International law firm Bird & Bird has advised OTO International (OTO) on their acquisition of South West Brands. Both OTO and South West Brands have seen rapid success over recent years, with both companies specialising in lifestyle and wellness in the Cannabidiol (CBD) market.
The £6 million acquisition will create the OTO Group, a UK based female-founded global consumer packaged goods group of lifestyle brands. The deal also includes consumer brands FEWE (female wellness), Love MeMeMe (Gen-Z beauty) as well as Botanic Lab (F&B wellness products), all created by South West Brands. The acquisition is expected to enable the OTO Group to accelerate its organic growth, and is the first step of a ‘buy and build’ strategy designed to build a major wellness brand of the future.
The Bird & Bird team was led by James Baillieu (partner, Corporate), Remy Browning (associate, Corporate), and Albert Mennen (associate, Corporate). Also assisting from our Tax team were Simon Gough (legal director, Tax), Emily Patel (associate, Tax), Colin Kendon (partner, Employee Incentives), as well as Elizabeth Lang (partner, Employment)
James Baillieu, partner in the Corporate practice stated that: “We are delighted to have advised OTO on this acquisition, having advised them on multiple financings and commercial and intellectual property work for a number of years. This deal is a fantastic example of our ability to successfully execute a transaction while drawing upon our market-leading expertise in the retail sector.”
James Bagley, CEO at OTO Group said: “The consumer need for well-being and self-care products is on the rise. The market is at an inflection point, as early players and sub standard products make way for leading brands and lifestyle propositions that are thoughtful, effective, and set to drive significant growth. We believe the enlarged OTO Group is well placed to become one of the leading brands in the CBD space, and the acquisition of South West Brands will help accelerate our growth. It was a pleasure working with Bird & Bird, who have been key to helping us execute this transformative deal. We look forward to continuing to work with them in the years ahead.”
Rebekah Hall, Founder, South West Brands commented: “The acquisition of SWB by OTO provides huge acceleration in our mission to build a portfolio of global female focused wellness brands that serve our customers at the cutting edge of innovation. Women’s health and wellbeing has long been underserved in the consumer goods industry. In OTO, a fellow female founded and focused business, we have found a shared vision, ethos and drive. The enlarged OTO Group will undoubtedly be an exciting and dominant force in the wellness industry.”
