CMS advises Infracapital on majority stake acquisition of Farra Marine

CMS has advised Infracapital, the infrastructure private equity investment arm of M&G, on its acquisition of a majority stake in Farra Marine, an Irish owner and operator of crew transfer vessels (CTVs) serving the European offshore wind market.

Founded in 2020, Farra Marine operates a fleet of 15 BV class-approved crew transfer vessels. Farra Marine operates across key European offshore wind markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Denmark and the Baltic states.

The transaction involved the injection of new equity into Farra Marine, with the investment being made through Infracapital Partners IV.

Infracapital intends to provide capital to support the continued expansion of Farra Marine's modern fleet, at a time when Europe's offshore wind market is expected to see significant capacity growth and increasing demand for high-quality crew transfer vessels.

Tom Jameson, Corporate Partner at CMS UK, commented: "We're delighted to have supported Infracapital on this landmark transaction. The European offshore wind market is entering an exciting period of growth. That growth is driving strong demand and creating compelling opportunities for investors with the expertise and long-term outlook to back the best operators in the space. Congratulations to the brilliant teams at Infracapital and Farra Marine on an excellent outcome."

Lee Hamano-Crossingham, Director at Infracapital, said: "Thanks once again to the whole CMS team – your hard work throughout has been invaluable in helping us cross the finish line. We have really valued the pragmatic and creative thinking required to bridge various gaps along the way. Likewise, a calm, patient and constructive approach throughout helped ensure a smooth transaction and negotiation process. Take a bow. Really great result.”

The CMS UK team was led by Tom Jameson, with support from Chris Wilkinson, Kyle Allen, Dion Davis, Gabe Edwards and Emily Munro (Corporate); Rebecca Stewart and Johanna Dodgson (Tax); Jacqueline Vallat and Jean-Francois Willems (Competition); Eleanor Lane and Euan Rose (EPC); Fiona Henderson, Cameron Smyth-Milne and Euan Reid (Finance); Eric Gilligan and Anna Dunn (Employment); Carol Nisbet, Maddy Lomax, Katie Timmins and Claire Underwood-Boyle (Real Estate); Alex Rae (Disputes); and Eoin O’Shea and Amy Wilkinson (Litigation & Arbitration).

Further support was provided by CMS Francis Lefebvre including Benoît Gomel, Sara Gharbi and Aliénor Saguez (Corporate); Grégory Benteux and Thomas Bos (Finance); Aline Divo, Arnaud Valverde and Salma Bordo (Real Estate); and Guillaume Melot (Competition).