Saffery expands corporate finance team into the south

Saffery has expanded its Corporate Finance team into the south of England with the appointment of Hemal Pandit as director in its Bournemouth office. Pandit brings particular expertise in the lower mid-market, regularly advising on deals ranging from £10m to £50m, as well as larger transactions, for clients including private equity firms, owner managed businesses, listed and private companies. He also provides wider strategic and commercial advice to businesses beyond individual transactions. 

He has previously held roles within transaction services teams at top ten firms, and has advised on a range of deal-focused engagements, specialising in due diligence and financial analysis. Within the local market in the South he has been named in the Solent Deal Awards Due Diligence Team of the Year two years in a row. 

Pandit’s appointment in Bournemouth follows the recent expansion of Saffery’s transaction services offering into the North West, and adds further strength to its broader Corporate Finance team, led nationally by partner Niraj Patel.

The team provides transaction support for buy-side and sell-side M&A, pre-lend reviews and services to support capital market IPOs. In 2023, it advised on transactions with a combined deal value of over £500m and across sectors ranging from financial and professional services to energy, IT services and entertainment. 

Niraj Patel, partner in the Corporate Finance team at Saffery, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Hemal to the team at Saffery. He brings a wealth of experience to our firm and strengthens our corporate finance offering in the South. 

“His appointment in Bournemouth complements our established transactions teams in London and Manchester, giving us a presence across our key regional markets. I look forward to him bringing his expertise to bear on behalf of the team providing both buy-side and sell-side support services to our growing client base, which includes some of the most exciting businesses operating in the region.”

Roger Wareham, partner and head of the Saffery Bournemouth office, added: “Hemal is an outstanding and highly specialised addition to the Saffery team in Bournemouth, and our national corporate finance offering. The South is home to some of the most dynamic businesses in the UK, enjoying significant investor interest and proving itself time and again as a major UK dealmaking hotspot outside London – a testament to the innovation, enterprise and opportunity we see locally.

“Hemal is well known and highly regarded in the local deals market, with an enviable track record and experience which brings tremendous value to the transactions they support and clients he advises. We’re very pleased to welcome him to the Saffery family and to expand the firm’s corporate finance offering in the South.