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What we mean by M&A advisory

This is strategic and organisational guidance around a transaction, not a substitute for legal or financial advice, and not a regulated advisory service. Think of us as an experienced, unconflicted pair of hands who has sat on this side of the table before: someone who helps you get your story straight, understand what you actually want out of a deal, and hold your own in a negotiation with a counterparty who does this for a living.

We work best alongside your existing lawyers and accountants, not instead of them. Our job is the strategy and the process around the transaction; theirs is the contracts, the tax structuring, and the technical due diligence. A good deal needs both.

Situations we help with

✓ A founder-led company has been approached by a potential acquirer and isn't sure how seriously to take the approach, or how to respond without giving away too much too soon.
✓ A business is considering acquiring a competitor or a key supplier and needs help thinking through the strategic case before anyone picks up the phone.
✓ A family-owned company is facing a generational handoff and a sale process looks like the most realistic route forward, but nobody in the family has run one before.
✓ A management team wants an outside, unconflicted perspective before signing anything: a sounding board that isn't the other side's bank and isn't trying to sell them something else.

These are illustrative scenarios to help you recognise whether this is the right kind of support for your situation, not case studies or past engagements.

What we actually do

AreaWhat that looks like in practice
PreparationGetting the business, the numbers, and the narrative ready before you're in front of a counterparty
PositioningFraming the story so buyers, investors, or partners understand the real value on offer
Negotiation supportSitting alongside management through calls and meetings, and helping think through terms as they come in
CoordinationWorking with your lawyers, accountants, and other advisers so nothing falls between the cracks

How a mandate typically runs

1

Initial conversation

We talk through where you are, what's prompting the process, and what a good outcome would actually look like for you.

2

Preparation & positioning

We help get the business story, materials, and numbers into shape, and agree how you want to appear to the other side.

3

Engagement with counterparties

We support conversations and negotiations as they progress, working alongside your existing management team throughout.

4

Coordination to close

We stay involved through documentation and closing, coordinating with your legal and financial advisers so the process holds together end to end.

Frequently asked

No. This is an advisory relationship, not an investment. We're not on the other side of your cap table, and we don't ask for equity in exchange for advisory work, and that keeps our advice unconflicted.
No, and you shouldn't want us to. We focus on the strategy, preparation, and negotiation side of a transaction. Legal drafting, tax structuring, and financial due diligence stay with your existing professional advisers; we simply coordinate closely with them.
It depends entirely on the situation and the counterparty, but most mandates run from an initial conversation through to a closed transaction over several months rather than weeks. We'll give you a realistic sense of pace once we understand what you're working with.
No. This is strategic and organisational advisory work connected to a transaction. It doesn't extend to valuation, deal financing, or financial advice; for those, we work in coordination with your other professional advisers.

Thinking about a sale, acquisition, or merger?

If you'd like an unconflicted second opinion before you go further, get in touch and we'll talk through where you are.

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