestigious 103 Colmore Row, will allow the firm to expand in a thriving commercial market while giving their Midlands client base better connectivity with their experts.

A Birmingham presence will also serve as a connector across Acuity’s national network, linking Cardiff and Bristol in the south to the firm’s London seat, as well as to its northern branches in Leeds and Liverpool.

In a key development, Partner Sabina Kauser, a council member at the Birmingham Law Society, and trainee solicitors Mehreen Ali and Arooj Tussadiq have joined Acuity’s Birmingham office as immigration specialists, providing a full solution to UK businesses making overseas hires and supporting individuals moving from abroad to take up positions in the UK.

Claire Knowles, Senior Partner and Employment & HR team lead at Acuity Law, said: “Immigration is an important consideration for many of our clients and we can now provide a complete in-house solution to our clients from point of hire through to starting work, thanks to the team in our new Birmingham office.

“The creation of a full immigration services solution is a significant development for the firm.”

Acuity Law’s Chairman, Steve Berry, said: “We are delighted to bring our unique Acuity brand of innovation, entrepreneurialism and expert legal services to the flourishing Birmingham market, and look forward to growing our team there at our new offices on Colmore Row.”

Adele Carter, Commercial Director at Acuity, added: “We are thrilled to be further developing our client portfolio and building strong relationships and connections in a new city, aiding our national expansion.”

Acuity Law is a fast-growing national law firm, that offers partners a choice between joining as an employed partner or as a consultant partner. The firm has over 150 lawyers supporting business clients throughout the UK.

Acuity Law Open for Training Contract Applications

If you are looking for a training contract for 2026/27 of a vacation placement, then make sure you check out Acuity Law.

Our lawyers are entrepreneurs and innovators who are curious and passionate about delivering better legal services.

But don’t take our word for it.

You can see for yourself in our video: “A Day in the Life of a Trainee Solicitor”.

Or you could ask The Legal 500:

“They have a great team, with people who are as enthusiastic and motivated as they are friendly.”

“The team is a great mix of experienced and young lawyers – the young lawyers being encouraged under a watchful eye to engage directly with the client.”

We welcome both LPC and SQE candidates.

Apply today!

📆 Our closing dates:

Training Contracts: 15th January 2025
Vacation Scheme: 26th March 2025

While you’re on our site, why not find out more about our expertise and teams?