Press Releases

October 2010

Milsted Langdon Strenghtens Corporate Finance Team

The Bristol and South-West accountancy firm Milsted Langdon has welcomed the appointment of David Fawcus as a consultant with its Corporate Finance team.

David has vast experience in M&A, corporate finance transactions and has been helping owner-managers to maximise the value of their companies on exit for over 25 years. He also acts on many corporate acquisitions, and other related transactions such as management buy-ins, buy-outs and bimbos.

David is currently working on Board level projects with a range of entrepreneurial businesses. Previously he was a corporate finance partner with Thames Valley accountants James Cowper for many years. He began his career with Price Waterhouse, before taking a specialist transactional tax role at Grant Thornton.

David has an established network of contacts along the M4 corridor, in Bristol and beyond.  He is confident that there are great opportunities for corporate finance activity.

He said: “I am very pleased to be working with Milsted Langdon at a time when there is a significant ‘exit backlog’. Numerous business owners who might otherwise have sold out in the last couple of years have been discouraged from doing so by the depressed state of the economy.  Now is the time for them to take proactive steps to prepare for a successful exit as the financial climate improves.

“Even if a sale aspiration is some way in the future, much useful groundwork can be undertaken today, preparing for due diligence and identifying key so-called “value-drivers” in the business so that they can be maximised.  What’s more, despite the tough economic conditions, there is an increase in the deals being done now, especially with the benefit of a bit of lateral thinking to achieve innovative solutions to a business exit.

“Acquisition funding remains difficult but is available in the right circumstances.  Indeed, some banks are keen to be involved in suitably viable transactions which may be well-publicised and demonstrate that they are still in the business of lending money.”

Milsted Langdon partner, Roger Isaacs added: “David will be a great addition to our existing corporate finance team and we are delighted that he has decided to work with us to help achieve deal origination and provide lead advisory capability on deal execution.  We recognise that the market remains difficult but we have always been a firm that takes a long-term view and we have no doubt that our clients will benefit from David’s enormous experience and expertise over the forthcoming months as levels of corporate finance activity increase.”

For more information call 0117 945 2500 or contact David Fawcus direct on 07831 687190 or by email to dfawcus@milsted-langdon.co.uk.