Linklaters IT client turns to Slaughters after conflict

A Linklaters conflict has gifted Slaughter and May with an instruction to advise a buyout team led by Sir Peter Ogden on its potential take private of FTSE250 company Computacenter.

It is understood that Computacenter's non-executive directors Ogden and Philip Hume have offered to take the Hertfordshire-based IT infrastructure services provider private for 255p per share.

The duo founded Computacenter in 1981 and floated in 1998. Ogden was Computacenter's chairman until 1998, while Hume stepped down as the company's chief executive officer in 2001.

It is believed to be the first time Slaughters has advised Ogden and Hume.

Linklaters, which has a longstanding relationship with Computacenter, is understood to be advising an independent committee of the board.

The committee, which has been formed to consider the proposal, consists of independent non-executive directors Nick Cosh and Cliff Preddy.

The buyout team controls an aggregate 44.2 per cent of Computacenter, with Ogden and Hume holding 23.5 per cent and 18.6 per cent stakes respectively.

The Linklaters team is being led by corporate partner Charlie Jacobs.

Slaughters and Linklaters both declined to comment.