Meridian Corporate Finance and Moore Barlow collaborated and advised on the restructure of CSA Environmental (“CSA”) to facilitate management taking a greater role in the business. Established in 1998 by founder Clive Self, and joined by Aidan Marsh in 2002, CSA is a leading provider of environmental consultancy services within the areas of landscape, ecology, heritage and urban design. CSA has established itself as a trusted expert, providing the highest quality professional advice, based upon a specialist understanding of planning and the environment. With a team of over 70 skilled professionals spread across six strategic locations in Basingstoke, Brighton, Cambridge, Hertfordshire, Sheffield and Tewkesbury, CSA offers a diverse range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of clients across residential, commercial, renewables, leisure and other sectors. Meridian worked with CSA to restructure the shareholder base, allowing key management a greater stake in the business and building a platform to drive growth and succession. Under the new management structure, the management team remains committed to delivering the unparalleled service and to creating positive outcomes for people, places and nature. The transaction necessitated careful advice on tax matters from Cathy Revis at Fiander Tovell, balancing all stakeholders’ requirements to achieve their individual objectives. Aidan Marsh and Clive Self, shareholders for CSA said of the transaction, “We are delighted to complete this restructuring, which has achieved everything we hoped for in terms of succession and leaving CSA in a great position to continue its growth and evolution. With a comparatively large senior management team involved, the expert, friendly and patient guidance from Meridian has been crucial in crafting this deal. Likewise, the support from Moore Barlow and Fiander Tovell has been excellent and we have nothing but praise for everyone who has assisted us.” Philip Mettam, Director of Meridian who led the corporate side of the transaction commented, “CSA have built an exceptionally strong management team and wanted a structure that reflected the contribution they make to the company. We were challenged with creating a structure that addressed todays business, whilst also accommodating both succession and incentivization for key individuals alongside a medium term business plan. The transaction was a great example of corporate finance, legal and tax professionals working together to build a bespoke solution to meet the client’s needs. We wish the team all the best of luck in the next stage of their journey and look forward to hearing about their future successes!” Kirsty Leary, Partner at Moore Barlow, who led the legal side of the transaction commented, “CSA is a fantastic business that has been operating and continuing to grow for more than 25 years. A relatively large management team can bring its own challenges with it, however, it was a pleasure to support Clive, Aidan and all of the management team on the restructuring which puts in place a clear succession plan, enabling the company to continue to drive future growth and development with a strong and dedicated team in place. We’re excited to see what CSA will achieve next!” The deal was led by a team of local professional advisers: Philip Mettam, Director at Meridian Corporate Finance; Kirsty Leary, Partner at Moore Barlow; Cathy Revis, Head of Tax and Transaction Support at Fiander Tovell.

Please join me in welcoming Kerry Coomer, who joins Meridian on a six-month secondment from national law firm Shoosmiths. Kerry has an impressive academic background, which demonstrates her commitment and talent, having achieved First Class Honours in her Law degree, followed by the completion of her LPC with an MSc achieving a Distinction level classification. Coupling her academic talents, with her enthusiasm and fervent interest in corporate law, we are excited to see her contributions and the significant impact she will make within our team. Meridian is committed to investing in the future of young people. We are a recognised training seat for the Law Society and ICAEW, as well as offering a university placement program. The addition of Kerry to our team further strengthens our commitment to nurturing legal talent and encouraging growth opportunities. Meridian’s secondment programme launched in 2008 and Kerry is our 29th secondee. #meridian #corporatefinance #nextstepthinking #legaltalent #shoosmiths #youngprofessionals 

Meridian has had a strong year completing a number of transactions within the qualifying period, with Computer Network Consultants (CNC), being shortlisted for the Small Deal of the Year award. Meridian advised the CNC shareholders on a strategic sale to FluidOne, a PE-backed IT provider, establishing a new division on the South coast of the UK. The transaction exceeded initial valuation expectations through a competitive process led by Meridian. Graham Lind, Founder and Managing Director of CNC, said of the transaction, "Meridian helped CNC with the whole process, allowing us to select the right acquirer and driving a better return for the shareholders. They were supportive throughout the process and put in the extra effort when needed, so we would highly recommend them. The strong growth CNC had experienced over the previous years was recognised as an excellent fit by FluidOne and has given us the ambition to accelerate our growth and deliver quality services to even more local businesses. The FluidOne team saw a great opportunity to continue to build CNC as the trusted local IT provider whilst benefiting from expert overlay in connectivity, mobile, Unified Communications and Cyber from the wider FluidOne group.” The transaction was led by Philip Mettam, Director and Prabin Sunar, Associate Director at Meridian. Legal support was provided by Jeremy Over, Partner at Moore Barlow. Accounting support was provided by Costas Avraam and Chris Piccos of Avraam Associates. Tax support was provided by Cathy Revis, Partner at Fiander Tovell. This transaction demonstrates Meridian’s expertise in facilitating complex transactions involving a range of stakeholders and professionals, incorporating and leveraging the skills of local professionals for seamless execution. Meridian’s ability to consistently deliver outstanding results, combined with their collaborative and strategic approach, cements their reputation as the leading Corporate Finance team in the Solent region.

Meridian is proudly sponsoring Law Firm of the Year at The Business Magazine’s Solent Deals Awards 2024. The nominees are: BDB Pitmans Blake Morgan Moore Barlow Paris Smith Shoosmiths Trethowans The award will be presented to the law firm that has had the most significant impact on completion of deals within the region, taking into consideration factors such as: deal volume and size, deal complexity, client satisfaction, timeliness, ethics and client retention. Having had the privilege of working closely with many of these exceptional law firms over many years, we know there is some serious competition to be had! Congratulations to all the nominees and best of luck on the night! #lawfirmoftheyear #SDA24 #meridian #corporatefinance #bdbpitmans #blakemorgan #moorebarlow #parissmith #shoosmiths #trethowans

A sad farewell to Antonia Roberts, who finished her secondment with Meridian Corporate Finance last Friday.  Antonia was Meridian’s 28th secondee since the launch of the programme back in 2008, and our first secondee from law firm Moore Barlow, and what a great addition to the Meridian Team she has been! Antonia very quickly fell into our team dynamic and hit the ground running. Not only was she eager to learn from the corporate finance side of the table, she was also a great mentor and contributed massively, imparting her wisdom and experience, complementing our skill sets as a team. Her tenacity and ‘can do’ attitude were infectious and she certainly made a long lasting impression on both the Meridian Team and our clients. Antonia, you have been an incredible asset to Meridian, and you are already very much missed. We have no doubt that you will excel within your legal career and we are excited to follow your journey in the corporate team at Moore Barlow, as well as collaborating with you on the other side of the table!

Prabin Sunar is thrilled to be nominated as a finalist for the Young Deal Maker of the Year award at the Solent Deals Awards 2024.

Philip Mettam is thrilled to be nominated as a finalist for the Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year award at the Solent Deals Awards 2024.

Meridian and the team are thrilled to be nominated as finalists for the Corporate Finance Team of the Year Award at the Solent Deals Awards 2024.

One month in and Christmas feels a long time ago already! 2023 was a great year for the Meridian team as we saw significant growth in the Growth Capital side of the business with a new investment in the travel sector, and a follow on investment in TMA Data Management. Alongside this we closed the year off with two landmark deals on the CF side in December – CNC’s sale to LivingBridge backed FluidOne, and the sale of RiskSTOP to Ardonagh Advisory. 2024 has gotten off to a flying start having received Heads of Terms on three clients in January, and two acquisitions in progress within the MGC portfolio! On top of this we are speaking to multiple businesses looking to engage for sales processes in the current year.

Meridian was delighted to advise the shareholders on the sale of their company Computer Network Consultants Ltd (CNC), an IT managed service provider based in Brighton to FluidOne, a connected cloud solutions provider, who are backed by Private Equity firm Livingbridge. Established 27 years ago by co-founders Graham Lind and Gary Jowett, CNC offers a comprehensive suite of outsourced IT support services (including server management, performance monitoring, cybersecurity, and general day to day IT support) to small and medium-sized businesses across Sussex and Hampshire in the medical, construction, engineering, environmental, manufacturing, hospitality, charity work, and professional services sectors. FluidOne, a distinguished provider of Connected Cloud Solutions, boasts a workforce of over 470 individuals spread across eight locations. At the core of its services lies the national fibre network, Platform One, which forms the backbone supporting 2,300 customers. The acquisition by FluidOne forms part of its strategy to invest in regional IT managed service providers (MSPs) and establish a network of branches for localised services to SME customers. Russell Horton, CEO at FluidOne said, “I am pleased to announce the acquisition of CNC, that builds on our strategy to create a branch network for expertly delivered IT managed services to business customers. When reviewing the business, I was impressed with the excellent service they deliver and the strength of relationships that the team build with their clients. They are a great fit to our strategy, and I look forward to working with Graham Lind, Gary Jowett and the team to grow the Brighton business.” CNC will function as a distinct branch with its dedicated management team. Co-founder Graham Lind will continue to lead as the Managing Director of the Brighton Branch, supported by co-founder Gary Jowett in the role of Operations and Marketing Director. The newly established Brighton branch will report to Steve Brown, serving as the Managing Director of the FluidOne Business IT CoE. This organisational structure aims to provide customers with the advantages of local account management and engineering while benefiting from best practices and an expanded service portfolio under centralised leadership. Russell Horton, CEO of FluidOne Group, will assume the role of Chairman for CNC. Graham Lind, Founder and Managing Director of CNC, said of the transaction, "Meridian helped CNC with the whole process, allowing us to select the right acquirer and driving a better return for the shareholders. They were supportive throughout the process and put in the extra effort when needed, so we would highly recommend them. The strong growth CNC had experienced over the previous years was recognised as an excellent fit by FluidOne and has given us the ambition to accelerate our growth and deliver quality services to even more local businesses. The FluidOne team saw a great opportunity to continue to build CNC as the trusted local IT provider whilst benefiting from expert overlay in connectivity, mobile, Unified Communications and Cyber from the wider FluidOne group.” Jeremy Over, added, “We’re proud to have been Computer Network Consultants Limited’s trusted adviser. We wish the business all the best as it enters this next phase of its life cycle, and we look forward to seeing its progress.” The transaction was led by Philip Mettam, Director and Prabin Sunar, Associate Director at Meridian. Legal support was provided by Jeremy Over, Partner at Moore Barlow. Accounting support was provided by Cos Avraam and Chris Piccos of Avraam Associates. Tax support was provided by Cathy Revis, Partner at Fiander Tovell.

Meridian was thrilled to advise the shareholders of RiskSTOP Group Limited on the sale of their company to Ardonagh Advisory. RiskSTOP Group Limited (RiskSTOP) is an award winning, dedicated provider of insurance technology and services focused on risk management within the UK market, servicing underwriters, insurance companies, insurance brokers, and policyholders. Based in Poundbury, Dorset, RiskSTOP has been providing innovative solutions to risk management for over 20 years and has become the market leader in the sector by offering a suite of products to support the entire insurance lifecycle. Ardonagh Advisory operates within the broader Ardonagh Group and is recognized as the UK’s largest independent insurance distribution platform and a top 20 global broker. This acquisition signifies RiskSTOP’s integration into a broader family of exemplary entrepreneurial and specialised brands, constituting a network spanning over 200 locations and a collective workforce of 10,000 individuals. Mirroring RiskSTOP’s inclusive ethos, Ardonagh embraces diversity, fostering a culture that empowers everyone to excel. Describing itself as "progressive, passionate, proud to drive the best client outcomes, and a place where our people matter," Ardonagh shares common values with RiskSTOP, particularly in the realms of integrity, innovation, people, society, and the environment. It is this shared purpose that attracted Ardonagh Advisory to RiskSTOP, motivating the latter to take this significant step. The RiskSTOP business will continue to be led by Managing Director, Danny Lillington alongside the existing management team. Phil Bayles, Chief Commercial Officer, Ardonagh Advisory said, “RiskSTOP is a highly regarded and pioneering risk management business that protects its clients from hazards and harm, including the growing issue of underinsurance. This is an accomplished and well established company, run by real experts in this field. We’re looking forward to supporting the team so that they can grow further and deliver even more valuable services to their clients across the market.” Danny Lillington, RiskSTOP Group Managing Director added, “For more than two decades, RiskSTOP has worked with integrity to provide information that ensures people and organisations are safe and secure. We’re now looking to see how we can achieve even greater impact and take what we do to the next level. By joining Ardonagh Advisory we will be able to continue to support our clients with the same great level of service, while also working to innovate and develop our offer for the benefit of all. Meridian, led by Philip Mettam and his team, provided an unparalleled level of service throughout our entire journey. Their exceptional expertise as negotiators guided us seamlessly through the end-to-end process. Their commitment to clear and straightforward communication made every step comprehensible and empowering. Meridian went beyond being mere advisors; they were skilled navigators, demonstrating precision and robustness in balancing negotiations with our buyer. Their dedication to excellence transformed what could have been a complex transaction into a smooth and successful experience. We express our gratitude for their exceptional service and unwavering support. A special acknowledgment to Antonia, whose assistance in the due diligence process ensured the swift and efficient finalization of the transaction, allowing us to continue running the business seamlessly. I highly recommend the Meridian Team to anyone looking to sell their business." The deal was led by Philip Mettam, Director and Antonia Roberts, Associate at Meridian. Legal support was provided by Paula Eckton and Shaun Guppy at Steele Raymond. Accounting support was provided by Hannah Justice and Phil Todd at BSN Associates.