LAVA was appointed by Old Mill’s board to help them find a strategic partner for the business to both enhance their ability to service clients and support their people. It was LAVA’s combination of entrepreneurial, human-centric approach, deep professional services expertise, and unique approach to dealmaking, that made us the advisors of choice.
As a well-established accountancy and wealth management leader with a firm stronghold in the South West, Old Mill was a compelling proposition already drawing significant market interest. Their loyal, regionally focused client book comes with sought after specialisms and intergenerational referrals, and the combination of mature accountancy and wealth divisions with promising cross-sale opportunities, really got potential partners excited.
LAVA’s unique approach fully explores the market opportunity via a series of confidential intelligence gathering exercises ahead of making recommendations to leadership. This both arms the client with the broadest possible selection of options, and reassures them that no opportunity has been left unexplored. Through this process a familiar face to LAVA began to emerge as a frontrunner, and it’s great to have been able to work with the team at Blixt-backed group, Kinbrook, on another incredibly exciting addition to their portfolio.
It was vital to the Old Mill team that the deal protect the legacy they had built together, as well as securing the future of their high-performing, valued team. In professional services, your people are your greatest asset, so we’re confident the Old Mill team will thrive in their new home with Kinbrook.
A complex, heavily regulated sector means the LAVA’s team’s technical skills were essential to smoothly handling the demands of data sharing and due diligence, right through the finer points of the SPA to reaching an agreement that worked for everyone.
LAVA were fantastic throughout this process and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the partnership with Kinbrook. The complexity of the deal meant their professionalism, diligence and expertise were essential to a successful outcome, and they couldn’t have made our lives any easier.
Mark Neath CEO, Old Mill
At LAVA, we know that leveraging our diverse range of skills and backgrounds gets us to the best solution, so much of the team has worked on the project at one time or another. But it was LAVA Partner, Hamish Martin, along with Tom Rowe-Jones and Sunil Samani, who took day-to-day ownership, seamlessly driving the deal through to fruition.
We’re so pleased to have been involved in such an important milestone in the journeys of both Old Mill and Kinbrook, and have no doubt that the combined strength of the new proposition will bring them even more success going forward.
Hamish Martin LAVA Partner
This marks a promising new chapter for the teams, and we can’t wait to see what they do next. Read Kinbrook Group’s official announcement to learn more.
