Partner Article

Grant Thornton Scotland Deals team top Q1 M&A rankings

Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Scottish corporate finance team has been ranked number one in the Experian Q1 League table rankings for Scotland, following an excellent start to the year.

The first quarter of 2022 saw the team, led by partner Neil McInnes, complete seven transactions, building on the strong momentum of 2021, which was a record year for the firm.

Stand-out deals completed by the team out of its offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow include the sale of Raeburn Drilling and Geotechnical Ltd to Safelane Global, the sale of energy services specialist RMEC Group to Centurion Group and the sale of two fast-growing education-focused technology companies.

Neil McInnes, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance in Scotland, said: “The team continues to see high levels of activity across a number of sectors, with a particular interest in technology sub-sectors such as EdTech, MedTech and FinTech. The lasting impact of the pandemic is accelerating digitalisation across all industries.

“Highlights for the Scottish corporate finance team include advising on the sale of two Scottish EdTech businesses – Giglets and Sumdog – to Scandinavian buyers. This also highlights another trend we’re seeing in 2022 - overseas buyers, particularly those from the US, looking to invest in high growth Scottish and UK mid-market companies.

He adds: “Ravenous private equity appetite is showing no sign of easing, with Experian reporting that close to half of the UK’s total deal value in Q1 came from private equity money, equating to a figure of £28bn in the mid-market. Given the increased government regulations and external accountability on the agenda, ESG efforts are vital to long-term value creation, sustainability and growth, making those with impressive ESG credentials an appealing option for these investors.”

Experian League Tables use data from Experian MarketIQ, revealing new layers of market insight by combining Corpfin’s global M&A database with comprehensive Companies House data and its market leading business, financial and risk databases.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Robson .