The Business Magazine in partnership with Insider can now reveal finalists for the South Coast Deals Awards 2026 – celebrating excellence across the region’s corporate finance and dealmaking community.
Now in its eleventh year, the event is set to take place at the Leonardo Royal Southampton on Thursday 10 September, with presenter and sports broadcaster Mark Durden-Smith as compere.
Guests will be treated to a gala evening, three-course dinner and engaging conversation with industry leaders.
Thank you to sponsors Clarke Willmott, Fiander ETL, FRP Corporate Finance, HSBC UK, James Cowper Kreston, Lester Aldridge, Moore Barlow and Pangea Life, as well as drinks reception sponsor Dow Schofield Watts and networking booklet sponsor The FSE Group for supporting this year’s event.
Chosen by a panel of independent judges, winners will be celebrated across 12 categories from the shortlists below:
Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year
Sponsor: Lester Aldridge
Darren Miller, FRP Corporate Finance
James Vallence, BDO
Simon Davies, FRP Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Team of the Year
Sponsor: Moore Barlow
Azets
BDO
FRP Corporate Finance
James Cowper Kreston Corporate Finance
Corporate Law Firm of the Year
Sponsor: James Cowper Kreston
Blake Morgan
Broadfield Law UK
Lester Aldridge
Moore Barlow
Paris Smith
Shoosmiths
Trethowans
Deal of the Year (£10m – £50m)
Acquisition of Dart Marina Group by Premier Marinas (Azets, Bishop Flemming, Broadfield Law UK, Michelmores)
Investment by LDC in i247 Group (AON, CIL Strategy Consultants, Customer Contact Panel, EY, FSP, Grant Thornton, RSM, Saffery, Shoosmiths, Trethowans)
Investment by NatWest in JS Group (DSA Advisory, FRP Advisory, Pinsent Masons, Shoosmiths)
Sale of Breeze Motor Group and Ocean Automotive to Van Mossel Automotive Group (Cooper Parry Environmental, Forvis Mazars, Four Five, Lester Aldridge, Ramboll, Wallace & Co)
Sale of Catalyst Property Finance to The FHL Group (PwC, Saffery, Slaughter and May, Trethowans)
Sale of DPP Ltd to Eight Group, backed by Alpine Investors (A&M, AON, Cushman & Wakefield, EY, Freeths, Grant Thornton, Kirkland & Ellis, KPMG, Paris Smith, Teneo Financial Advisory)
Sale of Pangea Insurance Brokers, Pangea Broker Services, and Pangea Life to Clear Group by Pangea Group (Browne Jacobson, Moore Barlow)
Sale of Wessex Resins & Adhesives to PRO-SET Formulated Resin Systems (Broadfield Law UK, Freeths, James Cowper Kreston, McDermott Will & Schulte)
Deal of the Year (over £50m)
Acquisition of Boatfolk Marina Group by Premier Marinas (Acuity Law, CBRE Investments, Broadfield Law UK, EY, Lockton Companies)
Delivery of private credit package to TC Group, backed by Inflexion Private Equity, by HSBC UK
Disposal of Barchester Healthcare (Holdco and Limecay) to Welltower (Blake Morgan, Callin Wild, Eversheds, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Mourant)
Provision of a bilateral revolving credit facility to the University of Southampton by HSBC UK
Sale of Graham Care portfolio to Hartford Care (Clifford Chance, Connell Consulting, Lester Aldridge)
Sale of Trethowans to Lawfront (DSA Advisory, FRP Advisory, Gallagher, Howdens, KPMG, Lights On Consulting, Pinsent Masons, Rapleys, Walker Morris)
Strategic refinancing of The Workdry Group’s debt facilities by HSBC UK
Deal of the Year (under £10m)
Sponsor: HSBC
$3.7m funding round by Neutonic (Lester Aldridge)
Acquisition of Chase Cricket by Wyvols Court Farm Holdings (Field Seymour Parkes, James Cowper Kreston)
Acquisition of Crave Interactive by The Hotel Communication Network (Broadfield Law UK, LaBarge Weinstein)
Acquisition of Matrix Business Group by Onecom (Broadfield UK, HMT, K3 Deal Advisory, LDC)
Sale of Building Monitoring Services to Celnor Group (Adam Street Advisers, Lester Aldridge)
Sale of Corrigenda to Apleona (BDO, Fiander Tovell, FRP Advisory, Paris Smith, Phillip Lee, Verdier & Co. Corporate Advisory)
Sale of HCR Group (Bird & Bird, Broadfield Law UK, S&W Group)
Sale of Tailor Made Technologies to Global 4 (HMT, K3 Deal Advisory, Moore Barlow)
Dealmaker of the Year
Sponsor: Clarke Willmott
Darren Miller, FRP Corporate Finance
Debbie Cenaj, Lloyds Bank
Jacob Leone, LDC
James Vallence, BDO
Simon Davies, FRP Corporate Finance
Emerging Dealmaker of the Year
Ana-Maria Garaba, LDC
David Crease, Broadfield Law UK
Fin Mckenzie, Broadfield Law UK
Jack Courtney, Moore Barlow
Jon Huggins, Azets
Katie Horsfield, K3 Deal Advisory
Katie Newham, Blake Morgan
Louis Nutland, Azets
Marnie Thomas, Trethowans
Mitch Hill, BDO
Lawyer of the Year
Sponsor: Pangea Life
Jake Holmes, Shakespeare Martineau
Jamie Earley, Lester Aldridge
Jeremy Over, Moore Barlow
Lisa Sigalet, Shoosmiths
Mark Nixon, Trethowans
Mathew Wilson, Blake Morgan
Oliver Kelly, Broadfield Law UK
Steve Cole, Trethowans
Lender of the Year
Sponsor: Fiander ETL
Barclays Bank
HSBC UK Bank
NatWest
Shawbrook Bank
The FSE Group
Private Equity Firm of the Year
Sponsor: FRP Corporate Finance
Foresight Group
LDC
YFM Equity Partners
Transaction Services Team of the Year
BDO
Fiander ETL
K3 Advantage
Saffery