M&A Consultancy

We run the full deal lifecycle from origination to integration. This ensures that your strategy & execution align, integration risks are minimised and synergies are realised.

Pre-Completion M&A Advisory

Successful acquisitions are rarely accidental. They are the product of disciplined origination, rigorous analysis, and clear commercial judgement long before a deal reaches completion. We support buyers across the full pre-completion M&A lifecycle, helping you source better opportunities, price them correctly, reduce execution risk, and negotiate terms that protect and enhance value.

Origination

A strong acquisition strategy starts with a high-quality deal pipeline. Increasingly, the most attractive opportunities never reach a broker’s desk. Competitive buyers are moving toward direct, proactive engagement with business owners to create proprietary deal flow and avoid inflated prices.

We design and execute origination strategies that are tailored to your acquisition criteria. Using advanced data analysis and AI-enabled research techniques, we identify target businesses that meet your commercial, geographic, and operational requirements. We then build a multi-layered outreach programme - combining personalised messaging, sequenced follow-ups, and relationship-led engagement to maximise response rates and initiate conversations with the right owners at the right time.

Valuations

Valuation should be a decision-making tool, not a rule of thumb. While market multiples provide a useful reference point, they rarely capture the true economics of a deal.

We develop valuations that go beyond headline EBITDA multiples by modelling future cash flows, growth scenarios, and risk profiles. Using discounted cash flow analysis alongside sensitivity testing, we help establish not just a price, but the right payment structure - balancing upfront consideration, deferred elements, and earn-outs to ensure the acquisition delivers an attractive return on investment.

Financial Due Diligence

Financial diligence is about understanding how the business really performs - not just how it reports.

We assess the quality and sustainability of earnings, working capital dynamics, cash conversion, tax risks, and balance-sheet exposures. Our focus is on identifying normalised profitability, potential deal breakers, and areas where pricing or structure should be adjusted to reflect underlying risk.

Commercial & Operational Due Diligence

A good deal on paper can still fail in practice. Our due diligence extends beyond the numbers to evaluate whether the acquisition makes sense operationally and commercially.

Drawing on deep experience across finance, sales, and operational leadership roles, we assess customer concentration, pricing resilience, sales effectiveness, operational scalability, management capability, and cultural alignment. This holistic approach not only de-risks the transaction, but also enables early integration planning, identifying synergies and friction points before completion.

Negotiations

Value is often won or lost at the negotiating table. We support buyers throughout the negotiation phase, helping translate diligence findings into clear commercial positions.

We advise on price adjustments, deal structure, risk allocation, and negotiating strategy to ensure issues uncovered during diligence are reflected appropriately in the final terms - without derailing momentum or damaging relationships.

Commercial Terms for Purchase Agreements

The sale and purchase agreement is where value is ultimately protected. We work alongside your legal advisers to ensure the commercial intent of the deal is properly reflected in the documentation.

This includes guidance on warranties, indemnities, earn-out mechanics, completion accounts or locked-box structures, working capital provisions, and other key protections - ensuring the agreement supports both value creation and downside protection post-completion.

Post-Completion Value Delivery

Completing a transaction is only the beginning. The real success or failure of an acquisition is determined in the weeks and months that follow completion. This is where most organisations struggle - and where the greatest value is either unlocked or quietly eroded.

We support buyers through the entire post-completion integration phase, providing structured oversight, hands-on delivery, and clear accountability to ensure the deal achieves its intended outcomes.

Business Integration

Effective integration requires clarity, pace, and leadership. We design and oversee the integration plan from day one, setting clear priorities, ownership, and timelines.

Our role is to act as a central point of control, ensuring that activity across finance, operations, sales, HR, and IT is coordinated and aligned. For organisations and colleagues who may be new to acquisition integration, we provide guidance, structure, and momentum - keeping the process moving without unnecessary disruption.

Process & Systems Alignment

Process and systems misalignment is one of the most common causes of integration failure. It creates confusion, delays decision-making, and introduces friction between teams.

We map existing processes and systems across both organisations to identify gaps, duplication, and dependency bottlenecks. This allows issues that block progress elsewhere to be addressed early. Rapid alignment of core systems is also critical to synergy realisation - particularly where duplicated platforms, reporting tools, or workflows can be consolidated to reduce cost and complexity.

Project Management

Integration only works if it is actively managed. We provide end-to-end project management, from detailed planning through to close-out and post-integration review.

This includes milestone tracking, risk management, issue escalation, and clear communication - ensuring that integration activity stays on track and that nothing falls between functional boundaries. Our structured approach brings discipline without bureaucracy, allowing teams to focus on running the business while the integration progresses in parallel.

TUPE

TUPE can be one of the most sensitive and misunderstood aspects of an acquisition. For colleagues, it often brings uncertainty and concern at a time when stability is most important.

We work closely with HR teams to manage the TUPE process carefully and professionally, helping colleagues understand that it exists to protect them. Where changes are required, we support clear communication and proper consultation, ensuring that transitions are handled fairly, legally, and with minimal disruption to morale and productivity.

Colleague & Customer Retention

Retention risk is highest immediately after completion. Poor communication or operational missteps can unsettle both colleagues and customers.

We support the development and execution of clear, timely communication plans - particularly around customer-facing processes such as billing, contracts, and account management. Done badly, these areas can lead to delayed payments, service issues, or customer termination. Done well, they reinforce confidence and continuity at a critical point in the relationship.

Cross Selling

Cross selling is often cited as a key synergy in acquisition cases - but executed poorly, it can create friction with customers and overwhelm newly integrated teams.

We help design and implement cross-selling strategies that are sequenced, targeted, and commercially sensible. Timing is critical. When introduced at the right moment, cross selling can materially increase deal returns while also serving as a powerful motivator for colleagues. We support the creation of incentive and commission structures that encourage collaboration and reward successful cross-selling outcomes.