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Bexley Beaumont has revealed the part which it played in a deal which has resulted in Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney becoming co-owners of Britain's oldest lager brewery.
The pair were part of a joint venture, Red Dragon Ventures, which has bought a stake in Wrexham Lager with the intention of expanding its international production and distribution.
The acquisition comes four years after they bought and began transforming the fortunes of the town's football club.
Having begun supporting the management of Wrexham Lager last year, Commercial and Intellectual Property Partner Nikki Ferguson acted as lead advisor on behalf of the company and a majority of its shareholders during the course of the negotiations with Red Dragon Ventures.
She was assisted by Corporate Partner Toby Adkins, trainee solicitor Harry Jenkinson and paralegal Max Clayton-Barker from Bexley Beaumont's central support team.
Nikki's work on the high-profile Wrexham Lager investment is the latest significant project during her 15 years working in and for the alcohol and brewing industries.
She added that it illustrated how Bexley Beaumont's unique structure and pragmatic approach were ideal to help companies in a range of sectors make progress.
"It is always immensely satisfying to complete a large deal of this nature, particularly those in which we have worked closely with directors and shareholders.
"In this case, we were helped from the start to the conclusion by having already worked on a number of similar projects in the alcohol industry over many years.
"Furthermore, Bexley Beaumont has very experienced lawyers operating across a variety of specialisms and an inherent flexibility which means that, as with this deal, we can collaborate in a way which best suits the needs of clients and is cost-effective too.
"That is why so many different companies now regard us as their trusted advisors."
In addition to her work with the brewing and alcohol industries, Nikki has advised organisations in education, sport, retail and technology over the course of a legal career spanning more than 20 years both in-house and in private practice.
She has worked with businesses both in the UK and abroad, helping negotiate contracts throughout the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Australia, South Africa, Europe and the United States.
Red Dragon Ventures was formed by The R.R. McReynolds Company, which has been the majority owner of Wrexham AFC since 2020, and the Allyn family, the founders and former owners of one of world's leading medical device businesses.
Roberts and McElhenney described Wrexham Lager, which has been brewing in Wales since 1882, as having "a storied history" and said that they were "excited to help write its next chapter".
Wrexham Lager has been owned and operated by the Roberts family since 2011 and has recently witnessed strong UK growth as well as expansion into Australia, Japan, and Scandinavia.
The company added that distribution in the US and Canada was also set to begin in the coming months.
The deal will mean the Roberts family maintaining an active role within the business, continuing to oversee quality control across all markets, local brewery operations, and community engagement projects.
