Services
- Company sales
- Management buy-outs and Management buy-ins
- Corporate acquisitions
- Fund raising
- Business planning and exit strategy
Company sales
Bishopsgate has an outstanding record of success in selling unquoted companies, often achieving valuations significantly above the vendors’ expectations and we are recognised as one of the UK’s leading corporate finance brands.
Bishopsgate specialises in selling companies for private equity houses, owners-managers and major listed groups. We have an excellent deal completion record and a reputation for shrewd and commercial negotiating.
Our objective is to obtain the best deal structure for our client with the most appropriate buyer within an agreed timescale, whilst maintaining strict confidentiality throughout. All our mandates are principal-led and we do not delegate to juniors.
We have extensive experience in ‘grooming’ businesses for sale with a view to maximising shareholder value. We involve our tax specialists at the earliest opportunity to make sure the transaction is structured in the most tax efficient manner.
We use online market and information services, industry analysis and reference tools, and we work hard to understand your business.
Through our international network and our unique database of hot buyers we monitor and access the most acquisitive companies.
Management buy-outs and Management buy-ins
Bishopsgate is well known in the UK private equity market and has strong relationships with all the major mid-market private equity houses and debt providers.
Management buy-outs and buy-ins are extremely complex and require skilled advisers. They are also time-consuming and emotionally draining, particularly for the management team involved.
At Bishopsgate, we have advised on many MBOs and MBIs and we can help guide management teams through the minefield of issues which they are likely to face.
We help management teams buy their businesses, which involves negotiating with the vendors, preparing business plans and sourcing finance from the most appropriate financial institutions to achieve best possible deal structures.
An MBO or MBI requires specialist expertise, and Bishopsgate has a high success rate of concluding transactions with management teams.
Corporate acquisitions
We have identified many attractive acquisition opportunities for our clients over the years, through our extensive network of contacts and dedicated research facilities. We can quickly produce a shortlist of targets for our clients both in the UK and overseas.
We are experienced ‘door knockers’ and we initiate discussions with prospective vendors, recommend the most effective way to structure the transaction, draft the Heads of Agreement and lead the transaction skilfully through to legal completion.
Many of our clients have completed a series of acquisitions with Bishopsgate, recognising the high quality of service delivered. Indeed, many of our current clients have a “buy and build” strategy and we have worked with them for a number of years.
Fund raising
Equity Capital
Whether you are looking to raise new capital to fund growth or replacement capital to realise a partial exit, Bishopsgate can introduce you to the major private equity houses who are looking to back robust businesses with strong management teams. Bishopsgate works closely with private shareholders to understand their funding requirements, and advise on suitable financing structures. Bishopsgate will lead negotiations with a number of private equity houses in a competitive environment.
Debt advisory
Bishopsgate has established relationships with all the major debt providers and we are well placed to advise clients looking to refinance existing debt facilities or raise new debt funding lines. We are skilled at negotiating with banks to achieve competitive pricing. We help clients to develop forecasts and model alternative debt structures in order to achieve the very best terms.
Business planning and exit strategy
Many of our clients are long-standing and our commitment to them not only involves completing transactions but working on business planning and exit strategy.
We often spend two to three years helping owner-managers prepare their businesses for sale so that they can maximise shareholder value. This may involve identifying issues within the business and agreeing a strategy to make the business more attractive to prospective purchasers.
We take great care to understand our client’s strategic objectives, so that we can assist them in maximising shareholder value. Many businesses face ‘crossroads’ at differing times in their life cycles. With our wealth of experience, we can assist businesses to make the right strategic move.