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Penningtons Manches Cooper advises Sommer Holdings Ltd on the sale of ChannelPorts and leading digital platform CustomsPro to GetLink SE

Posted: 30/04/2024


The corporate team at Penningtons Manches Cooper has advised Sommer Holdings Ltd on the sale of ChannelPorts and leading digital platform CustomsPro to GetLink SE.

Based in Folkestone, ChannelPorts carries out the customs formalities that have become compulsory since Brexit, on behalf of its hauliers, logistics and forwarding customers. In addition to its customs clearance service activity, ChannelPorts owns a secure truck park facility and service area – ‘Stop24’ – located on the M20 motorway in Folkestone, less than 10 kilometres from the entrance to the Channel Tunnel.

CustomsPro, a market leading digital platform designed to simplify the customs process and handle large volumes of customs applications efficiently, has been pivotal in streamlining data exchanges and enhancing operational productivity for ChannelPorts and its customers.

The Penningtons Manches Cooper team was led by corporate partner Simon Bickerdike and corporate senior associate Danielle Broadhead. The wider team included corporate tax partner Stephen Goldstraw, IP, IT and commercial partner Oliver Kidd, managing associate Edmund Forey and associate Tom Perkins, employment partner Mike Cole and associate Christina Leung, real estate senior associate Nellie Van der Lande, pensions managing associate Sean McNulty, and trainee solicitor Jessica Phillips.

Charles Sommer, chairman of Sommer Holdings, commented: “We are delighted to have completed this transaction with GetLink. I’d like to thank Simon Bickerdike, Danielle Broadhead and the wider team at Penningtons Manches Cooper for their advice, support and leadership in helping bring this transaction to a successful conclusion – in particular I valued their expertise in dealing with cross-border acquisitions.”

Simon Bickerdike commented: “We are pleased to have advised Sommer Holdings on the sale of ChannelPorts and CustomsPro to GetLink – the integration of their market leading services and digital platform with Getlink’s existing infrastructure creates a major step to further simplifying border crossings in the transport and logistics sector.”


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Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC311575 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 419867.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP