LK Shields Solicitors acted for its long-standing client, the Alpha Newspaper Group, in connection with the purchase of the Newry Democrat from TCH Democrat Media Limited, a member of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings Group.

The Newry Democrat is a weekly local newspaper which is circulated predominantly in Newry and the surrounding area.

The Alpha Newspaper Group is the largest weekly newspaper group in Northern Ireland and the Irish Midlands with a readership of 425,000 for paid-for newspapers and 120,000 for free-newspapers. Titles in the Alpha Newspaper Group include the Ulster Gazette, The Leader, the Antrim Guardian, the Midland Tribune and the Tullamore Tribune. The acquisition of the Newry Democrat is an important addition to its Northern Irish regional newspaper portfolio.

The transaction was notified to the Competition Authority under the Competition Acts 2002 to 2010 as a "media merger". It was examined by the Authority and was cleared on 3 November 2010.

Emmet Scully, Partner and Head of the Business Department, led the transaction along with Marco Hickey, Partner and Head of the EU, Competition and Regulated Markets Unit, who dealt with the Competition Authority notification. Aoife
Nic Lochlainn, Associate Solicitor, provided assistance.

November 2010.