Mark Rathbone, partner and head of corporate at Brabners
Brabners‘ corporate team has delivered a 16% jump in deal making activity in the past year, as the gross total value of deals that the firm advised on surpassed £900 million.
Despite ongoing headwinds in the UK M&A market during 2025, the leading independent law firm delivered a more than £130 million increase in annual dealmaking values, having advised on more than £940 million-worth of activity across 168 separate deals (188 in 2024). This was driven in part by a number of significant deals with key long-term clients such as William Hare Group and Matcher Technologies Limited.
Recognised as one of the UK’s most active dealmakers, the firm’s more than 60-strong team supports businesses across the full lifecycle and also provides complementary deal advisory services through its specialist team of corporate finance accountants. It is one of the largest corporate teams in the North and was named Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the Insider North West Dealmaker Awards 2025.
Notable deals and high-growth sectors
This marks the fourth consecutive year of growth for the team – which operates across Brabners’ Manchester, Liverpool, Lancashire and Leeds offices – as it continues to support clients through growth, investment, succession and exit. Activity was driven by strong interest in employee ownership, with more than a quarter of deal values (27%) accounted for by transitions to Employee Ownership Trusts. Notable transactions included advising digital marketing agency The SEO Works and training provider Partnership Training Limited on their moves to employee ownership. Share sales and purchases retained the highest proportion of deal value, representing almost £600 million-worth of transactions and showing sustained acquisitive demand from larger corporates.
The team also continued to support clients across a number of high-growth sectors, particularly healthcare, logistics and manufacturing and engineering. In one example, Brabners advised engineering consultancy Omnia Projects on its acquisition by Egis and separately delivered the buy-in management buyout of Associated Polymer Services, a collaborative effort between DSG Chartered Accountants and Brabners’ legal and deal advisory teams. The team also advised international clients on high-value, complex infrastructure joint venture projects in Africa and Asia.
2025’s successes and dealmaking momentum were supported by ongoing investment in talent. Following the appointment of partner Dan McCormack in Leeds at the end of 2024, Brabners made further strategic partner hires during the year – including automotive specialist Brett Cooper in Lancashire and tax specialist, Euri Yoon. Euri joined the firm to enhance its tax advisory capabilities, further strengthening the value-added services provided by the corporate team, which remains the only UK law firm to offer a dedicated in-house deal advisory function.
Brabners retained its leading market position, achieving a top-tier ranking in The Legal 500 2025 for corporate and commercial matters, and was commended in the ‘company and commercial’ category of The Times Best Law Firms 2026. Head of corporate, Mark Rathbone, has also been nominated for Corporate Lawyer of the Year in the Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards.
The corporate team’s continued success remains a key growth driver for the firm, which surpassed £60m in revenue in the trading year ending April 2025. Brabners recorded pre-tax profits of £20.3m – compared to £18.1m in 2024 – marking its eighth consecutive year of profitable growth.
Mark Rathbone, partner and head of corporate at Brabners, said:
“It’s been yet another strong year for our team, exceeding £900m in deal value, driven by an increasing number of high-value, complex mandates and a continued focus on supporting clients through the full lifecycle of their business. Despite continued market headwinds, the appetite to transact remained relatively resilient. We have been pleased to see stronger activity return in Q4, which hopefully bodes well for 2026.
“We’ve supported a diverse range of clients – from owner-managed businesses to international groups – and have seen particular growth in employee ownership, cross-border M&A and complex joint ventures and work in sectors like engineering, logistics, healthcare and technology. Deal readiness is ever more critical – it’s clear that those businesses which invest early in preparation are best placed to take advantage of opportunities in what remains a selective market.
“As we look to 2026, cautious optimism is returning. Interest rates are easing, buyer confidence is improving and our pipeline reflects that momentum. With our full-service capability and national reach, we’re well placed to help clients navigate the next phase, and we look forward to building on that in the year ahead.”
For more information, visit: https://www.brabners.com/
