We’re totally psyched to announce the opening of our first international office in New York! If you know LAVA, you know we don’t like to do the same old thing, so we’re not relying on a partner network or ecosystem play to deliver across the pond like a lot of firms do. Instead, we've gone all-in to launch a fully owned and integrated US entity, creating one of the only fully independent and international mid-market firms in the world.
We've talked a lot about the recent influx of US investor interest in the UK's most dynamic sectors, so it had become pretty apparent that building LAVA US was the best way to keep bringing our clients and partners the broadest possible range of options. By leveraging our recent funding, we were able to accelerate our plans and get LAVA boots on the ground as soon as possible. And with two brand new Partners bringing an absolute armoury of complementary skills and experience, LAVA New York promises to be a mid-market M&A masterclass.
Meet Carlo Porreca
First up in our new dream team is US PE powerhouse Carlo Porreca, who brings nearly two decades of deal origination experience and a particularly comprehensive view of the M&A world, gaining extensive experience across buyside, sellside, private equity origination and investment banking before founding his own firm, Wall Springs Capital, Inc.
His sweet spot is having his finger firmly on the pulse of the US mid-market, with a particular focus on B2B, healthcare and tech-enabled services, and he’s built a deep network of PE firms, family offices, advisers and business owners along the way. At LAVA, he’ll lead US sponsor coverage, keeping us at the heart of the US investor community, connecting the right buyers and businesses, and, crucially, being LAVA’s properly plugged-in person on the ground who can bridge the gap between the US and UK.
I’ve spent most of my career connecting business owners with the right investors, so I’ve seen first-hand how valuable the right relationship can be, particularly when you’re crossing markets. LAVA has built something genuinely different in the UK, and I’m excited to bring my US relationships and experience to the team, give our clients real access to the pick of investors on both sides of the Atlantic, and help build what comes next.
Carlo Porreca LAVA Partner
Meet Helen Dixon
Bringing more than 20 years’ M&A experience, Helen has spent her career working closely with founders, leadership teams, PE investors and strategic buyers across the UK, US, Europe and APAC. Originally from the UK, she moved to the US in 2017 and has held senior roles at Grant Thornton, BDO, and more.
Her background in financial due diligence brings a highly technical edge to her work when assessing and preparing companies for a transaction, particularly across technology, software, consulting and professional services. At LAVA, she’ll help further build out our cross-border capabilities, combining her impressive experience and longstanding relationships on both sides of the Atlantic to help businesses tell their story in a way that resonates across buyers and investors. Her deep knowledge of the similarities and differences between UK and US dealmaking means she’ll be invaluable to the UK team, bringing additional technical and transaction expertise and seamlessly navigating the two markets.
What really drew me to LAVA was both the ambition, and also the way the team works. There’s a real entrepreneurial energy and a very personal approach to clients that’s quite different from the traditional grey-suit world of corporate finance. Having worked across both the UK and US for much of my career, I’m incredibly excited about what we can build by bringing that experience together as one seamless team – particularly for businesses looking to access US capital and investors navigating opportunities across the Atlantic.
Helen Dixon LAVA Partner
What does the future look like with LAVA US?
With ever-increasing interest from US investors in top-notch UK businesses, it was important to us that the LAVA New York office is embedded in the heart of midtown Manhattan's investment district, keeping us at the centre of the most exciting cross-border deal opportunities.
For our valued sellside clients, this means we can give you even more options and support than ever before, with the ability to seamlessly loop in US investors and deepen the pool of potential buyers through our US team's rich network. You’ll still get the highly technical capabilities of our amazing engine room, dedicated oversight from the senior team members you know and trust, and the broadest range of supplementary skills on the market, to ensure you get the best possible outcome for your business.
For our friends in US PE, we can introduce you right to the heart of some of the UK's most exciting companies, providing compelling options for capital deployment as well as a validated buyer pool for your UK-based holdings. Our deep knowledge of the market means we can help you navigate the differences and ensure parties on both sides of the deal get everything they need to succeed.
For our UK PE partners we’re bringing even more investment options for boosting returns on exit, and connecting you seamlessly to your international counterparts.
We're delighted to have Helen and Carlo join us on this adventure, and couldn't be more excited for the future of LAVA. We already know how much our unique approach and diverse skillset resonates here in the UK, so add in their incredible combination of deep US sponsor networks and highly technical cross-border deal experience and we're confident we have everything we need to succeed. This is a huge step for LAVA as we mark our first international venture, and we can't wait to bring our approach to even more founders, entrepreneurs and investors.
Simon, Hamish, Paul & Tom The UK LAVA Partner team
