Hazlewoods has cemented its reputation as a leading adviser on the back of a successful year for M&A activity.
Against a backdrop of fluctuating markets and evolving economic conditions, 2025 saw our Hazlewoods Corporate Finance team support on 141 completed transactions with a combined value over £1.3 billion – their most successful year to date.
In a climate where businesses faced rising costs, shifting consumer demands, and geopolitical pressures, this achievement reflects not only Hazlewoods expertise but also the importance of how strategic M&A activity has remained a vital tool for companies looking to strengthen their position, diversify, and unlock new opportunities.
Our Corporate Finance team has been at the forefront of this movement throughout 2025, guiding clients through complex negotiations across growth funding, tax planning, financing/refinancing, due diligence, acquisitions, and shareholder exits/business sales.
The last 12 months also saw rapid growth for our firm and further investment. Now with over 600 employees, and more than 50 dedicated corporate finance specialists, working from offices across Cheltenham, Bristol and Cardiff, 27% of deals worked on were within the South West and Wales, whilst continuing to advise on multiple transactions both nationally and internationally.
Taking pride in supporting entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors with a full-service end-to-end offering, Hazlewoods Corporate Finance team worked across a dynamic range of sectors last year including financial services, health and social care, professional/legal services, industrials, dental, IT and communications, transport, veterinary, and technology to name a few.
An example of Hazlewoods 2025 deal highlights include:
• Providing financial and taxation due diligence to Auralis, a new buy-and-build company established by Total Capital Partners, on their first platform acquisition of Weird Fish Clothing.
• Bupa’s acquisition of New Victoria Hospital, its first UK hospital acquisition since 2008, providing financial due diligence.
• Howden’s acquisition of Evelyn Partners Financial Services, the employee benefits consultancy arm of Evelyn Partners where we provided financial due diligence.
• DeNovo Health Group’s buy-and-build campaign, providing strategic advice, funding support, acquisition advisory, and financial due diligence on its first acquisition of six dental practices, with ongoing accounting and taxation services.
• The sale of Gloucestershire-based leading managed IT services, Optimising IT Holdings Ltd, to Evergreen Services Group which saw it join the Lyra Technology family of IT MSPs.
• Financial and tax due diligence on behalf of Iris Care Group’s acquisition of Awelon Healthcare, further expanding the group’s residential services in Wales.
• Financial due diligence support to Foresight Group as part of its investment into Montpellier Legal, a fast-growing conveyancing firm based in Cheltenham.
• M&A advisory to The Mortgage Brain, a market-leading mortgage and insurance broker, on a strategic investment from The Better Homes Group, one of the largest mortgage brokers in South Africa.
• Advising JMG Group, one of the UK’s most acquisitive insurance brokers (backed by GTCR and Synova), on six deals, having supported the group’s ambitious strategy since 2023.
Richard Dade, Hazlewoods Transaction Services Partner, said: “2025 was a year of resilience and opportunity. We’re proud to have played a key role in helping businesses achieve their ambitions, and it is testament to the steadfast commitment of our growing team and the trust our clients place in us.”
John Lucas, Hazlewoods M&A Advisory Partner, added: “Last year’s performance demonstrates how M&A remains a critical lever for growth, as we saw businesses continue to invest, innovate, and strategise throughout 2025. We’re ready to build on this momentum into 2026.”