Background
Founded over 30 years ago, Livingstone was the UK’s first mergers and acquisitions (M&A) boutique. Our vision in 1976 was the same as today: to provide best-in-class investment banking advice with an entrepreneurial ‘twist’ to mid-market clients; clients who often feel neglected by the ‘bulge bracket’ banks and uninspired by the larger accountancy firms.
The present UK partner team joined Livingstone from 1989 and has now worked together on average for 14 years, representing the most stable team of M&A practitioners in the UK market. Livingstone continues to be widely recognised as having a team of outstanding longevity in the ‘revolving door’ world of M&A.
In 1993, Livingstone became the first mid-market corporate finance houses to recognise the importance of developing an international M&A capability, and was instrumental in the creation of EuroMerger, one of the world’s first international networks of M&A boutiques. In 1999, Livingstone played an equally important role in the creation of a larger partnership, Global M&A, through a partial merger with EuroMerger.
In 1994, the UK team first started working with Neil Collen and his team in Spain, the foundations of a fruitful relationship that would ultimately grow to become Livingstone Partners.
In 2002, Livingstone first came into contact with its US team, a relationship that has flourished since and generated substantial fee income over a five year period. In 2005, Livingstone celebrated the completion of its 300th deal in a 10 year period and, in 2006, we received industry recognition when Livingstone won Boutique of the Year at the BVCA Private Equity Awards.
In early 2007, Livingstone made a decisive move towards fulfilling its long-term strategy of delivering a seamless cross-border M&A service to mid-market clients through a merger with its long-standing Spanish partner, NC Finanzas Corporativas, and a new boutique, ONE Worldwide, established in Chicago by a group of former US colleagues. Livingstone is now unique in delivering mid-market M&A advice from its own teams on either side of the Atlantic and in continental Europe.
In 2007, Livingstone Partners closed 50 deals worth £1.8bn in aggregate across its three offices.
In April 2008, Livingstone won the Independent Corporate Finance House of the Year Award at the BVCA Private Equity Awards for the second time in three years. During 2008, the firm closed 32 deals despite the challenging environment caused by the so-called 'credit crunch'.
In 2009, Livingstone Partners closed 32 deals worth £905.6m in aggregate across its three offices.
In 2010, Livingstone was voted Mid-Market Advisor by M&A industry bible Acquisitions Monthly.