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CORPORATE FINANCE ADVISER OF THE YEAR AWARD


SPONSORED BY HSBC WINNER


Paul Russell of BDO and Andrew Thomson of HMT Corporate Finance


Left: Dominic Holland with winners: Paul Russell of BDO and Andrew Thomson of HMT Corporate Finance, and Mark Haines of sponsor HSBC Above: Paul Russell, Andrew Thomson and Mark Haines


With four shortlisted names to choose from, the judges worked long and hard to separate a winner, eventually deciding on the very unusual decision of awarding a joint title – so step forward Paul Russell of BDO and Andrew Thomson of HMT Corporate Finance.


The award, sponsored by HSBC, is always hotly contended and the pair had also faced strong competition from Adrian Dray of KPMG and Duncan Lamb of Grant Thornton.


The audience heard that Russell had led the BDO team to some significant deals in 2011 and indeed, BDO topped the CorpFin league tables as the most active financial adviser by deal volume.


Russell’s deals included Hamworthy’s acquisition of AW Flow Group; the sale of Integrated Cleaning Management in Hampshire to Compass; the sale of RiskDisk to Experian; and the acquisition by Exclusive Networks of VADition.


Nominations praised Russell and his team for their “responsiveness”, “insightful analysis” and “real commitment”, as well as impressive performance and negotiation skills.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – MAY 2012


Thomson had a similarly excellent year, advising the Tendeka board on the disposal of Sensornet; advising Leaders on the acquisition of JSM property; leading the Netmums’ sale from start to finish; and advising shareholders on the sale to KCC of Abingdon-based Basildon Chemicals.


One nomination for Thomson said: “With a blend of technical strength and commercialism, HMT quickly grasped and deal with key issues and it was great to have them on our side. They were invaluable throughout the process with 24/7 support, both in dealing with the big issues and rolling up their sleeves and sorting out the detail.”


Lamb, a finalist in 2011, was nominated for a number of deals over the past year, including Kerridge Commercial Systems’ acquisition of TIS Software; advising Palatine on the MBO of Selection Services; the sale of Kell to APC; and the sale of Security Partnerships to Bytes. He won plaudits for being a strong advocate of the regional market and judges were told he is held in “high regard”.


Dray leads the regional corporate finance team for KPMG, which completed more than 20 deals during the year, including the £60m sale of Davies Group to Electra Partners; and the £38m buyout of


MeetingZone by GMT Communications. One nomination said he and his team’s dealmaking success in 2011/12 was “testament to Adrian’s professionalism and dealmaking expertise.”


Russell and Thomson were presented with their award by Mark Haines, head of corporate at HSBC Thames Valley.


HMT’s Thomson said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted as finalists in all four categories we entered and won the Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year award for the second straight year.


“I believe that as a boutique firm without a national brand, this reflects our continued ability to compete in an extremely active marketplace along with our dedication to sourcing and executing local transactions. I would like to thank The Business Magazine for another highly enjoyable evening, and look forward to next year’s event.”


Thanking his colleagues, Russell said his individual award reflected the hard work of his team – see Dealmaker of the Year (over £25m).


www.businessmag.co.uk


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