The corporate team at North West independent law firm, Brabners, advised on more than £234m-worth of deals in the first half of 2024.
The firm’s M&A activity – which delivered a 64% uplift in transaction values compared with the second half of 2023 – was driven by its 50-strong corporate practice spread across its offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire and Leeds.
The team advised on 74 transactions in the first six months of the year, as it continued to support the M&A, growth, succession and exit strategies of clients both domestically and abroad.
Notable deals supported by the team included the £30m sale of healthcare specialists Compass CHC to Brabners’ client, Omni Partners – an acquisitive private equity fund – Liverpool-based Adlib Audio’s successful management buyout, and the eight-figure sale of North East construction ‘software-as-a-service’ business Clixifix to SmartCraft Group.
The firm also supported eight businesses in their transition to employee ownership, building on the deal pipeline which saw Brabners ranked by Experian as the region’s most active Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) advisor in 2023.
Key clients included Gloucester-based supply chain and logistics operator Planet Logistics and Morecambe-based ophthalmic lens manufacturer Optimum Coatings.
Notably, the team has also experienced a significant upturn in new M&A activity in the healthcare sector, driven by falling interest rates.
The corporate team’s success continued to support sustained organic growth across the firm, which delivered a sixth consecutive year of sustainable growth in 2023 with revenues up 15%.
Mark Rathbone, partner and head of corporate at Brabners, said: “Since the end of the first quarter we’ve seen a notable improvement in operating conditions, and this has filtered through to market sentiment, with funds increasingly deploying capital to support those businesses targeting growth through M&A.
“As identified by our True North network, successfully deploying risk capital into the UK’s innovation-based industries will be critical to a stronger economy in the region and nationally, so it’s encouraging to see our team continuing to advise in key areas such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences and healthcare.”
He added: “With interest rates projected to fall as the year progresses, we’re anticipating an active second half to 2024 and look forward to supporting our clients to capitalise on this increased appetite for investment.”
