What Frenkel Topping Group does

Frenkel Topping Group is a UK specialist financial adviser focused on personal injury and clinical negligence claimants, operating from its headquarters in Salford, Manchester. The group delivers an end-to-end service platform spanning CPR-qualifying expert witness reports (Loss of Income, Pension Loss, Loss of Dependency, Lost Years, PPO assessments), welfare benefits support, Personal Injury Trusts, holistic financial planning, and discretionary fund management through its in-house manager Ascencia Investment Management. Sub-brands include Ascencia Investment Management, Obiter Wealth Management, Equatas Accountants, Knowledge Hub (training academy), and the Frenkel Topping Charitable Foundation.

The business model is relationship-driven and professional-services-led, with the primary customer being UK solicitors (Ralli, Serious Law, Fletchers, Royds Withy King, JE Bennett Law) and court-appointed professional deputies who refer vulnerable clients to the firm. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; expert witness reports offer free viability checks with payment deferred until settlement, while post-settlement advisory work is delivered via face-to-face, telephone, and video consultations. Revenue is generated across expert witness reports, financial advisory services, welfare benefits assessments, trust services, and management fees on £1.803bn of funds under management. The proprietary technology stack includes a proprietary pension loss methodology (the "Frenkel Topping Amendment" cited in the 1995 Finance Act), cashflow modelling tools, and the FT App for client portfolio monitoring.

The company has grown through a combination of organic expansion and disciplined acquisitions: Forth's Accountancy (2020), A&M Bacon and Partners in Cost (2021, £9m), Keystone Case Management and Bidwell Henderson (2021), and Cardinal Management, N-Able Services and Somek and Associates (2022). It listed on AIM in 2004, reported FY2025 turnover of £41.7m (+11% YoY) and pre-tax profits of £5.2m (+24% YoY), and has agreed to be acquired by Irwell Financial Services Bidco Limited, which will result in its delisting from AIM.

Name

Frenkel Topping Group

Legal name

Frenkel Topping Limited

Website

https://frenkeltopping.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Frenkel Topping Group is a UK specialist financial adviser serving personal injury and clinical negligence claimants, providing expert witness reports, welfare benefits support, trusts, holistic financial planning, and discretionary fund management via Ascencia Investment Management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF)

Keywords

• Specialist financial advice
• Expert witness reports
• Personal injury trusts
• Clinical negligence settlements
• Discretionary fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Expert Witness Reports: The company provides CPR qualifying expert witness reports for court proceedings including loss of income, pension loss, loss of dependency, lost years, and periodical payment order calculations. Reports are provided to legal professionals for use in personal injury and clinical negligence litigation.
2. Financial Advisory Services: Post-settlement financial advice including holistic financial planning, investment advice, pension advice, protection advice, and tax efficient financial planning. Services include cashflow analysis, cash management, and consideration of socially responsible, ethical or religious investment solutions.
3. Welfare Benefits Services: Welfare benefits assessments and support to increase claimant income, defer interim payments, and help reclaim benefit costs during mitigation.
4. Trust Services: Personal Injury Trusts and Trusts for Minors to protect settlements and manage investments for vulnerable clients.
5. Ascencia Investment Management: Discretionary fund management service launched in 2016, providing bespoke low-risk investment solutions for personal injury and clinical negligence clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Frenkel Topping Group is a specialist financial adviser that provides expert witness reports, financial advice, and investment management services for personal injury and clinical negligence claimants. The firm works with legal professionals throughout litigation to deliver CPR qualifying expert witness reports (loss of income, pension loss, loss of dependency, lost years, PPO), then provides post-settlement financial planning, welfare benefits support, trust services, and discretionary fund management through its Ascencia subsidiary.

Product overview

Frenkel Topping Group is a specialist financial adviser focused on personal injury and clinical negligence settlements, offering a comprehensive end-to-end service from pre-settlement through post-settlement client care. The core offering includes Expert Witness Reports (Loss of Income, Pension Loss, Loss of Dependency, Lost Years, PPO), Welfare Benefits, Trusts, Financial Advice, and Holistic Financial Planning. The group operates through multiple divisions: the core Frenkel Topping Limited provides expert witness and financial advisory services; Ascencia Investment Management handles discretionary fund management; Obiter Wealth Management offers traditional wealth management; Equatas Accountants provides accounting services; and Knowledge Hub delivers professional training. The group has expanded through acquisitions including Somek and Associates (expert witnesses), Cardinal Management and N-Able (case management), and A&M Bacon and Partners in Cost (costs consultants). Post-settlement services include Ongoing Support, Client Relationship Team, and Court of Protection Due Diligence. The group also maintains a Charitable Foundation for community support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ascencia Investment Management: Discretionary fund manager providing bespoke investment solutions for clients who have been awarded settlements as a result of professional negligence or personal injury.
• Obiter Wealth Management
• Equatas Accountants
• Knowledge Hub
• Frenkel Topping Charitable Foundation
• Graduate Academy
• Somek and Associates
• Cardinal Management
• N-Able
• Forths Forensics

Products and services

• Expert Witness Reports CPR qualifying financial expert witness reports for court proceedings in personal injury and clinical negligence cases, including Loss of Income, Pension Loss, Loss of Dependency, Lost Years, and Periodical Payment Order assessments. Offered to legal professionals with free viability checks and payment deferred until settlement.
• Welfare Benefits Service Welfare benefits advisory service that may increase claimants' income, deferring the need for interim payments and preventing pressure to settle early. Includes betterment calculations, guidance through assessment and application processes, and annual deputy checks. Offered to PI/CN claimants and professional deputies.
• Trusts (Personal Injury Trusts and Trusts for Minors) Trust services to protect means-tested local authority funding and care. Personal Injury Trusts protect claimants' awards across their lifetime, while Trusts for Minors protect funds held in Court Funds Office and can convert to PI Trusts upon reaching adulthood.
• Financial Advice (Pre-settlement) Pre-settlement financial advisory services including Life After Settlement planning, Interim Payments guidance, and Insurance Pay-Out advice to help clients manage money effectively following personal injury or clinical negligence settlements.
• Holistic Financial Planning Comprehensive at-settlement and post-settlement financial planning including cashflow analysis, investment advice, pension advice, protection advice, tax-efficient planning, cash management, and socially responsible/ethical/Sharia-compliant investment solutions. Includes the Essential Advice Service for clients receiving £20K-£100K.
• Court of Protection and Due Diligence Support services for Court of Protection professionals including cash flow analysis, risk assessment, and due diligence around current investment strategies to ensure sound financial and investment decisions for clients lacking mental capacity.
• Ongoing Support Post-settlement support including annual reviews, welfare benefits support, and in-house accountancy services to help clients stay on track and ensure their financial plans remain suitable.
• Ascencia Investment Management Discretionary fund management service providing bespoke low-risk investment solutions designed specifically for clients who have received personal injury or professional negligence settlements. Manages £1.803bn in funds under management.
• Obiter Wealth Management Traditional wealth management service for clients whose wealth management needs are not directly related to their awards. Provides investing for income, capital growth, retirement income, and later life consultancy.
• Somek and Associates (Expert Witness Services) Expert witness provider delivering professional experts in Occupational Therapy, Care experts, Physiotherapy, Speech & Language Therapy, Nursing, Midwifery, and other health professions.
• Cardinal Management (Case Management) Case management company providing direction and guidance from major trauma centres around the UK to people and organisations in need following serious injury.
• N-Able Services (Case Management) Case management company working with clients following catastrophic injury, brain injury, spinal injury, cerebral palsy, amputation and other complex life changing injuries.
• A&M Bacon and Partners in Cost (Litigation Costs) Civil and commercial litigation costs consultants and costs law specialist services, bringing new skills in pre-settlement professional services.
• Equatas Accountants Accountancy joint venture providing accounting, auditing, bookkeeping and tax return services to clients.
• Knowledge Hub Training Academy Training academy delivering virtual and face-to-face training for professional clients including legal teams, deputies and trustees. Provides practical, evidence-led sessions on complex policy topics.
• Frenkel Topping Charitable Foundation Charitable foundation supporting vulnerable people, carers and disadvantaged groups across England and Wales, with priorities including emotional and practical support, independent living services, medical research, and education.

Quantifiable outcome

• Turnover increased 11% to £41.7m with pre-tax profits rising 24% to £5.2m in FY2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Premex Group: UK provider of medico-legal expert witness services and rehabilitation case management. Adjacent to Frenkel Topping's Somek & Associates and Cardinal Management/N-Able businesses: serves the same PI/clinical negligence customer (solicitors and insurers) with pre-settlement expert support services.
• Sedgwick (UK): Global claims management and expert witness services provider with significant UK personal injury and clinical negligence case management activity. Comparable to Frenkel Topping's acquired case management and expert witness subsidiaries as a large, diversified litigation support supplier.

Broad incumbents

• Rathbones Group: UK-listed wealth manager offering discretionary investment management and financial planning. Comparable to Frenkel Topping's investment management and holistic financial planning services, but at significantly larger AUM and broader client base.
• St. James's Place: Largest UK wealth manager with a partner-adviser distribution model and substantial funds under management. While it operates in the same UK wealth management space as Frenkel Topping, it is a mainstream broad-market incumbent rather than a specialist PI/clinical negligence adviser.
• Evelyn Partners: UK private wealth and professional services group (formerly Tilney) offering wealth management, accountancy, and financial planning. Comparable to Frenkel Topping at the group level in combining investment management with adjacent professional services for HNW clients.
• Quilter: UK-listed wealth manager and platform with discretionary investment management and adviser services. Comparable to Frenkel Topping in core UK wealth management and DFM activities, but operates at much greater scale and across a broad retail client base.

Direct peers

• Brooks Macdonald: AIM-listed UK wealth manager offering discretionary investment management and financial planning services. Comparable to Frenkel Topping as a publicly listed, UK-focused wealth manager; Brooks Macdonald is significantly larger in AUM but operates a similar business model of managed portfolios and adviser-led financial planning.
• Premier Miton Group: AIM-listed UK asset management group built through acquisitions of DFMs and wealth managers. Highly comparable to Frenkel Topping in scale, listing venue, and buy-and-build growth strategy in UK investment management.
• Charles Stanley: UK private client wealth manager and discretionary fund manager. Comparable to Frenkel Topping in offering discretionary investment management and financial planning to UK clients, with a similar specialist high-net-worth client focus.
• Tatton Asset Management: AIM-listed UK investment management and platform business serving IFAs and their clients. Comparable to Frenkel Topping's investment management arm (Ascencia) in its lift-out DFM model and Lloyds Banking Group distribution channel, and to the broader group as a UK-listed specialist asset manager.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Frenkel_Topping
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frenkel-t-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries19 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 Frenkel Topping Group