How do your fees work?
We use three structures, chosen at the outset and set out in the engagement letter. A monthly retainer covers senior time on long-running mandates such as sell-side processes. A fixed fee covers scoped, defined pieces of work — valuations, diligence sprints, board reviews — so the cost is known before we start. A success fee, payable on completion, aligns us with the outcome on transactions. Most M&A mandates combine a modest retainer with a success fee; advisory and diligence work is usually fixed-fee. We don't publish rate cards, because every scope differs — fees are discussed openly on your free consultation and quoted in writing before any chargeable work begins.
Is the first consultation really free?
Yes. The initial consultation is a free 20-minute call, booked directly through our online calendar, and carries no obligation to engage us. It is entirely confidential and exists so both sides can judge quickly whether there is a mandate worth doing. If there is, we set out scope and fees in writing before any chargeable work starts. Pricing is never left ambiguous — it is simply discussed with you rather than published on the website.
How do you handle confidentiality?
Every mandate starts under a mutual non-disclosure agreement. Materials are exchanged through your client portal or a controlled data room rather than email attachments, with access granted per person and revoked when a party leaves the process. In market-facing processes we control who is approached, in what sequence, and what is disclosed at each stage — buyers receive an anonymised profile before any identifying information. We do not publish client names, logos or quotes without explicit written permission.
What are typical engagement timelines?
A sell-side process usually runs four to nine months from kick-off to completion, depending on readiness of the financial information and the complexity of the buyer universe. Buy-side mandates vary with origination — expect three to twelve months. Capital raising and refinancing typically take three to six months. Standalone valuations and independent reviews run two to four weeks. A Diligence Sprint is deliberately short: see below.
What does the Diligence Sprint include?
A fixed-fee, time-boxed engagement designed to get a board decision-ready quickly. It covers a quality-of-earnings review, working capital and net debt normalisation, a review of key commercial contracts and customer concentration, a build or stress-test of the financial model, and a written findings pack with a red-flag summary and recommended next steps. It runs on a compressed timetable with a senior lead throughout, and outputs are delivered into your client portal.
How does the client portal work?
Every client gets a secure account. Inside it you can see live engagement status and phase, download deliverables as they are issued, view invoices and their settlement status, and message your advisor with a written record of decisions and instructions. You can create an account before a mandate begins — for example after submitting a booking request — to track that request through to a first meeting. Access is restricted to your own organisation's records.
Who will actually do the work?
The senior adviser you meet is the one who runs your mandate. We do not staff engagements with junior teams and hand off after the pitch; capacity is managed by taking on fewer mandates at a time.
Are you regulated?
We provide corporate finance and advisory services. We do not hold client money and do not provide regulated investment advice. Our regulatory status is being confirmed and will be published here and in the site footer once finalised.
Still deciding?
A first conversation is confidential, free of charge and carries no obligation.