Dealmaker heads into Scotland for the first time

DOW SCHOFIELD Watts, the Yorkshire-based dealmaker, has expanded into Scotland for the first time through a partnership with the Aberdeen firm, Hall Morrice Corporate Finance Ltd.

The move will give Dow Schofield Watts a fifth UK base in addition to its offices in Leeds, the North West and London, and expertise in the oil and gas sector.

The Aberdeen team will now operate under the Dow Schofield Watts brand, while retaining their close relationship with the Hall Morrice accountancy firm.

Hall Morrice Corporate Finance was founded in 2017 by Tom Faichnie and Melanie Clark.

A spokesman said: “Tom, who played a key role in building Deloitte’s deal advisory team in Manchester, also developed Barclays’ global investment strategy for the oil and gas sector and more recently was a partner at RSM.

“Melanie, who was previously at KPMG and RSM, was recently named as one of the ICAS Top 100 Chartered Accountants.”

James Dow, founding partner of Dow Schofield Watts, said: “Hall Morrice Corporate Finance is highly respected within the Scottish deals market and fits well with our own ethos of toptier professionals providing a partner-led service.

“The partnership will extend the Dow Schofield Watts operation across the border into Scotland, with its strong tech and financial services sectors, and allow our advisers across the UK to draw upon the team’s expertise in the oil industry.”

Tom Faichnie said: “Having firmly established ourselves as an independent force within the Aberdeen market, this partnership with Dow Schofield Watts will allow us to take our business to the next level. It will boost our global reach in line with the increasingly international nature of the oil services industry, and enable us to leverage the expertise within the group.”