LONDON, December 10, 2024 – Proskauer, a leading international law firm, today announced it has advised Lee Equity Partners ("Lee Equity") on its investment partnership and majority investment with Cooper Parry ("CP"), a leading provider of accounting and business advisory services to corporate SME and individual clients in the United Kingdom.
This new strategic partnership aims to build on unprecedented organic growth and acquisitions and will further accelerate CP's creation of the UK's next-gen professional services group.
Following two years of transformational growth, Lee Equity will succeed Waterland Private Equity ("Waterland") as CP's capital partner. Waterland has supported the business in its ambition to become a leading accountancy firm in the UK market by helping CP broaden its capabilities and expand its presence across the country.
The firm has successfully completed and integrated 11 transactions in two years, including the acquisition of Haines Watts London and its associated audit and advisory businesses across the South-East, Thames Valley and the Midlands, UHY Manchester, London-based Cloud Orca, the fast-growing Salesforce consultancy and MacroFin, the award-winning NetSuite Alliance Partner.
As one of the UK's mid-market heavyweights, CP serves the fastest growing market segment with an iconic, rebellious and powerful brand. It offers tech-enabled specialist services - delivered at scale - from five superhub locations across the UK (East Midlands, Birmingham, London, Thames Valley and Manchester).
Additional terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2025 subject to regulatory approvals, were not disclosed.
The Proskauer team advising Lee Equity Partners was led by partners Andrew Wingfield and Adam Creed and included associates Matt Clift, Kikelomo Lawal and Esme Malley (M&A); partner Vikki McKay and associate Benjamin Peacock (Real Estate); partner John Verwey and associate Sulaiman Malik (Regulatory); partner Barry Newman and associate Antonia George (Private Equity Finance); partner Stephen Pevsner and associate David Ward (Tax); partners Oliver Howley and Mary Wilks (Antitrust).