2024 Yorkshire Rainmaker Award winners revealed
The winners have been revealed at the 2024 Yorkshire Rainmakers Awards, in a ceremony hosted by comedian Justin Moorhouse.
Justin Moorhouse
The awards were sponsored by Hall Brown Family Law, Hardy Fisher Services, Hilco Global, and Knights, and also supported by Campaigner, Gilbanks, Global, and data partner Experian.
Carly Gulliver from Addleshaw Goddard won the Changemaker of the Year. She said: “I love the intimacy of the community, in terms of actually being able to get deals done, and create deals and make things happen. In particular, one of my passions is tech and we’ve got an absolutely thriving tech community in Yorkshire.
“Thanks to my team at Addleshaw Goddard, I work with a really thriving energetic team and have a great source of support there. I also worked at Squire Patton Boggs and Eversheds, where I had great role models and partners too.”
Rainmaker of the Year went to Richard Goldsack at Clearwater, and the Rising Star award went to LDC’s Anthony West.
To see images from the evening click here.
Editor of the new Rainmakers platform Michael Taylor said: “Last year we have made a promise to the community that we would make serious strides in growing these awards, building our quality Rainmakers platform and finding ways to bring the community together in a respectful and serious way with a major Northern Rainmakers conference.
“We did all of that and tonight was another important step on that journey to give this community the support, space and platform it deserves.
“The whole corporate finance sector has come on leaps and bounds in the years I’ve covered it. tonight’s winners are serious, dedicated professionals who have made their mark in so many different ways. They are an inspiration.”
More than 40 judges from across the region’s corporate finance sector initially met in Leeds to review the deals from the last 12 months, and to decide which teams and individuals have had the biggest impact.
From those shortlisted the winners were picked after a one-firm-one-vote process.
2024 Rainmaker Awards winners
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The 2024 Yorkshire Rainmakers Award Winners
(shortlisted underneath)
TEAMS
Regional Legal Team: Freeths
Clarion
Gordons
Schofield Sweeney
Walker Morris
Ward Hadaway
National Legal Team: Squire Patton Boggs
Addleshaw Goddard
DLA Piper
Eversheds Sutherland
Pinsent Masons
Shoosmiths
Womble Bond Dickinson
Regional Corporate Finance Advisory Team: Park Place Corporate Finance
Azets
Castle Square
Dow Schofield Watts
Sentio Partners
Translink Corporate Finance
National Corporate Finance Advisory Team: Clearwater
EY
Grant Thornton
KPMG
PwC
Rothschild & Co
VC/Private Equity Team: BGF
Endless
Foresight Group
LDC
YFM Equity Partners
Debt Funder Team: HSBC
Santander
Shawbrook
TDC
ThinCats
Virgin Money
Asset-based Lending Team: Shawbrook
Arbuthnot
Breal
Close Brothers
Shawbrook
Due Diligence Team: Grant Thornton
Cortus Advisory
Dow Schofield Watts
Grant Thornton
KPMG
PwC
RSM
Tax Advisory Team: Tax Advisory Partnership
Deloitte
EY
Grant Thornton
KPMG
RSM
Translink Corporate Finance
INDIVIDUALS
Rising Star of the Year: Anthony West, LDC
Megan Atack, Freeths
James Baker, BGF
Olivia Field, Ward Hadaway
Joshua Astill-Headley, Squire Patton Boggs
Thomas Hopwood, Addleshaw Goddard
Changemaker of the Year: Carly Gulliver, Addleshaw Goddard
Jessica Armstrong, Lloyds
Alex Fogel, EY
Linda Nguyenova, BGF
Rebecca Rennison, EY
Jeremy Thomas, Deloitte
Rainmaker of the Year: Richard Goldsack, Clearwater
Chris Boyes, BGF
Richard Hunt, Addleshaw Goddard
Paul Mann, Squire Patton Boggs
Amy Pierechod, Gordons
Dan Smith, LDC
DEALS
Private Equity Exit of the Year: LDC invested in The 55 Group, providing an exit for Maven Capital Partners
Squire Patton Boggs, Addleshaw Goddard, Gateley, DLA Piper, KPMG, Rothschild, DSW, PMSI, Better Faster Growth, Catalysis, Park Place, HSBC, Maven Capital Partners, LDC
Assisi Pet Care Group acquired by Wind Point Partners providing a successful exit for Harwood Private Equity
Clarion, Shoosmiths, Reed Smith, Addleshaw Goddard, Park Place, Tax Advisory Partnership, KPMG
Findel Education acquired by Manutan, providing an exit for Endless LLP.
Walker Morris, KPMG, Clearwater International
Marlin Equity’s exit from and Triple Private Equity’s investment in SmartSearch
Squire Patton Boggs, KPMG, Rothschild, Liberty, Park Place Corporate Finance, Triple Private Equity, Investec
Acquisition of GBUK Group Ltd by A&M Capital Europe LLP
Squire Patton Boggs, Weil Gotshal & Manges, Houlihan Lokey, MDW Capital Partners, Boston Consulting Group, Alvarez & Marsal, EY, Piper Sandler, PwC, Kearney, H2 Equity Partners, A&M Capital Europe (AMCE), ICG, Virgin Money
Sale of Checkmate Fire to IK Partners by YFM
Clearwater International, 8 Advisory, Shoosmiths, HCR, Freeths, Grant Thornton, Saffery
International Deal of the Year: Assisi Pet Care Group acquired by Wind Point Partners providing a successful exit for Harwood Private Equity
Clarion, Shoosmiths, Reed Smith, Addleshaw Goddard, Reed Smith, Park Place, Tax Advisory Partnership, KPMG, Crescent Capital
LDC investment in Boston Energy
SPG, Addleshaw Goddard, KPMG, Clearwater International, Grant Thornton, LDC
Endless acquires ASCO Group
Walker Morris, KPMG, HSBC
Significant Erisbeg investment in Fruition IT, including a significant re-investment by the shareholders of Fruition IT
Gordons, Pinsent Masons, Clearwater International, BHP Corporate Finance, RSM
Small Deal of the Year (up to £10m): Operam Education, backed by BGF, acquires Provision Recruitment
Squire Patton Boggs, Nelsons Solicitors, Pinsent Masons, Gordons, BGF, HSBC
Growth funding for Latus Health from TDC
Shoosmiths, Pinsent Masons, Dow Schofield Watts, Translink Corporate Finance, Clearwater International, TDC
BGF investment into IDR Law
Freeths, ALT Legal, Tax Advisory Partnership, BGF
Aero Services Global Group acquired Produmax
Clarion, Shoosmiths, Pinsent Masons, Tyr Law, DLA Piper, Close Brothers
Arc Inspirations Ltd, (Manahatta, BOX and Banyan) raised £7m, comprising a £4m HSBC loan and £3m in equity
HSBC, BGF, Squire Patton Boggs, Gordons
Definition Group acquisition of OTM
Freeths, Clarion, Keystone, Sentio
Medium Deal of the Year (£10m-£50m): LDC Investment in Boston Energy
SPG, Addleshaw Goddard, KPMG, Clearwater International, Grant Thornton, LDC
BGF investment into hospitality and cruise furniture designer Akula
Gordons, Freeths, Shoosmiths, TLP, Dow Schofield Watts, Tax Advisory Partnership, BGF
BGF investment into PrimaryCare Physio
Walker Morris, Grant Thornton, BGF, Hill Dickinson
YFM investment in ResultingIT
Cortus Advisory, YFM
Investment by Mobeus Equity Partners LLP and existing management into Ellis Recruitment Group to support strategic international growth
Freeths, Shoosmiths, Dow Schofield Watts, Cortus Advisory, Tax Advisory Partnership, Clearwater International, Connect Corporate Finance, Mobeus Equity Partners
Large Deal of the Year (over £50m): LDC investment in Sheffield based student accommodation advertising platform, UniHomes.
Womble Bond Dickinson, Freeths, EY, Castle Square, Shoosmiths, HSBC
Marlin Equity’s exit from and Triple Private Equity’s investment in SmartSearch
Squire Patton Boggs, KPMG, Rothschild & Co, Liberty, Park Place, Triple Private Equity, Marlin Equity, Investec
Asda’s acquisition of EG Group’s UK and Ireland business
Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Freeths, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, EY, JP Morgan, Lazard, Morgan Stanley, PJT Partners, PwC, Rothschild & Co
Assisi Pet Care Group acquired by Wind Point Partners providing a successful exit for Harwood Private Equity
Clarion, Shoosmiths, Reed Smith, Addleshaw Goddard, Reed Smith, Park Place, Tax Advisory Partnership, KPMG
Acquisition of GBUK Group Ltd by A&M Capital Europe LLP
Squire Patton Boggs, Weil Gotshal & Manges, Houlihan Lokey, MDW Capital Partners, Boston Consulting Group, Alvarez & Marsal, EY, Piper Sandler, PwC, Virgin Money
Endless acquires ASCO Group
Walker Morris, KPMG, HSBC
Findel Education acquired by Manutan, providing an exit for Endless LLP
Walker Morris, KPMG, Clearwater
