Solent: The Solent Deals Awards winners 2014

Anyone taking a summer evening walk past St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton might have guessed that all the cheering and clapping for the top 11 players on the south coast had something to do with Saints best-ever Premiership season.

They would have been wrong – this was the Solent Deals Awards.

This year, with the addition by popular request of a Due Diligence category, there were 11 awards to honour the top firms and individual performances in the Solent region.

David Murray, publisher of The Business Magazine, announced that nominations received this year had soared 60% to 320. This not only reflected the increasing status of the Deals Awards but also the improving levels of activity in the M&A marketplace, Murray stated, as he welcomed more than 270 guests to “the key corporate finance event on the south coast this year.”

The deals scene is now recovering strongly from a slowly improving 2013, added Murray. Deal volumes nationally were up almost 3% for 2013, although the year actually yielded the lowest overall value for UK M&A activity since 2001, down by 38% according to EY.

“Firms are reporting a stronger start to 2014, on the back of the pick-up in the UK economy generally, a pick-up incidentally which is running ahead of target.”

Activity on the south coast plainly showed that the Solent region has its own strong corporate finance community, he said. “It’s been a mixed year – some good mid-market deals, a couple of significant bigger international sales – such as Sunseeker going to a Chinese buyer – and a reasonable level of activity among smaller deals.”

Murray thanked all the Solent Deals Awards category sponsors for their much-valued support – Lamport Bassitt, Meridian Corporate Finance, Moore Blatch, Wilkins Kennedy, BCMS, HSBC, PwC, and UBS. He also paid tribute to the Deals Awards judges for their professional knowledge and, with 320 nominations, their concentrated effort.

Versatile television presenter, who currently hosts ITV’s Premiership Rugby coverage, Mark Durden-Smith set the scene with panache and self-deprecating humour, easing an anticipatory audience into an relaxed mood ready to celebrate success.

Awards took place throughout prestigious gala evening, between courses of a three-course dinner.

Guests used table keypads to vote on the night for three of the award winners – Dealmaker of the Year, and two Deal of the Year categories.

Another ‘winner’ during the evening on June 5 was the Brain Tumour Research charity, which had its funds boosted by £2,690.50 (plus €50) through table collections from the generous corporate finance community attending.

 

Deal of the Year (over £25m) Sponsored by UBS Wealth Management

Winner:

Sunseeker
£300m-plus Sale of Sunseeker to Dalian Wanda of China
Involving: Deloitte

 

Nominated:

Axell Wireless
£85m disposal of Axell Wireless to Cobham plc (Project Dragon)
Involving: Moore Blatch

Imagine Publishing
MBO of Imagine
Involving: Shoosmiths, HSBC, Rockhopper Investment

JCC Lighting
Sale of JCC to US electrical manufacturer Leviton
Involving: LDC, Osborne Clarke, KPMG, Business Development Asia

Sunseeker
£300m-plus Sale of Sunseeker to Dalian Wanda of China
Involving: Deloitte

 

Deal of the Year (under £25m) Sponsored by UBS Wealth Management

Winner:

The Training Room
£20m investment by LDC
Involving: LDC, Shoosmiths, Spectrum Corporate Finance, Osborne Clarke, CIL, Baker Tilly/RSM Tenon

 

Nominated:

Andante Travels
MBI
Involving: James Cowper, Lamport Bassitt, HMT, Trethowans, Panoramic Growth Equity, Vialex

Ceuta Holdings
Under £25m investment (Project Global)
Involving: Lester Aldridge, BDO, Juggernaut Capital

Nelson House Hospital
£8m (Project Op)
Involving: Blake Lapthorn, Smith & Williamson, Albion Ventures

The Training Room
£20m investment by LDC
Involving: LDC, Shoosmiths, Spectrum Corporate Finance, Osborne Clarke, CIL, Baker Tilly/RSM Tenon

 

 

Dealmaker of the Year Sponsored by The Business Magazine

Winner: Stewart Lambert (James Cowper)

Nominated:

Simon Davies (Spectrum Corporate Finance)

Peter Jeffery (Moore Blatch)

Darren Thompson (Meridian Corporate Finance)

Stewart Lambert (James Cowper)

 

Bank of the Year Sponsored by BCMS

Winner: HSBC

Outstanding Performer: Santander

Finalist: Barclays

 

Private Equity Firm Sponsored by Lamport Bassitt

Winner: LDC

Nominated:

Foresight Group

Panoramic Growth Equity

LDC

 

Management Team of the Year Sponsored by PwC

Winner: Jonathan Davies (The Training Room)

 

Nominated

Richard Adey (JCC Lighting)

Ian Finlay (Andante)

Jonathan Davies (The Training Room)

 

Law Firm of the Year Sponsored by Wilkins Kennedy LLP

Winner: Shoosmiths

Nominated:

Blake Lapthorn

Lamport Bassitt

Moore Blatch

Shoosmiths

 

Lawyer of the Year Sponsored by Meridian Corporate Finance

Winner: Sean Kelly (Lamport Bassitt)

Nominated:

Peter Jeffery (Moore Blatch)

Sean Wright (Shoosmiths)

Sean Kelly (Lamport Bassitt)

 

Corporate Finance Team Sponsored by HSBC

Winner: Meridian Corporate Finance

Nominated:

Baker Tilly

James Cowper

Smith & Williamson

Meridian Corporate Finance

 

Corporate Finance Adviser Sponsored by Moore Blatch

Winner: Michael Barcia (Meridian Corporate Finance)

Nominated:

David Copley (Baker Tilly)

Stewart Lambert (James Cowper)

Amanda Phillips (Smith & Williamson)

Michael Barcia (Meridian Corporate Finance)

 

 

Due Diligence Team Sponsored by The Business Magazine

Winner: Baker Tilly

Nominated:

Baker Tilly

Deloitte

James Cowper

 

Images from the Solent Deals Awards evening can be found here.