Advising eyewear brand on growth-focussed acquisition

The corporate & commercial team assisted Wolf Eyewear (Wolf) with its acquisition of all shares in White Optics Limited.

Founded in 2009, Wolf Eyewear is a Bedfordshire-based family-run eyewear brand that prides itself on creating bold, colourful, and high-quality glasses. The group mainly sells glasses in the UK, but has distribution outlets in the US, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.

Established in 1976, wholesaler White Optics is known for its economy ranges of frames for men, women, and children, across six collections.

The deal created “one of the UK’s leading independent eyewear suppliers”, and would allow both companies to offer products at a wide range of price points to independent opticians. The Wolf group can now offer frames to suit every budget.

The corporate & commercial team advised Wolf on both the share acquisition (negotiating the share purchase agreement and ancillary documentation, such as the disclosure letter) and the finance documentation from Frontier Development Capital (FDC), Wolf’s alternative lender. Greenwoods’ employment and tax teams also assisted with discrete matters.

Throughout the transaction, it was important to maintain Wolf’s relationship with the sellers and the FDC, and balance their competing requirements.

Tom Wolfenden, CEO Wolf Eyewear Group, said:

“Greenwoods have provided a first-class service, professional with fantastic communication and strong support in understanding the complex legal process regarding acquisitions. Getting to know our business and our objectives, allowed for greater planning for our future growth.”

Francesca Jus-Burke, Managing Associate advising on the deal said:

“The acquisition was an important step in the growth of the Wolf Eyewear brand, and I am pleased to have supported and assisted them on this journey.”

Stephen Jarvis, Partner and Head of our Corporate & Commercial team, said:

“Successfully closing this deal was truly a team effort, showing the dedication, collaboration and expertise of everyone involved.”