MHA Moore and Smalley appoints new partner

MHA Moore and Smalley has appointed Rob Dawes as its new partner.

Dawes has joined the firm’s Manchester office and will help it build a dedicated transaction services team to “complement” its existing specialisms in M&A, fundraising and valuations.

The new transaction services team will work with private equity firms and mid-market corporates to provide financial due diligence and strategic deal advisory services.

Dawes joins the firm after five years with Grant Thornton where he was a director.

Prior to this, he worked in corporate finance roles for several big four accounting firms, both in the UK and Australia. He is also a fellow of the ICAEW.

MHA Moore and Smalley is part of the global Baker Tilly International network through its membership of MHA. It said that the addition of transaction services enables the firm “to be globally recognised by the network as a full-service corporate finance provider and will attract more work from clients operating internationally”.

Dawes’ appointment takes the size of the firm’s corporate finance team to 14.

Dawes said: “MHA Moore and Smalley has built real momentum in the corporate finance market over the last few years, particularly its recent growth in Manchester.

“There is currently huge demand in the market for transaction services and I’m looking forward immensely to helping the firm to offer this valuable service to clients.”

Andrew Feeke, partner and head of MHA Moore and Smalley’s corporate finance team, added: “Rob’s appointment marks the next stage in our growth and sees us create a dedicated transaction services specialism, enabling us to become a genuine full-service, specialist mid-market corporate finance team across the North.

“His years of experience advising on buy side private equity transactions and the buy and build strategies of mid to large corporates make him the ideal person to lead our transaction services team.”