BDO has advised Slater and Gordon on the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary Adroit Financial Planning to Brooks Macdonald.
Adroit is a fully Independent Financial Adviser (“IFA”) specialising in the Personal Injury / Court of Protection sector. Adroit provides a wide range of financial services including financial planning, investment services and wealth management, in addition to expert witness services, for law firms and their clients.
Since its rebranding in 2017, Adroit has become the nationally recognised leader in the sector through its extensive expertise, strong referral network and continuous exceptional client service. Adroit currently has Assets Under Advice of c. £350m and c. 650 clients.
The acquisition will add strong capability in the sector to complement Brooks Macdonald’s existing Private Clients business and offers Adroit the opportunity to continue growing rapidly as part of a larger group, with a powerful commercial synergy.
"I was thoroughly impressed with the work that the BDO team delivered as part of advising us on the sale of Adroit. As a result, the shareholders got a great outcome, but so did Adroit. In addition to delivering across the things that you would normally expect in a sales process (high quality information memorandum, strong process management), BDO were particularly good at ensuring strong interest from parties that would be acceptable to the management and employees of the business, and helping them navigate through the process to also get the best result for them. This being a key factor in a people business and achieving a successful outcome. As a result, we not only got strong bids, but were able to ensure that the bids submitted could all be progressed in a way that allowed us to maximise competitive tension throughout the sales process."
Nils Stoesser, CEO, Slater and Gordon
“Duncan and the team at BDO worked extremely skilfully and hard to achieve this deal which resulted in a great outcome for the seller and the business”
Neil Jefferies, Head of Financial Planning Services, Adroit
“Adroit is a fantastic business, and we were delighted to act for Slater and Gordon and its parent Anchorage Capital in the divestment of the business. The outcome for Neil Jefferies and his Adroit team is an exciting one, and I have no doubt that they will go from strength to strength securing ever better solutions for the clients under their new ownership.”
Duncan Chandler, Partner & Head of Financial Services M&A, BDO