Shortlist unveiled for the West Midlands Rainmakers 2024
The shortlist for the West Midlands Rainmakers Awards 2024, celebrating the corporate finance individuals and teams responsible for the top deals of the year, can now be revealed.
Finance professionals from 30 firms gathered yesterday at Squire Patton Boggs’ office in Birmingham, to select the shortlist from the individuals and teams responsible for arranging more than 500 deals, mergers and acquisitions over the 12 months to the end of March.
West Midlands Rainmakers 2024 is sponsored by Gateley Legal and Rhino Interiors and is supporting Kids Village as its charity partner. Voting to choose the finalists is now open on a one-firm, one-vote basis.
The awards will be presented at a summer party at the Macdonald Burlington, Birmingham, on June 13 – you can find out more on the Rainmakers website and book your tickets here.
2024 Shortlist
Teams
Regional Legal Team:
Harrison Clark Rickerbys
Higgs LLP
Lodders Solicitors
Mills & Reeve
The Wilkes Partnership
Wright Hassall
National Legal Team:
Browne Jacobson
Eversheds Sutherland
Freeths
Gateley Legal
Shoosmiths
Squire Patton Boggs
Regional Corporate Finance Advisory Team:
Clairfield
Cooper Parry Corporate Finance
Evolve Corporate Finance
Heligan Group
Provantage
Springboard Corporate Finance
National Corporate Finance Advisory Team:
Alantra
Clearwater International
EY
KPMG
PwC
RSM
VC/Private Equity Team:
Beech Tree PE
BGF
LDC
NorthEdge Capital
Palatine Private Equity
YFM Private Equity
Debt Funder Team:
FDC
HSBC
Santander
Shawbrook
Thincats
Virgin Money
Asset-based Lending Team:
Close Brothers Group
HSBC
Leumi UK
PNC Financial Services
Shawbrook
Due Diligence Team:
BDO
Cortus Advisory
Grant Thornton
KPMG
PwC
RSM
Tax Advisory Team:
Claritas Tax
EY
Grant Thornton
PKF Smith Cooper
PwC
RSM
Deals:
Private Equity Exit Deal of the Year:
Portakabin acquired Darwin Group, with Kartesia exiting.
Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper, Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, Kartesia
Axiom Equity-backed Tracer Management Systems acquired Protean Software from exiting investor Foresight.
Fieldfisher LLP, Shoosmiths, James Cowper Kreston, CIBC
YFM-backed MBO of Antser Group, with BGF completing its exit.
Mills & Reeve, Freeths, Gateley Legal, Shoosmiths, Roythornes, Claritas Tax, Heligan Group, PwC, Cooper Parry Corporate Finance, Springboard Corporate Finance, EY, Crowe, YFM Private Equity
Westbridge backed the secondary MBO of Land Survey Solutions, providing an exit for RJD Partners.
Squire Patton Boggs, Mishcon de Reya LLP, Pinsent Masons, Clearwater International, Cooper Parry Corporate Finance, LAVA Advisory Partners
Glory Global Solutions acquired Flooid from exiting investor Inflexion Private Equity.
BDO, Clearwater International, Inflexion Private Equity
Palladian Investment Partners backed an MBO of Intelli-Park, with investor Solano Partners exiting.
Pinsent Masons, Osborne Clarke, Cortus Advisory, Solano Partners, Palladian Investment Partners, Vecturis Equity, EY, KPMG, GK Strategy, CiL
International Deal of the Year:
Franchise Brands acquired Pirtek Europe, for £200m.
Gateley Legal, GORG, PNC Capital Finance
Knighthead Capital Management took a 46% stake in Birmingham City.
Squire Patton Boggs, Deloitte, Knighthead Capital Management
Amco was bought by South African company Super Group for £30m.
Harrison Clark Rickerbys, Higgs LLP, Evolve Corporate Finance, BDO
Endless-backed KTC (Edibles) acquired Dublin-based Trilby Trading.
Arthur Cox, Eversheds Sutherland, KPMG
Hill & Smith acquired United Fiberglass of America for $14m.
Grant Thornton
Tarmac owner CRH sold its European lime operations to SigmaRoc.
Eversheds Sutherland, Hengeler Mueller, White & Case, Fieldfisher, JP Morgan
Small Deal of the Year (up to £10m):
WHS Plastics acquired Xandor Plastics UK.
Freeths, Burness Paull LLP, Cooper Parry Corporate Finance
Karndean International bought Dutch business mFLOR International.
Mills & Reeve, RSM
Forward Glass was acquired by Cornwall Group.
Higgs LLP, Springboard Corporate Finance, Claritas Tax
Sale of Stalis to FPE Capital-backed Egress Group.
Higgs LLP, Stephenson Harwood, The Wilkes Partnership, Headpoint, Cortus Advisory, FPE Capital, Claritas Tax
Limerston Capital-backed Forensic Access Group acquired Forensic Testing Service.
Clearwater International, Gateley Legal
Medium Deal of the year (£10m-£50m):
LDC invested in live events specialist Star Live.
Freeths, The Wilkes Partnership, Browne Jacobson, Higgs LLP, KPMG, Clearwater International, Regent Assay, LDC, Claritas Tax
SCC acquired a majority stake in Nimble.
Eversheds Sutherland, Squire Patton Boggs, Alantra, Grant Thornton
Palatine took a significant minority shareholding in the accountancy firm BK Plus.
Eversheds Sutherland, Gateley Legal, Irwin Mitchell, Cortus Advisory, RSM, Clearwater International, Palatine Private Equity, Shawbrook
YFM-backed management buyout of Antser Group, as BGF exited.
Mills & Reeve, Freeths, Gateley Legal, Shoosmiths, Roythornes Solicitors, Claritas Tax, Heligan Group, PwC, Cooper Parry, EY, Crowe, YFM Private Equity
BGF and Natwest invested £21.5m to acquire a minority stake in Metpro.
Ansons, Browne Jacobson, Evolve Corporate Finance, Shoosmiths, Cortus Advisory, BGF, Natwest, Claritas Tax
TeacherActive secured a minority investment from Pricoa Private Capital.
Clearwater International
Large Deal of the Year (over £50m):
Franchise Brands acquired Pirtek Europe, for £200m, supported by a £92m placing on AIM.
Gateley Legal, GORG, PNC Capital Finance
Healthcare modular buildings specialist Darwin Group was bought by Portakabin.
Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper, Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, Kartesia
Tarmac owner CRH sold its European lime operations to SigmaRoc.
Eversheds Sutherland, Hengeler Mueller, White & Case, Fieldfisher, JP Morgan
Car dealership Rybrook Group was acquired by Sytner Group.
Eversheds Sutherland, Hazlewoods
Apiary Capital backed a management buyout at First Intuition.
Clearwater International
Waterland-backed Cooper Parry acquired Haines Watts London.
Clearwater International, Squire Patton Boggs
Individual Awards:
Rising Star of the Year:
Mo Abbas, Freeths
Charlotte Casserly, Deloitte
Tom Joy, PKF Smith Cooper
Emily Parkes, Higgs LLP
Hayley Simmonds, Mills & Reeve
Kieran Virr, Clearwater International
Changemaker of the Year:
Ayesha Ali, LDC
Satvir Bungar, BDO
Kelly Henney, PNC
Deepak Parekh, Shawbrook Bank
Janai Parker, Gateley Legal
Rick Smyth, The Wilkes Partnership
Rainmaker of the Year:
Helen Brocklebank, RSM
Rob Burden, Clearwater International
Joe Dyke, Clearwater International
Paul Franks, Beech Tree PE
Sarah Taylor, Clearwater International
Richard Thomas, Palatine Private Equity
