DLA Piper advises Cambium on acquisition of global advanced composites manufacturer SHD Holdings Limited

DLA Piper advised advanced materials supplier Cambium on its acquisition of SHD Holdings Limited (“SHD”), a global composites manufacturer with production sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

The acquisition combines Cambium’s materials development capabilities with SHD’s manufacturing footprint to serve aerospace, defense, energy, high-performance automotive, motorsport, marine, and other advanced industrial markets. SHD operates four sites: one in the UK where it is headquartered, two in the US, and one in Slovenia. The combined company will create a global platform positioned to support customers around the world on matters from AI-driven molecular design to full-scale manufacturing at speed.

“DLA Piper provided exceptional counsel on the international aspects of this acquisition with speed and clarity, and their team was key to getting this deal closed,” said Simon Waddington, Cambium Co-founder and CEO.

“We were pleased to help Cambium navigate this crucial cross-border transaction,” said Jonathan Axelrad, the DLA Piper Partner who co-led the deal team. “The global composites manufacturing industry is vital to progress in many of the world’s most critical sectors, and this acquisition will deepen Cambium’s innovation and manufacturing capabilities across the world.”

In addition to Axelrad (San Francisco), Corporate Partner John Gallon (Leeds) co-led the cross-border DLA Piper team, which included lawyers from the US, the UK, and the EU, all providing comprehensive legal counsel. The UK team included Senior Associate Laura Allsop, Associates Jennifer Tilston, Sienna Henry-Fisher, and Trainee Solicitor Grace Hanlon (all Leeds). Partner Jasna Zwitter-Tehovnik (Vienna) provided support from Austria.

The US team included the Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s National Security and Global Trade practice Nicholas Klein (Washington, DC), US Co-Chair, Industrials sector Jeff Salinger (New York), Partners Anil John Kalia (Palo Alto) and Tzung-bor (Chung) Wei (San Francisco), Policy Advisor Melanie Tsang (Washington, DC), and Associates Sougol Shooshtarian (San Francisco), Leonard Yoo (Short Hills), Lauren McNeel, and Pete Young (both Washington, DC).

With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex transactions seamlessly while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 15 consecutive years, according to Mergermarket, and ranked as number one in VC, PE, and M&A in combined global deal volume according to PitchBook.