Register to get free articles
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
London-based M&A advisory LAVA Advisory Partners has more than doubled its fee income from European private equity transactions in the year to October 2025, while total fees rose by 57%.
The firm completed four transactions over a two-month period, advising on deals across several sectors and structures. These included the sale of South West wealth and accountancy firm Old Mill to Blixt-backed platform The Kinbrook group, and a partnership between chiropractic training provider The College of Health and Improve International.
LAVA also advised on a number of confidential processes spanning areas such as cybersecurity, defence and education.
Founded five years ago, LAVA has attributed the increase in private equity-related income to continued demand for mid-market advisory services despite a challenging dealmaking environment.
The firm expanded its team during the year, increasing headcount by 27%. This included the appointment of partner Paul Joyce and the hiring of three women across advisory and management roles.
LAVA also reported a rise in its B Corp score to 119.6 points in 2025, up 37% on the previous year. Since its launch in 2020, the firm has pledged 2.5% of annual turnover to its Positive Change initiative, supporting charities focused on the health and wellbeing of young people. It said donations to date total more than £500k.
Simon Woodcock, partner at LAVA Advisory Partners, said: “This has been a really rewarding year for us, where we’ve seen the vision for the firm validated by our strong performance and continued growth.
“Seeing the cumulative results of our Positive Change initiative and the growing diversity of our team is inspiring; we set out to make an M&A advisory with a difference, and it’s a pleasure to run the kind of firm that people want to work at.”
