We are pleased to have advised the owners of the Livett’s Group, specialists in the provision of marine services on the River Thames, on the multi-million pound sale of Thames Luxury Charters (“TLC”) to Oceandiva London Shipping, which is part of the United Rivers Group.

Family-owned Livett’s, whose heritage of working the tidal River Thames can be traced back to 1710, is run by directors Belinda and Chris Livett. For the past 40 years, they have established Livett’s as one of the most respected and trusted marine service suppliers on the Thames. More recently, Livett’s has been involved in legacy projects including the 2012 Olympics and it has provided complex marine services to the TV and film industry, such as iconic filming sequences on the Thames for the James Bond movie, Spectre.

Chris Livett, a seventh-generation waterman who is also waterman to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, said: – “The Livett family has been ever-present on the River Thames for hundreds of years, over which time the company has innovated and grown to include Thames Luxury Charters, operators of a three-strong fleet of elegant vessels moored at Butler’s Wharf Pier with stunning views of Tower Bridge and the City of London.

“As Livett’s Group continues to grow and expand the events and filming parts of the business and diversify further into other areas, we took the opportunity to sell TLC to Oceandiva as it looks to grow its portfolio on the Thames. The sale provides a great opportunity for Oceandiva to develop TLC further whilst allowing the Livett’s Group to focus on our other ventures.”

Livett’s legal advice was led by Andrew Jackson’s corporate partner, Martin Frost, who was supported by corporate paralegal Nicole Waldron, along with a multi-disciplinary team comprising Dominic Ward (senior partner and head of shipping & transport), Amanda Fenton (real estate partner), and Nick Wilson (employment partner).

Chris Livett added: – “We were delighted with the service and support that Martin, Dominic and all the team at Andrew Jackson provided to us on this transaction. There were a number of complex elements to the deal. However, Andrew Jackson’s expertise in both corporate transactions and maritime and shipping law meant that they were able to work proactively with the other advisers to structure a deal that worked for all parties and helped us navigate our way through to a successful conclusion.”

Martin Frost said: – “It has been a pleasure working with our long-standing clients, Belinda and Chris, on the sale of TLC. This key transaction presents a great opportunity for all involved; Livett’s can focus on its future growth areas, whilst Oceandiva has acquired a highly regarded business that provides it with a well-established foothold in the Thames’ luxury vessel market.”