Blake Morgan achieves record-breaking deals success

Blake Morgan is celebrating another record-breaking year in corporate deal-making, having advised on transactions with a cumulative value of more than £5.7bn in the 2025/26 financial year. The law firm’s Corporate team, which operates from offices in London, Cardiff, Southampton, Reading, Oxford and Manchester, provides expert advice to clients in various sectors including healthcare, retail, financial services, leisure, technology, and recruitment. They cover a wide range of services such as mergers and acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, and corporate advisory work.

The standout transaction for the last financial year involved advising Limecay International Ltd and Grove Ltd on the £4.6bn disposal of Barchester Healthcare, a leading independent care provider in the UK, to Welltower Inc. In addition, the team successfully managed a further £1.1bn in deals throughout the year. Noteworthy among these was the support provided to Tungsten West Plc in the transactions facilitating the restart of production at the Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine in Devon, as well as Rodina Holdings on the sale of their majority stake in the travel group One Traveller.

Acquisition activity has remained robust, with the firm advising on notable transactions for both corporate clients and investors. This includes the acquisition of D2 Global by TSA Riley and Bestport Private Equity's takeover of a majority stake in Sano Physiotherapy. Other significant acquisitions included Greyhawk Intelligence Group’s acquisition by Mintz Group, and Euroflorist AB’s purchase of Don’t Buy Her Flowers.

The firm has also been active in supporting clients with fundraising transactions, advising Trevally Capital on funding a landmark workspace development in central London, along with assisting the Development Bank of Wales in a management buyout of DRAC Consulting Limited. Moreover, they provided strategic exit funding to Avantis Group as part of a new investment round.

The Southern Co-operative was supported in disposing of a portfolio of convenience stores, while Cambridge Garage Holdings benefited from advice on the sale of a dealership and body shop to Waylands. Other clients that received guidance during the year included technology firms like Blackbird Plc. and renewable energy companies such as Active Energy Group Plc.

In terms of team growth, appointments included partner Joan Yu, alongside promotions of internal talent, with James Vaughan and Michelle Davenport being elevated to partner roles. The strength of the firm’s corporate team is reflected in its rankings in the Chambers and Legal 500 guides, achieving tier 1 rankings for the Corporate and Commercial teams in Hampshire and Wales, and tier 2 recognition for Thames Valley, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

James Williams, Head of Corporate at Blake Morgan, expressed enthusiasm about the successes secured, stating that “this has been an exceptional year for our corporate team” and emphasising the importance of trust and the quality of the team in achieving these milestones. He noted, “We have continued to strengthen our relationships with clients... and support businesses through some of the most significant moments in their growth and development.” Williams concluded with optimism for the future, highlighting the team’s energy and potential to build on these achievements.