Freeths advises Checkmate Fire on sale to IK Partners

National law firm Freeths has advised Checkmate Fire and its shareholders on its sale to IK Partners. The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Established in 1989 and headquartered in Leeds, Checkmate Fire is one of the UK’s largest passive fire protection specialists, supplying a comprehensive range of third-party accredited services across the healthcare, education, government, social housing and commercial sectors. In partnership with IK Partners, Checkmate Fire will look to further develop its offering, particularly its inspections division, in a market with compelling long-term growth dynamics. Freeths advised YFM on the initial management backed buyout at Checkmate in 2018. Since YFM’s investment and under the existing management team, Checkmate Fire has scaled rapidly, expanding its service offering and supporting more customers through multi-year contracts.

The legal team was led by corporate partner Dahren Naidoo supported by senior associates Megan Atack and Alex Angelides, associate Sarah Bogues and legal executive Lucy Barrett.

Commenting on the deal, Dahren Naidoo said: “It was a pleasure to have advised on this transaction and made particularly pleasing since we’ve been able to be on the journey with YFM and the management team from YFM’s initial investment in 2018, advising on the bolt on acquisition of Rosse Systems in 2021, and ultimately this exit to IK Partners. This deal demonstrates our ability to fully support private equity backed businesses on their full lifecycle from entry to exit.”