Blog · · manager

M&A Advisory Companies in Leeds: Guide to Leading Providers

Choosing an M&A advisory provider in Leeds is more than finding someone to manage a transaction – it can influence how well a deal is prepared, valued, negotiated, and completed.

Leeds has a strong advisory market, with firms supporting business owners, investors, management teams, and corporate groups through acquisitions, disposals, due diligence, valuations, and wider deal planning. Some providers focus on owner-managed businesses, while others work across larger corporate transactions, private equity activity, or specialist sectors.

This guide highlights a selection of M&A advisory services companies operating in Leeds. Rather than ranking providers, the aim is to offer practical context – outlining who these firms are, the types of clients they typically support, and the areas of M&A advisory where they are most active.

Acumon

Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants providing specialist M&A advisory services to businesses, owners, and corporate groups considering transactions, across the UK, including Leeds.

The firm supports clients across the full transaction lifecycle, including buying or selling businesses, management buy-outs (MBOs), management buy-ins (MBIs), demergers, and succession planning. Advisory work is delivered by experienced professionals who combine financial, tax, and commercial expertise.

Acumon emphasises practical support that reduces risks, strengthens negotiations, minimises taxes, and improves deal outcomes. Services integrate closely with the firm’s audit, accounts, and tax capabilities to deliver robust, audit-grade analysis and actionable insights.

The firm works with owner-managed businesses, growing companies, and groups across the UK, often supporting mid-market transactions and those with international elements.

Advisory engagements draw on the firm’s regulatory credentials and UK-based team, ensuring consistent quality and direct senior involvement throughout.

Acumon collaborates with management teams, boards, and other advisers to align financial records, governance, and documentation with buyer or investor expectations, while providing post-transaction integration support.

M&A Capabilities:

Acumon provides M&A advisory services across a wide range of transaction types and business stages.

These include:

  • Buying and selling businesses
  • Management buy-outs (MBO) and management buy-ins (MBI)
  • Company demergers
  • Succession planning
  • Due diligence (financial, tax, and commercial)
  • Business valuations

Advisory work is typically led by senior professionals with direct involvement throughout the engagement.

Regulatory Licences and Registrations:

Acumon holds several audit registrations that enable it to support organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions.

These include:

  • UK statutory audit registration
  • Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
  • Jersey audit licence
  • Isle of Man audit licence
  • Cayman Islands audit licence
  • British Virgin Islands audit licence

These registrations allow the firm to provide M&A advisory services to groups that include entities in both the UK and key international financial centres.

Core Services:

In addition to core M&A advisory, Acumon provides a range of integrated services that support transactions and business transitions.

These include:

  • Buy-side and sell-side M&A advisory
  • Comprehensive due diligence (financial, tax, and commercial)
  • Business and share valuations
  • MBO/MBI structuring and support
  • Company demerger advisory
  • Succession planning
  • Vendor due diligence and exit preparation
  • Financial modelling for transactions

M&A work is often delivered alongside discussions with management and boards regarding deal strategy, risk management, tax optimisation, and post-transaction integration.

Many businesses initially encounter M&A opportunities or requirements as they grow, prepare for exit, seek external investment, or plan ownership transitions.

Acumon works with businesses that are:

  • Preparing for the sale or acquisition of a business
  • Considering a management buy-out or buy-in
  • Planning succession or ownership changes
  • Evaluating demergers or corporate restructurings

Early engagement with an advisory firm can help ensure that financial records, internal controls, and documentation are aligned with transaction requirements and buyer expectations.

Contact Information:

FRP Corporate Finance

FRP Corporate Finance works across M&A advisory, with support for business sales, acquisitions, capital raising, private equity deals, management advisory, employee ownership trusts, and transaction tax. FRP Corporate Finance takes a hands-on role in the process, from preparing a business for sale or reviewing strategic options to approaching buyers, shaping the deal structure, and managing due diligence.

A clear part of their work is the connection between corporate finance and wider transaction support. FRP Corporate Finance can help with valuation advice, investor discussions, tax planning, special situation transactions, and succession routes such as employee ownership.

Key Highlights:

  • Works across sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory
  • Supports capital raising and private equity transactions
  • Handles management buyouts and employee ownership trusts
  • Provides transaction tax support as part of deal planning

Services:

  • Sell-side M&A advisory
  • Buy-side M&A advisory
  • Capital raising
  • Private equity advisory
  • Management advisory
  • Employee ownership trusts

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.frpadvisory.com
  • E-mail: leeds@frpadvisory.com
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/frp-corporate-finance
  • Address: Minerva, 29 East Parade, Leeds, LS1 5PS 
  • Phone: +44 (0)113 831 3555

Clearwater

Private equity and corporate clients often work with Clearwater when they need M&A support across acquisitions, portfolio development, refinancing, and exits. Clearwater works with businesses that need both local market understanding and access to wider buyer, investor, and sector networks.

Clearwater’s M&A advisory work is closely linked with debt advisory, ESG support, data analytics, and financial modelling. Clearwater also has a private equity focus, so their work often involves sponsor coverage, buyer mapping, buy-and-build planning, and preparation for exit processes.

Key Highlights:

  • Supports private equity and corporate M&A activity
  • Works across acquisitions, refinancing, and exits
  • Connects M&A advice with debt, ESG, and modelling support

Services:

  • M&A advisory
  • Buy-and-build support
  • Cross-border transactions
  • Debt advisory and financing
  • Refinancing support
  • Strategic planning

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.clearwatercf.com
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/clearwater-corporate-finance
  • Address: 1 East Parade, LS1 2AD, Leeds , UK 
  • Phone: +44 845 052 0380

Opus Strategic Advisors

Opus Strategic Advisors provides M&A advisory, debt advisory, growth, and fundraising support for business owners, management teams, corporates, and investors. They works across several sectors, including business services, software, technology services, aerospace and defence, gaming, and manufacturing and engineering.

Manufacturing and engineering appears to be one of the areas where Opus Strategic Advisors has a more detailed sector focus. Their work in this space covers businesses dealing with areas such as industrial services, process engineering, precision alloys, safety and control, and machined component solutions. Opus Strategic Advisors also supports clients through sale preparation, valuation thinking, buyer and investor discussions, and growth planning.

Key Highlights:

  • Provides M&A, debt advisory, growth, and fundraising support
  • Works with owner-managed businesses, corporates, and management teams
  • Covers several specialist sectors, including manufacturing and engineering
  • Takes a senior management-led approach to advisory work

Services:

  • Debt advisory
  • Growth advisory
  • Fundraising support
  • M&A advisory
  • Business sale support

Contact Information:

  • Website: opusllp.com
  • E-mail: leedsenquiry@opusllp.com 
  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/opusbusinessadvisorygroup
  • Twitter: x.com/opus_llp
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/opus-advisory-group-uk
  • Address: Fourth Floor, One Park Row, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5HN, United Kingdom. 
  • Phone: +44 (0) 113 512 5020

Leonard Curtis

Leonard Curtis works with M&A advisory clients on disposals, acquisitions, growth planning, exit strategy, and public company bid-related work. Leonard Curtis also links its M&A advisory work with funding support, which can be relevant when a transaction needs both deal advice and access to finance options.

The client base is fairly broad, covering private companies, public companies, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and private equity firms. Leonard Curtis can also support bolt-on acquisitions for acquisition platforms, so their work is not limited to one-off sales. The focus is on understanding what the client wants to happen next, then shaping the process around that outcome.

Key Highlights:

  • Advises on business disposals and acquisitions
  • Works with private companies, public companies, and family offices
  • Supports private equity firms and high-net-worth individuals

Services:

  • Business disposals
  • Business acquisitions
  • Bolt-on acquisition support
  • M&A advisory
  • Bid defence support
  • Growth strategy

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.leonardcurtis.co.uk
  • E-mail: hello@leonardcurtis.co.uk 
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/leonard-curtis-business-solutions-group
  • Address: 9th Floor, 7 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5HD  
  • Phone: 0113 323 8890

PwC

PwC handles M&A advisory through its wider deals practice, covering buying, selling, restructuring, divestitures, capital raising, and crisis-related work. PwC’s deal support is built around value – not just before a transaction, but also during integration, restructuring, or business change after the deal has moved forward.

A large part of PwC’s work sits around lead advisory, transaction services, business restructuring, deal analytics, and value creation. They also connect M&A advice with technology, data, ESG, and operating model questions, which can matter when clients need more than a narrow transaction process. Their work is suited to companies that need structured support across several parts of a deal at once.

Key Highlights:

  • Covers M&A, divestitures, restructuring, and crisis situations
  • Provides lead advisory and transaction services
  • Connects deal work with analytics and value creation
  • Supports capital raising and valuation-related work

Services:

  • M&A advisory
  • Lead advisory
  • Transaction services
  • Business restructuring
  • Divestiture support
  • Capital raising

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.pwc.com
  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/PwCUK
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pwc-uk
  • Instagram: www.instagram.com/pwc_uk
  • Address: 29 Wellington St, Leeds, LS1 4DL 
  • Phone: +44 (0)113 289 4000 

DealFlowAgent

DealFlowAgent focuses its M&A advisory work on building services and healthcare businesses, including sectors such as HVAC, fire safety, electrical, plumbing, care homes, and dental practices. Their work around Leeds and the wider Yorkshire market takes into account local buyer activity, succession pressure, compliance costs, and the region’s industrial and services base. 

Instead of presenting itself as a general corporate finance firm, DealFlowAgent works around buyer matching, buyer intelligence, valuation support, and a confidential sale process. For Leeds-based owners in its target sectors, the offer is more specialist than broad, with a clear focus on finding suitable acquirers and managing buyer conversations.

Key Highlights:

  • Focuses on building services and healthcare M&A
  • Covers Leeds and the wider Yorkshire market
  • Uses buyer intelligence and matching tools
  • Provides support for confidential business sale processes

Services:

  • Business sale support
  • Buyer matching
  • M&A advisory
  • Buyer intelligence
  • Valuation support
  • Buy-side advisory

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.dealflowagent.com
  • E-mail: joe@dealflowagent.com
  • Twitter: x.com/dealflowagent
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/dealflowagent
  • Address: Battersea Power Station, SW11 8BZ, London
  • Phone: +44 20 7293 0327

KPMG

KPMG’s Deal Advisory team helps with mergers and acquisitions, assisting both those buying and those selling at various points in a transaction. Specifically, they can assist with selling businesses, making acquisitions, or combining companies. This also includes finding suitable targets or investors, performing detailed financial analysis and valuation, and helping to structure and negotiate deals.

Their clients range from state-owned entities and private companies to family businesses, large international corporations, private equity funds, and financial institutions, as well as State Treasury agencies. KPMG’s M&A services also connect insights from local markets with a broader international network. This is particularly valuable when a deal requires finding buyers or investors beyond a single market.

Key Highlights:

  • Advises both buyers and sellers in M&A transactions
  • Supports target and investor search
  • Works with private companies, family businesses, and corporations
  • Provides financial analysis and valuation support

Services:

  • M&A advisory
  • Business sale support
  • Acquisition advisory
  • Merger advisory
  • Target identification
  • Investor search

Contact Information:

  • Website: kpmg.com
  • Twitter: x.com/kpmguk
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kpmg-uk
  • Address: 1 Sovereign Square, Sovereign Street, LS1 4DA , Leeds, UK 
  • Phone: +44 (0)113 231 3000

Deloitte

Deloitte works with large corporates, owner-managed businesses, management teams, private equity clients, and in-house M&A teams on acquisitions, disposals, and external funding. Deloitte’s M&A Advisory team sits within its wider Strategy & Transactions work, so its support can cover both the deal itself and the wider business questions around value, structure, and growth.

A notable part of Deloitte’s offer is the split between local M&A advice, industry-led advice, global financial advisory, and specialist support for management or internal deal teams. They can also bring in transaction support, tax, accounting, and financial advisory input when the work needs more than one technical angle.

Key Highlights:

  • Works with corporates and owner-managed businesses
  • Supports acquisitions, disposals, and funding processes
  • Provides local, sector-led, and global M&A advice
  • Offers specialist support for management teams

Services:

  • M&A advisory
  • Acquisition support
  • Disposal advisory
  • External funding support
  • Local M&A advice

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.deloitte.com
  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/deloitteuk
  • Twitter: x.com/deloitteuk
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/deloitte
  • Address: 1 City Square Leeds, LS1 2AL United Kingdom 
  • Phone: +44 (0)113 243 9021 

BDO UK

BDO UK provides M&A advisory for businesses that are buying, selling, raising funds, or dealing with more complex transaction conditions. BDO UK works across sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, special situations M&A, and PLC advisory, with additional support around financial modelling, value creation, capital markets, due diligence, and debt advisory.

For sellers, BDO UK can help with valuation, buyer search, information memorandum preparation, offer negotiation, due diligence management, and completion support. On the buy-side, they can support target analysis, valuation, offer terms, deal structure, business planning, funding, and tax considerations. Their PLC advisory work also gives them a role in transactions involving public companies, takeovers, public-to-private deals, and capital markets activity.

Key Highlights:

  • Covers sell-side, buy-side, special situations, and PLC advisory
  • Works with entrepreneurs, private equity-backed businesses, and public companies
  • Provides support from valuation through to completion
  • Advises on capital markets-related transactions
  • Links M&A work with modelling, due diligence, tax, and funding support

Services:

  • Sell-side M&A advisory
  • Buy-side M&A advisory
  • Special situations M&A
  • Indicative valuation
  • Information memorandum preparation
  • Buyer and investor outreach

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.bdo.co.uk
  • E-mail: leeds.reception@bdo.co.uk 
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bdo-llp
  • Instagram: www.instagram.com/bdo_uk
  • Address: Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, United Kingdom
  • Phone: 0113 244 3839 

Translink Corporate Finance

Cross-border deal work is a central part of Translink Corporate Finance, with the firm advising on mid-market M&A through a network that covers the UK and international markets. They works on sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, and transaction services, with sector knowledge across business services, energy and environment, food and beverage, healthcare, industrials, logistics, and TMT.

Their work is shaped around finding relevant buyers or targets, understanding bidder interest, and managing the transaction process with an international angle where needed. The firm is especially relevant for businesses that want M&A support beyond a purely local buyer pool.

Key Highlights:

  • Focuses on mid-market M&A advisory
  • Supports cross-border transactions
  • Works across several sectors, including healthcare, logistics, and TMT
  • Provides both sell-side and buy-side support

Services:

  • Transaction services
  • Buyer identification
  • Sell-side M&A
  • Buy-side M&A
  • Target search

Contact Information:

  • Website: translinkcf.uk
  • E-mail: dpo@imacorpfin.com
  • Address: 1st Floor, Mayesbrook House, Lawnswood Business Park Redvers Close, Leeds LS16 6QY 

Rothschild & Co

Rothschild & Co works on M&A and strategic advisory for public companies, private businesses, shareholders, boards, and investors.They on acquisitions, disposals, public takeovers, bid defence, joint ventures, strategic alliances, demergers, spin-offs, privatisations, and shareholder reorganisations.

A broader strategic angle runs through much of their work. Rothschild & Co can support clients not only with transaction execution, but also with timing, structure, governance, financing questions, and strategic partnership options. Their advisory work is also linked with debt advisory, restructuring, equity advisory, private capital, investor advisory, and investor marketing, which gives clients access to connected support around larger or more complex decisions.

Key Highlights:

  • Advises on public and private M&A transactions
  • Supports acquisitions, disposals, and strategic partnerships
  • Covers public takeovers, bid defence, and governance matters
  • Works with both large transactions and mid-market situations

Services:

  • M&A advisory
  • Strategic advisory
  • Public mergers and takeovers
  • Bid defence support
  • Business acquisitions
  • Business disposals

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.rothschildandco.com
  • E-mail: wealth.management@rothschildandco.com
  • Address: 12 King Street, Leeds, LS1 2HL, United Kingdom 
  • Phone: +44 0113 200 1900 

Forvis Mazars

Forvis Mazars provides M&A support for companies that are selling, acquiring, raising funds, restructuring debt, or planning external growth. Forvis Mazars works with entrepreneurs, corporates, privately owned businesses, financial investors, shareholders, and management teams across UK and international transactions.

Their M&A process covers preparation before a sale, buyer search, financial models, business plans, offer review, negotiation, acquisition strategy, target screening, and coordination with legal or due diligence advisers. Forvis Mazars also supports fundraising, management buy-outs, leveraged buy-outs, acquisition planning, and post-merger integration, so their role can continue after the deal is signed.

Key Highlights:

  • Supports sales, acquisitions, fundraising, and debt restructuring
  • Works with entrepreneurs, corporates, and financial investors
  • Advises on MBO and LBO transactions

Services:

  • Business sale support
  • Acquisition advisory
  • Fundraising support
  • M&A advisory
  • Debt restructuring
  • Management buy-out advisory
  • Leveraged buy-out advisory

Contact Information:

  • Website: www.forvismazars.com
  • Twitter: x.com/ForvisMazarsUK
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/forvis-mazars-in-the-uk
  • Instagram: www.instagram.com/forvismazarsuk
  • Address: 5th Floor, 3 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP United Kingdom
  • Phone: +44 (0) 113 394 2000

Conclusion

Choosing an M&A advisory provider in Leeds usually comes down to more than location. The right fit depends on the type of transaction, the size and shape of the business, the sector involved, and the level of support needed before, during, and after the deal. Some firms are better suited to owner-managed business sales, while others focus more on private equity, larger corporate transactions, cross-border work, or specialist sectors. This guide is intended to give a practical overview of M&A advisory services companies connected with Leeds, rather than rank them. For organisations considering a sale, acquisition, fundraising process, or strategic review, it can be a useful starting point for comparing how different firms approach deal planning, valuation, buyer or target search, negotiations, due diligence, and completion support.