SMITH & WILLIAMSON (S&M) acquired by TILNEY
Context
The merger between Tilney and Smith & Williamson creates the UK's leading integrated wealth management and professional services group, with over £45 billion of assets under management. The combined business will offer an unrivalled breadth of value-added services, focusing on private clients, businesses, and charities. The strategic rationale for the merger is to create a unique and differentiated client proposition, covering professional services, financial planning, and investment management. The combined group will benefit from an expanded office network across 36 towns and cities in the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, and will deliver investment services that can cater to the full range of clients' investment needs. The merger will also enable enhanced investment in technology for the benefit of clients, and will provide clients with continuity in their relationships with their investment managers, financial planners, or professional services teams. The combined group will be led by a strong management team, with Chris Woodhouse as Group Chief Executive and Will Samuel as Chairman. The merger is expected to deliver long-term benefits for clients, employees, and investors, and will create a scaled-up group with an unrivalled service proposition that can support clients with the management of both their personal wealth and business interests.
SMITH & WILLIAMSON (S&M), which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2020, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, representing a LOGIN to the average currently observed in the Business Services sector (11.1x).
Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.
-> Deep-dive in Business Services market trends
Target
Founded in 1881 as Smith & Williamson, the target is a top-ten UK accountancy and professional services firm. It operates with approximately 1,600 employees and over 121 partners across 15 offices. The firm specializes in the mid-market segment, providing a comprehensive suite of services including business and private client tax advice, assurance, forensic services, restructuring, and transaction advisory. Since its 2020 merger into the Evelyn Partners group, the division has achieved 14% annual organic revenue growth and completed seven bolt-on acquisitions since early 2023.
Ent. Value
LOGIN
Equity Value
LOGIN
Multiples
EV / Revenue
LOGIN
EV / EBITDA
LOGIN
EV / EBIT
LOGIN
Historical Financials (GBP)
Similar deals in Business Services
| Date | Acquirer | Target | Country | Sector | Deal Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/2020 | TWO CIRCLES | TRM PARTNERS | UNITED KINGDOM | Professional Services | The acquisition of TRM Partners by Two Circles represents a strategic consolidation designed to merge predictive fan data analytics with institutional sponsorship sales execution, responding to corporate marketing procurement shifts that demand auditable, data-backed returns on advertising spend over traditional broadcast impressions |
| 05/2020 | ARDIAN | ARGON & CO | FRANCE | Professional Services | Argon & Co, a leading independent management consulting firm specializing in operations strategy and transformation, has partnered with Ardian to accelerate its global expansion. Through this transaction, Ardian Growth has taken a minority stake in the firm, providing the financial resources necessary to fuel a proactive external growth strategy |
| 12/2019 | BRUIN SPORTS CAPITAL | TWO CIRCLES | UNITED KINGDOM | Professional Services | This transaction represents a strategic ownership transition wherein Bruin Sports Capital acquires a majority stake in Two Circles from global advertising group WPP, which will retain a minority equity interest to ensure continued network access and strategic client continuity between its global corporate brands and the agency |
| 07/2019 | RAISE | AVISA PARTNERS | FRANCE | Professional Services | Raise Investissement entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a 25% minority stake in Avisa Partners. The operation is structured as an Owner Buy-Out (OBO), allowing the management team—comprising around 15 partners—to retain control with a 75% stake |
| 06/2019 | PARQUEST CAPITAL / BPIFRANCE | ADIT (AGENCE POUR LA DIFFUSION DE L'INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIQUE) | FRANCE | Professional Services | Parquest Capital entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in ADIT from Weinberg Capital Partners. Parquest prevailed over competitors Abenex, LFPI, and a consortium of Raise and Amundi PEF |
| 03/2019 | CRÉDIT AGRICOLE ASSURANCES | COMEXPOSIUM | FRANCE | Professional Services | The acquisition of Comexposium by Crédit Agricole Assurances marks the exit of the private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners, which originally acquired its majority stake in 2015. This transaction involves the transfer of control to a major institutional investor while the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) maintains its historical involvement and significant shareholding |
| 06/2018 | EMZ PARTNERS / BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENT / IDIA CAPITAL INVESTISSEMENT | DIAM | FRANCE | Professional Services | In a significant strategic shift, the management team of DIAM Group successfully regained majority control from Ardian. This transaction is a management-sponsored leveraged buyout, structured as a "sponsorless" operation |
| 07/2017 | BLACKSTONE | CLARION EVENTS | UNITED KINGDOM | Professional Services | Blackstone acquired a majority stake in Clarion Events from Providence Equity Partners in a competitive auction process involving five other private equity firms. The transaction was valued at �600 million (approximately $800 million) |
| 05/2017 | ABENEX | EUROPA GROUP | FRANCE | Professional Services | Abénex has successfully completed a strategic equity investment in Europa Group, acquiring a minority stake to support a new phase of international growth and consolidation. This primary transaction constitutes a minority leveraged buyout, allowing the target to reorganize its capital structure while ensuring the founding management team, retains absolute majority control (~60%) |
| 06/2016 | ARDIAN | DIAM | FRANCE | Professional Services | Ardian entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire majority control of the DIAM Group from exiting historical sponsors, led by LBO France, in a tertiary leveraged buyout. This transaction marked a key milestone for the group, following a period of substantial top-line growth where revenues jumped from €65 million in 2012 to over €200 million in 2015, fueled by an active "build-up" strategy including the 2016 acquisition of Maison Prugent |
REFERENCES
Valuation range: EV 1b - 4b GBP
Revenue range: 450M - 900M GBP
EBITDA range: 100M - 200M GBP
Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of SMITH & WILLIAMSON (S&M) by TILNEY are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.
Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).