DWF has advised financial services company Wealth at Work on the acquisition of Newport-based Life Academy, an education and employee engagement programme provider.

Life Academy is a leading provider of financial education, life planning and employee engagement programmes, and delivers face-to-face and online support for a strong client base in both the private and public sectors. The acquisition will strengthen Wealth at Work’s offering and increase market share for the Liverpool-based business.

The DWF team, led by corporate partner Jonathan Robinson with support from Nick Hawthorne and Katy Phillips, advised Wealth at Work on the significant acquisition. This is the first transaction following private equity investment from Equistone Partners Europe in August this year – demonstrating the company’s ambitious strategy to develop new services and increase its customer base across the UK.

Jonathan Robinson, commenting on the deal, said: “We were delighted to advise Wealth at Work on a key deal that will further enhance its offering and allow the business to increase market share at a time of increased demand. We advised Wealth at Work on its initial acquisition of the business and last month’s £50m buyout, so it was fantastic to support the company again through its next stage of development.”

DWF’s national corporate team was recently ranked as the UK’s most active in the first half of the year in an independent report by Experian, with the North West team acting on a total of 16 transactions. The strong results follow considerable investment in the firm’s corporate team this year, with a number of key partner appointments Alice Broadfield from Faegre Baker Daniels in Birmingham and Christian Francis and Jeremy Irving from DLA Piper, Patrick Eaton from K&L Gates and Richard Britain from Ince & Co in London.