Grant Thornton UK buys Fairgrove in first UK deal since Cinven backing
What's the deal? Grant Thornton UKDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Fairgrove, a strategic management consultancy, to bolster its mid-market Deals Advisory business. Founded in 2013, Fairgrove advises owners, managers and investors on growing sales and completing mergers and acquisitions, with services spanning strategy consulting, transaction support and commercial due diligence. Terms were not disclosed.
Why now? The deal is Grant Thornton UK's first domestic acquisition since private equity firm CinvenDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → invested in the business. It comes as private equity investors and companies increasingly seek integrated advice combining commercial insight, financial analysis and post-deal value creation.
What's the endgame? The combined business aims to give clients deeper support across the deal lifecycle, from commercial diligence and transaction support through to strategy and value creation. Fairgrove's clients will keep the same specialist team while gaining access to Grant Thornton UK's wider resources.
By the numbers: Grant Thornton UK completed 246 transactions in 2025 worth a cumulative £12.3 billion. Private equity was involved in 53% of those deals, and 24% had international involvement.
What else? The acquisition builds on the firm's investment in senior talent. It has 41 equity partners who started in 2026, with a further 43 in the pipeline, towards a target of 160 partners by the end of 2027.
The signal: "Bringing that expertise together with Grant Thornton UK's broader advisory capabilities will allow us to provide even stronger support to clients as they make important growth, investment and transaction decisions," said Malcolm GomersallDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, chief executive at Grant Thornton UK. The move reflects a wider push among advisory firms to build integrated, end-to-end deal services for a private equity market that dominates mid-market activity.
Read more: Grant Thornton UK
Image credit: Alan Cleaver
