Shaw & Co.

What Shaw & Co. does

Shaw & Co is a privately held, boutique corporate finance advisory firm headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, operating through two limited liability entities (Shaw & Co Group Limited and Shaw & Co Advisory Limited), both registered in England and Wales. Founded in 2011 and operating with 1-10 employees, the firm advises UK business owners across three interconnected service lines: selling a business (exit planning, valuations, buyer sourcing, negotiation, and tax planning), buying a business (acquisitions, MBIs, MBOs, and mergers), and business financing (acquisition, growth, MBO, and MBI funding). Its target market is predominantly UK SMEs, with selective enterprise-scale mandates, served across 11+ industry verticals including technology, life sciences, manufacturing, food & beverage, financial services, and the public sector.

The firm operates a pure advisory model with no proprietary technology platform. Delivery is partner-led by Senior Partner Jim Shaw, M&A Partners Rob Starr and Director Myles Hamilton, and Business Funding Partners Alexei Garan and Dan Martin, supported by Principal Roderic Leefe. Its value proposition rests on personalised execution, success-based fees paid on deal completion, and cross-border capability delivered through membership in the ECOVIS International network, which provides access to international buyers, investors, and compliance expertise. The firm is regulated by ICAEW for investment business activities and is listed on the FCA Financial Services Register.

Go-to-market is consultative and content-led: the firm runs the 'Connected' digital hub and quarterly newsletter, maintains a published deal track record and success-story library, and converts inbound interest through complimentary initial consultations booked via an Outlook calendar system. Revenue is generated almost entirely through success fees proportional to deal value, creating a lumpy, transaction-driven revenue profile rather than a recurring engagement model. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or material structural moves have been disclosed in the available data.

Name

Shaw & Co.

Legal name

Shaw & Co Group Limited and Shaw & Co Advisory Limited

Website

https://shawllp.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Boutique corporate finance advisory firm based in Bristol, UK, advising business owners on selling, buying, and financing SMEs. Operates a success-fee model with partner-led delivery across 11+ industry verticals, with cross-border capability via the ECOVIS International network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB), Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps) (FSAEAGAE), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Corporate finance advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Business sale advisory
• Management buyout advisory
• Business funding advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Success Fee - Transaction Completion: Fees are predominantly 'Success Fees', meaning the firm gets paid on completion of the deal. Fees are aligned with client goals and are always a proportion of the value added to the transaction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shaw & Co. is a boutique corporate finance advisory firm that helps UK business owners buy, fund, and sell businesses. The firm provides advice on exit strategy, business valuations, finding buyers and negotiating sales, as well as acquisition strategy, fund raising, management buy-in/buy-out, and business mergers. Across all mandates the firm charges predominantly success-based fees, paid on completion of the transaction and proportionate to the value added. The firm is regulated by ICAEW and operates with UK sector specialisation combined with international reach through the ECOVIS network.

Product overview

Shaw & Co is a corporate finance advisory firm offering a unified set of transactional services rather than a software product platform. The core service portfolio consists of three interconnected advisory service lines: Selling a Business (encompassing exit planning, business valuations, business sales, and tax planning modules), Buying a Business (covering business acquisitions, management buy-ins, management buyouts, and business mergers), and Business Financing (including acquisition finance, growth financing, and management buyout/buy-in financing). These services are delivered by sector-specialist advisors and supported by a digital content resource called Connected Magazine. The firm operates as a professional advisory practice rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selling a Business End-to-end sell-side advisory service for UK business owners preparing to exit, including exit planning, business valuations, business sales execution, and tax planning, delivered on a success-based fee model. Encompasses sub-areas of Exit Planning, Business Valuations, Business Sales, and Business Sale Tax Planning.
• Buying a Business Buy-side advisory service supporting UK management teams, owner-operators, and corporates in developing acquisition strategy, identifying targets, structuring deals, and completing business acquisitions. Encompasses sub-areas of Business Acquisitions, Management Buy-in (MBI), Management Buyout (MBO), and Business Mergers.
• Business Financing Funding advisory service for UK SMEs and mid-market companies seeking acquisition finance, growth financing, MBO financing, MBI financing, and refinancing. Covers equity raising, debt raising, and refinancing strategies, with negotiation of debt facilities across markets.

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ECOVIS InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShaw & Co is a member of ECOVIS International, a global network providing direct access to deal makers, accountants, tax advisors, and lawyers worldwide. This partnership enables the firm to facilitate cross-border transactions, access international buyers and investors, and manage complex international compliance and structuring challenges.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)coreOthersShaw & Co Advisory Limited is regulated by ICAEW for a range of investment business activities. The firm is also listed by the Financial Conduct Authority on the Financial Services Register under reference number ICAEW C008205085.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alantra UK: Independent financial advisory firm with a strong UK mid-market M&A practice advising on buy-side, sell-side and fundraising, overlapping Shaw & Co's transaction types with a broader geographic reach.
• Clearwater International: International corporate finance boutique with a large UK M&A practice serving mid-market clients on buy-side, sell-side and financing mandates, comparable service portfolio and UK focus.
• Oakley Advisory: UK independent boutique advising mid-market companies on M&A, debt and growth capital, closely matching Shaw & Co's advisory service model and target client segment.
• K3 Capital Group: UK-listed boutique advisory group providing M&A, debt advisory and restructuring services to SMEs and owner-managed businesses, with very similar service lines to Shaw & Co.
• Cavendish Corporate Finance: UK mid-market M&A advisory boutique advising on sales, acquisitions, MBOs/MBIs and fundraising; directly comparable in service mix and target deal size range as Shaw & Co.
• Dow Schofield Watts: UK mid-market corporate finance advisory firm focused on M&A, fundraising and strategic advisory for SMEs, paralleling Shaw & Co's owner-led client profile and deal size band.
• Copture (formerly Result Corporate Finance): UK boutique M&A firm specialising in sell-side and buy-side mandates for SME and owner-managed businesses, directly comparable to Shaw & Co's core sell-a-business franchise.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with strong UK mid-market M&A and corporate finance advisory capabilities; competes for larger mandates but adjacent in service offering and client type.
• RSM UK Corporate Finance: Mid-tier accounting network offering UK M&A advisory and transaction services to owner-led and mid-market businesses, partially overlapping Shaw & Co's service set with broader scale.
• BDO UK Corporate Finance: Big-mid-tier accounting and advisory firm providing UK corporate finance (M&A, ECM/DCM) services to mid-market companies, overlapping Shaw & Co's mid-market advisory space as a broader incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShawCoLLP
• YouTubevimeo.com/channels/shawandco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shawcorpfin

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shaw & Co.