S Walsh & Sons, a civil engineering and environmental contractor, has bought WA Hills, a Colchester-based construction company with 75 staff.

S Walsh & Sons, a civil engineering and environmental contractor, has bought WA Hills, a Colchester-based construction company with 75 staff.

The acquirer received legal services from the Thurrock office of Palmers Solicitors, which was led by partner BJ Chong. He was supported by lawyer Adam Shirley and employment specialist Jane Elgar.

Chong handled all the negotiations for the sale purchase agreement while Shirley managed the due diligence review of the target company. Elgar advised on all the employment complications of the deal.

“Both the contracting parties and their respective legal teams approached this transaction with a positive and commercial attitude thereby ensuring the transaction completed in accordance with the parties’ intended timetable,” Chong said.

The acquirer was also supported by Bird Luckin Chartered Accountants, which advised on the structure of the transaction and also worked on the financial due diligence report.

Its team, which was led David Enser and Sarah Cruise, comprised in-house specialists who advised on the tax aspects of the deal.

Enser said the firm was approached to work on the deal because of a long-standing relationship with the company.

“The transaction of Hills will allow Walsh to enhance growth and profitability,” he added. “The Hills business compliments their existing business streams and brings the opportunity for many synergistic benefits in the future.”

Brentwood-based S Walsh & Sons was established more than 35 years ago and operates throughout the southeast and London. The company has worked on major construction schemes in recent years including the Channel Tunnel extensions and the Docklands Light Railway.

It also has sites in Barking and Greenwich and works on projects from £50,000 to £10 million.

WA Hills designs and builds traditional and refurbishing contracts for a range of clients operating in various sectors.

The company was established more than 75 years ago and also operates across the southeast and London serving contracts valued at between £500,000 and £5 million.