International law firm Eversheds has advised Jardine Motors Group UK Limited on its acquisition of car dealership the Wayside Group Limited, in a deal which will push its turnover above £1.2 billion.

Jardine Motors is a top 10 UK retailer, operating 55 predominantly premium and high luxury franchises from 41 sites in the UK. The firm employs 2,000 staff and had a 2010 turnover of £931m.

Wayside is a top 30 UK retailer employing 900 staff and with a 2010 turnover of £305m. The company has Audi, BMW, MINI, Volkswagen, Toyota, Škoda and Hyundai dealerships located throughout the UK.

The acquisition of Wayside will assist Jardine Motors in enhancing its existing representation with Audi and BMW/MINI as well as giving the company more scale with Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Toyota.

The Eversheds team was led by partner Neil Matthews, assisted by senior associates Mark Satterly and Mark Finch and solicitors Stacy Aspden and Philippa Byrne.

Neil Matthews commented:

“This is a significant acquisition for long standing client Jardine Motors and we are very satisfied to have been able to assist them in completing this transaction and helping them to fulfil their strategic objectives. We look forward to advising them on future matters.”

Richard MacNamara, Group General Counsel & Company Secretary at Jardine Motors commented:

“This acquisition is a major step forward in delivering our strategic plan of growing the business in the UK and developing our relationships with existing franchise partners. Eversheds are a trusted adviser and provided a comprehensive and professional service.”