Rosenblatts gets role on Telegraph deal after Big Ones sale

Rosenblatt Solicitors, which is advising longstanding client Richard Desmond on his disposal of Asian Babes and Big Ones, looks set to be brought in alongside Desmond’s corporate council Ashurst on the Telegraph Group auction.

Rosenblatts advised Desmond three years ago on an aborted deal to sell his adult magazine stable, but last week finally completed a deal to sell the titles to Simon Robinson and Aroon Maharajh’s Remnant Media last week.

“Altogether he [Desmond] has been trying to sell these titles for about 10 years,” said Rosenblatts senior partner Ian Rosenblatt, who has worked closely with Desmond since 1983. Desmond tried to sell the adult titles to an undisclosed bidder just before he acquired Express Newspapers in 2000.

Some commentators suspect he has offloaded them to help his bid to buy the Telegraph titles from Hollinger International, but Rosenblatt claimed the deal has been under negotiation since last April.

Desmond is currently being advised by Ashurst on the Telegraph bid, but Rosenblatt said he is likely to be brought in alongside the top-flight corporate firm at a later stage.

Rosenblatt also advised Desmond’s Northern & Shell in the battle with former Telegraph owner Conrad Black over control of their joint venture West Ferry Printers, which is half owned by Desmond and which remains an important feature in his battle for the Telegraph titles.

Under the West Ferry court agreement between Desmond and Black, Desmond could wrest control of the printworks if he fails to buy the Telegraph titles, which will present a major problem for the successful bidder.

In the adult magazines acquisition, Beachcroft Wansbroughs partner Peter Jay represented Remnant Media.