37 CORPORATE FINANCE TEAM
OF THE YEAR AWARD
SPONSORED BY HSBC WINNER Meridian Corporate Finance
The jubilant winning team – Meridian Corporate Finance, with Mark Frettingham (top right) of sponsor HSBC
Soon another potential Deal Awards ’double’ was in the offing. With Michael Barcia having already claimed the 2014 Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year title, it was the Meridian Corporate Finance table that was on tenterhooks.
The Meridian team had achieved a highly productive year with 11 deals in the qualifying period, including the cross-border sale of Coolmation Group, the funding of Koh Thai’s expansion, and the sale of Beovax Computer Solutions. Meridian prides itself on completing over 90% of the deals it undertakes.
Smith & Williamson’s Southampton office, with Amanda Phillips leading the CF team, advised on a number of international and domestic deals during 2013 including the complex cross-border sale of Bluebird Care Group to a Florida-based buyer. The client said the Smith & Williamson team “demonstrated an outstanding knowledge of the healthcare industry and cross-border transactions which was crucial in ensuring we navigated safely“ through the sale.
The challenge to the Meridian ’double’ came from three excellent contenders: Baker Tilly, James Cowper, and Smith & Williamson.
Baker Tilly’s south coast presence has grown out of the acquisition of RSM Tenon with David Copley building an “enviable reputation“ for deals, including the MBO of Bainbridge International, while Darren Miller is also prominent in the region.
In the future, local business could have a very different view of the world.
All eyes were upon the stage as Mark Frettingham, head of corporate banking at HSBC’s southern banking centre announced the winning team – Meridian Corporate Finance.
Help from HSBC’s expert local corporate teams could connect you to the huge potential of the world’s fastest-growing markets, giving you the edge and changing your world view for good.
Once again the Meridian table enthusiastically enjoyed the award announcement – “a fantastic morale boost for the team“ said partner Darren Thompson later, as he suggested the firm’s scope of advisory support and working location were key to its success.
James Cowper completed 20 deals with a total value of £220 million, making it a record year for the firm. Transactions included an AIM listing, acquisitions and fundraising across a range of sectors. One headline local deal was the MBI at Andante Travels, advised by Stewart Lambert.
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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JULY/AUGUST 2014 Issued by HSBC Bank plc. 2013
“Most corporate finance houses are run by accountants whereas we are operationally involved with boards of companies, we are non-execs, we are investors and we are from a diverse range of backgrounds – bankers, accountants, venture capitalists as well as being industry focused and experienced.“
Call Mark Frettingham, Head of Corporate Banking, at Southern Corporate Banking Centre on 08455 859449* or email
markfrettingham@hsbc.com
Meridian also has its own growth capital fund to invest into companies, a legal secondment programme, can undertake personal equity involvement, and provides advice about raising finance and selling companies.
“We think we cover all the bases and we are definitely involved with more Solent companies than anyone else.
The new international economy means that trading in every corner of the globe could soon be the norm for all kinds of UK businesses.
“We are the largest corporate finance team based in the Solent area and we think it is really important to be based in this area. We work on a day-to-day basis with the people you see in this room tonight and the quality and talent in the Solent region is phenomenal. We are really committed to the Solent region and being part of this community means a lot to us.“
Because of Meridian’s wide range of knowledge and experience within the firm, any recruitment would be more about personal attitudes than skillsets, says Thompson. “We could take bright individuals and turn them into good advisers simply by showing them what it takes through a full- span education within our business.“
www.businessmag.co.uk AC24210
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