Ecclestone returns to Withers for QPR stake sale

Ecclestone and fellow shareholder Flavio Briatore sold their majority stake in the West London club to Malaysian businessman Fernandes for an undisclosed amount in a deal confirmed yesterday (18 August).

Ecclestone and Briatore, who together held 66 per cent in the club, hired Withers chairman Anthony Indaimo and fellow corporate partner Ben Simpson for legal advice.

The Formula 1 tycoon instructed Withers partner Mark Harper during his divorce from Slavica Ecclestone but parted company with the firm in favour of Manches’ Helen Ward in January 2009 (21 January 2009).

Fernandes instructed a Macfarlanes team led by partner and commercial group head Jeremy Courtenay-Stamp, who was assisted by senior solicitor Justin Hope and solicitor James Henderson.

Mayer Brown corporate partners Jeff Gordon and David Bates won the role advising steel entrepreneur Lakshmi Mittal, who owns the remaining third of the club.

A spokeperson for Withers said: “Withers is pleased to confirm that it acted for the majority shareholder on the sale of its stake in QPR to Tony Fernandes’s Tune Group.”