Press Archives - LAVA Advisory Partners

LAVA launches first, fully integrated US office as international expansion begins

Team — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:59:08 GMT

LAVA secures funding to accelerate growth while remaining 100% employee owned

Team — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:05:10 GMT

Another exciting day at LAVA HQ sees us announce new funding from Beechbrook Capital, one of Europe’s leading SME lenders, allowing us to accelerate our next exciting phase of growth whilst protecting the employee ownership status that means so much to us.

When we decided to consider an investment injection to unlock our latest growth strategy, we were of course better placed than most to understand the range of options available. As is the LAVA way, we explored all possible routes before ultimately taking the path that we would advise our clients to, and agreeing to £8 million in debt funding from Beechbrook.

We have always tried to run LAVA in the way we would advise our clients to run their own businesses. Having reviewed the options as carefully as we did when establishing the EOT, we chose funding that supports our ambitions while preserving both our independence and our employee ownership structure, and allows us to keep our people at the heart of our process.

Hamish Martin LAVA Partner

Tom Rowe-Jones takes the next step to become LAVA's newest Partner

Team — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:05:47 GMT

We're thrilled to share that Tom Rowe-Jones has been promoted to Partner!

Tom is the first member of our team to be internally promoted to the top table, joining Hamish, Paul and Simon in steering LAVA into the future. Tom joined us as Associate Director in May 2021, bringing extensive M&A operations and strategy consulting experience from Deloitte and Accenture. Since then, he's spent five years leaving a lasting mark on the business, helping to shape the way we work, and providing incredible support to team members and clients.

Tom's profile stands out within the firm's diverse set of skills, coming as he does from a technology and operational strategy consulting background. Practical, value-focused, and mindful of buy- and sell-side thinking, he's been a hugely influential adviser to our clients, especially in the business services and defence sectors where he's become a leading expert.

Tom has delivered on a number of significant transactions, including the sale of Old Mill to Blixt-backed Kinbrook Group, the sale of Elemental to Cogency, and the sale of Callen Lenz to BAE Systems. He has shown both expertise and empathy in every facet of his work from origination to client management, demonstrating the fantastic additional value he can bring to LAVA in his new role as partner.

Tom has earned this promotion over five years of stellar work, including a step up to Director in 2023 which recognised him becoming an integral part of the LAVA business. Clients trust him because he understands what they are trying to achieve, and inside the team he helps set the tone for the way LAVA wants to grow, preserving the culture that makes us so special.

Tom's promotion is an important moment for LAVA, and a clear reflection of the opportunities we can create for talented and tenacious people as the business continues to grow. The example he sets is one that we can see everyone at the firm striving to match, and we can't wait to see who's next to follow in his footsteps.

Congratulations, Tom!

Congratulate Tom on LinkedIn Meet the rest of the team

Doubling down: Why LAVA is matching over £26,000 in donations for ReachOut UK

Team — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:10:15 GMT

At LAVA, we've always believed that business should be a force for good, and that belief sits at the heart of our Positive Change initiative, which sees us dedicate 2.5% of our annual turnover to charitable causes focused on improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people across the UK. It's a commitment we've made since day one, and one that continues to shape the way we think about success, both inside and outside the business.

Today, we're delighted to announce that we're matching £26,795 in donations raised for ReachOut UK through a Champions for Children fundraising campaign, alongside The Childhood Trust.

ReachOut works with young people aged 9 to 14, helping them build the socio-emotional skills that are so critical to confidence, resilience and long-term success. Through mentoring programmes and positive role models, the charity supports children who may not otherwise have access to the opportunities and support networks that many of us take for granted. Their work focuses on developing empathy, responsibility, problem-solving, initiative, teamwork and emotional management; key skills that can have a lasting impact throughout a young person's life.

At the same time, The Childhood Trust continues to play a vital role in tackling the effects of child poverty across London, working with hundreds of charities and supporting hundreds of thousands of children facing constrained circumstances. Their collaborative approach recognises that no single organisation can solve these challenges alone, and that meaningful change happens when charities, businesses and communities can band together to have a bigger impact.

Our Positive Change programme has always focused on supporting organisations that help children and young people overcome barriers, improve their wellbeing, and build brighter futures. Over the years, we've been proud to support charities including WellChild, Anna Freud, NSPCC, UNICEF, Happy Space UK and Place2Be, alongside fundraising efforts, challenge events and wider awareness campaigns led by our team. While each organisation tackles different challenges, they all share a common goal: giving young people the support, confidence and opportunities they need to thrive, and that's why this partnership is such a natural fit for LAVA.

As a business, we spend our days working with ambitious founders, business leaders and management teams. We see first-hand how important confidence, communication, resilience and problem-solving are in helping people achieve their potential. ReachOut is helping to develop those same foundations much earlier in life, ensuring young people have the tools they need to navigate challenges, build relationships and create positive futures for themselves.

By matching the money raised alongside the Childhood Trust we can multiply the impact of the initial pledges, and amplify the voices of everyone who chooses to support this campaign. Every pound raised can go further, helping ReachOut continue delivering programmes that support young people at a crucial stage in their development.

Our commitment has never been limited to writing cheques. We love build long-term relationships with organisations making a real difference, use our networks to create awareness, and encourage others in the business community to get involved wherever they can. Whether that's fundraising, volunteering, mentoring or making a donation, we believe that collective action can achieve far more than any one organisation acting alone.

As a certified B Corp, we're committed to balancing commercial success with positive social impact, and supporting charities that invest in the next generation is one of the most meaningful and rewarding ways we can live up to that commitment. Every transaction we advise on, every client relationship we build, and every success we celebrate creates an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.

We're incredibly proud to support ReachOut UK and The Childhood Trust, and we're excited to see the difference this fundraising effort can make. If you'd like to join us in supporting this fantastic cause, we'd encourage you to get involved, because together we can help ensure more young people have the confidence, support and opportunities they need to realise their potential.

Learn more about Positive Change Learn more about ReachOut

Camascope has joined PCS, bringing together best-in-class medication management and digital care solutions

Team — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:54:41 GMT

When LAVA was first approached by Camascope's leadership, it was to test market appetite off the back of a series of unsolicited approaches from interested investors. Little did they expect to be joining Person Centred Software (PCS) to deliver one of the most comprehensive PE-backed care delivery platforms in UK social care.

The third company we've worked with to be named in the FT1000 fastest growing companies this year, Camascope had an impressive medication management offering and a proven management team that made it highly sought after by a number of global investors. But with success to date driven by a passionate team with a genuine commitment to improving care outcomes, it was important to ensure the company remained in the hands of strong management. This meant finding exactly the right partner who could not only demonstrate appetite and the ability to deliver, but also commit to continuing the exceptional care that is so important to the Camascope team.

LAVA's unique market testing process thoroughly explored a huge range of possible avenues for the complex network of shareholders, delivering in-depth insights as to the state of the market, the breadth of potential investors, and the structural operations available to them. With so many stakeholders to consider, from original founders to current leadership, as well as myriad other investors, balancing multiple priorities was key to securing the future success of the company.

Person Centred Software (PCS), a leader in digital care management solutions in the UK, supporting more than 300,000 residents, is backed by UK PE house, Cow Corner as majority investors, and recently received funding from US growth equity house, Brighton Park Capital, and preeminent software investor, Nic Humphries, to support a new phase of growth. They not only showed a keen interest in what the opportunity of coming together could mean for the future of the industry, but also demonstrated a nuanced appreciation of the company's achievements to date, as well as the enormous future potential presented by the opportunity to expand into home care.

Camascope's eMAR platform supports care providers to manage medication administration including compliance and reporting, all in one place. It replaces paper-based systems with an intuitive app, improving accuracy, saving time, and supporting safer, more personalised care. The platform also gives managers real-time visibility over operations and outcomes, making it easier to meet regulatory standards while improving overall efficiency and quality of care.

With additional stakeholders to consider on the buyside too, LAVA were integral to balancing priorities by keeping a clear handle on the key deliverables for the transaction. Ensuring the preservation of the mission-driven passion that lies at the heart of the offering was vital, with Camascope CEO Kehan Zhou now taking on the role as Group CEO of Person Centred Software.

Check out our other deals Follow us on LinkedIn

Millie makes Manager: Another step forward for the original LAVAly

Team — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:32:47 GMT

We're really pleased to share that Millie Counsell has been promoted to Manager, marking the latest step in a journey that's been pretty special to watch from the moment she joined, way back in 2020.

From the start, Millie's progression hasn't followed a typical path. She hit the ground running as the firm's first employee, throwing herself in at the deep end to work with Simon and Hamish on the very first deals through the door. Since then, she's grown with the business, benefitting from immediate exposure to both senior dealmakers and influential client relationships, and soon taking on more responsibility.

Millie's curiosity, commitment and creativity meant she quickly became a central part of how we deliver for clients, and what's really stood out is the way she approaches deals. Described as precise, calm under pressure, and always willing to find a way through, even when things don't quite go to plan; Millie has been instrumental in coming up with interesting angles or novel approaches for many of our landmark deals.

As she's risen through the ranks, she's taken on leadership of the analyst pool, mentoring our incoming talent in the LAVA way of doing things, embracing LAVA's feedback-forward culture and speaking up with ideas, challenges, and praise, and helping shape the function from the ground up.

She's also been building a strong voice in her own right, particularly around specialist themes like employee ownership, education, and built environment, where she's developed an impressive level of expertise. It's a good reflection of how we think about development, giving people the space to form views, contribute to conversations, and shape their own path rather than following a fixed track.

As Manager, Millie will continue delivering top-notch work for clients, expanding her expertise into new and exciting technical disciplines, and stepping away from leading the analyst pool to focus on delivering for clients as a core part of the engine room.

We always love a good promotion, and this one's both unsurprising, based on her incredible progression to date, and very well deserved. We're incredibly proud of how far she's come, and very excited to see what comes next, so stay tuned for more of mighty Millie!

Congratulate Millie on LinkedIn

More growth for LAVA as Head of Finance, Matt Morris, joins the team full time.

Team — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:51:18 GMT

Matt is no stranger to the business, having worked with LAVA as a client at his former firm before becoming our fractional Head of Finance in 2024. As LAVA's growth journey continues apace, the time was right to bring Matt into the team full time.

A self-confessed 'numbers guy', Matt knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in finance and dived into an accountancy apprenticeship at 18, gaining experience in a junior role before moving to a boutique practice where he was able to develop hands-on technical skills and work more closely with clients. The small team and intimate environment allowed Matt to accelerate quickly, progressing through roles and building strong commercial experience right from the start of his career. In 2021 he joined RPD where he continued to grow his responsibilities, achieving three promotions during his time there and taking on the role of LAVA's company accountant, preparing the firm's statutory accounts and developing a strong working relationship with Simon and the wider team.

As LAVA expanded, so did the need for more dedicated finance support. What began as a client relationship evolved into Matt stepping in as fractional Head of Finance in August 2024, supporting the firm through its next stage of growth. With the increasing scale and ambition of the business, the decision to bring Matt on board full time was a natural next step.

Matt says the culture at LAVA was a big factor in his decision to make the move in-house:

In his role as Head of Finance, Matt will focus on supporting LAVA's continued growth, strengthening financial oversight, and helping the leadership team make informed decisions as the business scales. He's particularly interested in developing the way financial insights support strategic decision-making across the firm:

'I'm looking forward to developing further in how I work with the board and the wider team – helping translate the technical financial side into something that's clear and useful for decision-making. Ultimately, it's about supporting the team and helping LAVA continue to grow in the right way, that preserves what a special place it is.'

Outside of work, Matt lives in Surrey with his girlfriend Molly. A keen sports fan and long-suffering Chelsea supporter, he spends much of his free time taking on physical challenges, from charity hikes to endurance events.

This year he'll be running the London Marathon as part of #TeamWellChild (with a little encouragement – or heavy bullying – from the LAVA team), and is already eyeing his next challenge: tackling the Three Peaks!

Welcome to the team, Matt!

Elemental joins Cogency in a landmark deal for corporate services

Team — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:05:28 GMT

The LAVA team has crafted and delivered a bespoke deal that sees Elemental join US-PE-backed corporate services powerhouse, Cogency, for a future of unfettered, scalable success.

LAVA was appointed by Elemental's founder and Managing Director, Nick Lindsay, to help them understand their options and to shape the best possible outcome for the company he and the management team worked so hard to build. The deal LAVA crafted far exceeded their initial expectations and delivered an unprecedented result for them and their team.

With the needs of multiple stakeholders to balance, listening is a key first step in the LAVA method. We take the time to understand exactly what matters to all of the people at the heart of the process. This reduces the likelihood that misunderstandings further down the road could derail the deal, and ensures everyone is primed, ready, and pulling in the same direction.

During our anonymous market testing exercise we then gather intelligence and establish likely appetite and prioritised options for leadership to consider. This allows us to work with only the most culturally aligned, hungry and deliverable parties, making the most efficient use of the Elemental board's valuable time.

As the leading UK specialist provider of corporate secretarial, governance, accounting and tax advisory services, Elemental provided a compelling investment opportunity. Having consistently been named as one of the fastest growing professional services businesses in the UK by the Financial Times, Elemental had an impressive list of suitors, and shareholders were keen to find the right home and direction for the future of the team.

Through a bespoke process, LAVA established that the best path to securing the future of the firm, and the strong, collaborative culture responsible for its success to date, was a partnership with a PE-backed trade party able to fully empower the team to deliver.

Cogency demonstrated a nuanced appreciation of the strengths of the firm, as well as a dedication to empowering the team to even greater future success. With US Private Equity showing ever more interest in the UK professional services space, LAVA's ability to navigate this landscape and deliver the perfect cross-border partnership meant the Elemental team could be confident of the optimal result for the firm.

Check out our other deals

LAVA confirmed as headline sponsor of Place2Be's Arts and Minds Gala Dinner 2026

Team — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:39:38 GMT

LAVA has been announced as the headline sponsor of Place2Be's Arts & Minds Gala Dinner 2026, marking the firm's first headline sponsorship and the launch of its new, multi-year approach to charitable partnerships. Place2Be's Arts & Minds Gala Dinner will take place on Thursday, 18 June 2026 at Smith Square Hall, London. The evening will bring together business leaders, creatives, and other supporters to raise vital funds for children and young people's mental health, while shining a light on the vital role that art plays in developing children's resilience and their connections with each other.

In 2020, during a period of unprecedented challenge for young people, LAVA established its Positive Change initiative with a commitment of 2.5% of annual revenue to supporting youth mental health and wellbeing. Five years on, and having donated over £500,000 to charitable causes, the firm is now evolving that commitment through longer-term partnerships that give charities funding certainty and scope to plan for greater impact.

LAVA's sponsorship of Place2Be's Arts & Minds event forms part of a 2-3-year bespoke partnership model, to be tailored and agreed with each charity partner to deliver maximum impact. Transparent, guaranteed funding levels reduce reliance on short-term fundraising and enable more ambitious and sustainable programming.

The biennial gala dinner was created in 2022 to shine a light on the vital role that the arts play in developing children's resilience and their connections with each other and features a champagne reception, three-course dinner, fine art, entertainment, and live and silent auctions.

Learn more about:

The gala Place2Be

Place2Be is a leading children's mental health charity providing school-based support and in-depth training programmes to improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, teachers and school staff, enabling children and young people to thrive. The charity currently provides an embedded mental health service in 650 UK primary and secondary schools, supporting a school community of around 350,000 children and young people.

2025 in M&A - How the LAVA team's predictions played out

Team — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:11:16 GMT

Every year, the LAVA team gives us a sneak preview of what they think the year ahead holds for the M&A industry, and every year, we hold them to it!

So read on to find out how their 2025 predictions played out…

Hamish Martin

LAVA Partner

Hamish thought greater political and tax clarity would give the M&A market some much-needed stability, helping deals get done and potentially easing borrowing costs.In reality, while UK dealmaking showed resilience and some late-year strength in valuations and activity, the late budget meant volumes were flatter and selective rather than booming, and economic headwinds meant growthwasn't as smooth as hoped. Overall, the environment was steadier than 2024 butnot quite the strong, broad uplift we might have hoped for.

Simon Woodcock

LAVA Partner

Simon predicted a cautious year, with good deals for nimble companies and due diligence becoming the norm. That very much rang true: deal timelines stayed long and corporates and private equity were selective, with reduced volumes in many sectors in H1 2025 and a focus on quality transactions rather than quantity. His call on opportunities for agile players was spot-on.

Tom Rowe-Jones

Director

Tom expected a continued cautious rebound, with strategic acquisitionsplaying outinprofessional servicesand aerospace/defence. The broader picture of 2025 shows mixed performance with some pockets of strength,especially in tech and strategic sectors globally,butoverall UK M&A volumes lagged compared with 2024. Strategic deals did persevere, though perhaps not at the scale many hoped.

Loïc Bourdonnec

Associate Director

Loïc was upbeat on mid-market momentum, improved borrowing conditions, and tech/AI deals driving activity. Mid-market and tech deals did see interest, and private equity activity surged in parts of the year, but borrowing conditions and volumes remained mixed and uneven, with overall UK market numbers softish. Loïc's themes showed real movement, even if the pace was more measured than predicted.

Felix Neate

Associate Director

Felixanticipated political spillover effects on markets, renewed private equity pressure for exits, and a buyer-friendly tilt in valuations. The political backdrop certainly influenced confidence and deal timing, and private equity was active with exits and strategic plays; valuations did fluctuate and buyers had leverage in many negotiations. His macro picturelargely held up even if the scalewasn't dramatic.

Joe Sharp

Associate Director

Joe forecast increased public-sector and ESG-linked deals. Those themes were present, ESG considerations and public infrastructure interest stayed important, but broader market caution meant such deals were part of a mixed overall picture rather than a runaway trend.So his focus areas were valid, just not dominant across the whole market.

Millie Counsell

Assistant manager

Millie called a shift towards private equity portfolio reviews,divestments and carve-outs. That turned out well for parts of the market: PE houses did take stock and count deals where they could, particularly in Q3 with strong private equity values and exits, aligning with her sense of a more strategic and selective PE playbook in 2025.

Ivo Brett

Associate

Ivo expected a continued uptick in activity and more PE exits later in the year. Indeed, while early 2025 was subdued, deal values and activity picked up in parts of the year and private equity played its part, so his sense of momentum building was reflected in the data, even if the overall picturewasn't a simple up-trend.

Ary Singh

Head of Origination

Ary predicted stabilisation in rates and capital cost, leading to better quality opportunities and interest in niche services. The Bank of England did cut rates late in the year, and appetite for specialised, people-led sectors did surface, which matches his view of a more discerning, quality-focused market rather than a broad boom.

Cannelle Ramas

Analyst

Cannelle expected resilient growth, with tech/AI, healthcare and renewables drawing attention. Tech and AI deals were indeed prominent themes globally, and those sub-sectors remained active points of interest in 2025, even as the wider macro environment kept activity uneven, so her sector focus was nicely aligned with real trends.

Stay tuned for the team's 2026 predictions coming soon!

And in the mean time,