Sports team advise Tom Piatak on latest acquisition
7th December 2023
The Walker Morris Sports’ team have advised Tom Piatak and his family on the acquisition of 90% of the voting shares in C.U.F.C. Holdings Limited, the holding company of Carlisle United Football Club. The transaction completed on 22 November 2023 following approval from the English Football League.
In a complex deal with a variety of hurdles for the team to negotiate, the Piatak family’s Castle Sports Group Limited acquired the existing shares owned by Andrew Jenkins, John Nixon, Steven Pattison and Lord Clark of Windermere and advanced further investment into the Club structure.
David Hinchliffe and Christian Slinger led a multi-disciplinary team from Walker Morris. They were supported by Tim Howden, Stephen Morris and Shaney Stevens-Neale (Sport), Philip Scott, Zara Shafiq and Oliver Wheeler (Banking & Finance), Hannah Levy (Real Estate), Nicola Parkinson and Natalie Gray (Tax), Charlotte Smith and Adam Melling (Employment), Matthew Lingard (Intellectual Property), Andrew Northage and Michael Cordeaux (Regulatory & Compliance) and Ruth Bamforth and Michael Wilcock (Pensions).
The Piatak family travelled to England immediately following completion to attend the Club’s match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday 25 November.
Commenting on the takeover, Tom Piatak said:
“I am delighted to finalize the transaction involving Carlisle United Football Club. Christian and the team at Walker Morris were instrumental in successfully concluding the deal. Their expertise, dedicated work ethic, and legal proficiency played a crucial role in navigating complexities and ensuring a smooth transaction. This accomplishment underscores their firm’s commitment to excellence and client success in all endeavours.”
Christian Slinger, Director in the Sports Team at Walker Morris said:
“We are thrilled we managed to help Tom and his family get this acquisition over the finish line. The negotiations were challenging and lengthy, but Tom’s commitment to the deal remained steadfast throughout.
“I think the transaction is fantastic news for Carlisle United and its supporters and I am really excited to see Tom and his family’s plans come to life over the next few years. I have no doubt that Tom and his family will be great custodians of the Club during their tenure.”
Ranked in the top tier by leading independent guides to the profession, the Walker Morris Sports team is known for being one of the few firms in the UK that can genuinely offer the complete sports law service. This latest transaction reaffirms their position as one of the top sports M&A law firms in the country.
