Wragge & Co LLP Corporate Group has advised Sanctuary Housing Group on its merger with Shaftesbury Housing Group. The deal strengthens Sanctuary Housing's position as one of the UK's leading social enterprises.

Corporate partner Peter Smith led the Wragge & Co team, assisted by solicitor Chris Towle. Richard Black and Richard Lee provided specialist pensions law advice, while Martin Chitty and Claire Hughes advised on employment issues. Trowers & Hamlins acted for Shaftesbury.

Peter Smith said: "Experienced M&A advisers supported by experts from various legal disciplines provided a single team able to handle every element of this deal. We've worked with Sanctuary on a number of occasions and are very pleased to have helped with this strategic acquisition."

This deal is the latest in a series of Sanctuary Housing mergers. Over the past two years, it has been joined by Beth Johnson Housing, Asra Midlands and Hereward Housing. Charter Community Housing will also join the group, becoming a Sanctuary Housing subsidiary later this year. Earlier this year tenants in Rochford voted to set up a new housing association as part of Sanctuary Housing Group, a move which will see 1,700 homes transfer during the summer.

Following completion of these plans, Sanctuary Housing will manage more than 68,000 properties across the UK with a balance sheet of £2.2 billion.

Established in 1969, Sanctuary Housing is a not-for-profit housing provider managing general rented, sheltered and supported accommodation, student and key worker accommodation throughout England and Scotland. It employs 4,300 people across its network of area offices. Wragge & Co has an ongoing relationship with Sanctuary Housing, providing a full range of legal advice.

Wragge & Co's 17-partner national Corporate Group includes more than 60 lawyers advising on a full range of corporate finance matters. Mergers, acquisitions and disposal work in the past 12 months has included a trio of cross-border deals worth $1.03 billion for European real estate developer Parkridge, the £52 million sale of Floors-2-Go plc and Interserve plc's £116 million takeover of MacLellan Group Plc.

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For further information about this press release, contact Kathryn Hobbs on +44 (0)121 213 2397, Alexa Highfield on +44 (0)121 213 2396 or Michelle Dolphin on +44 (0)121 213 2369

This press release may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.