20 pictures: Belfast chartered accountant director named Dealmaker of the Year at prestigious Northern Ireland awards

Director of the Belfast corporate finance team at Grant Thornton NI LLP Charlie Kerlin has been named Dealmaker of the Year at Insider's Northern Ireland Dealmakers Awards.

Held at the Europa Hotel and compered by Andrew Ryan, the event aims to celebrate the major transactions and professionals who are enabling a whole host of mergers and acquisitions.

The event was sponsored by A&L Goodbody, Danske Bank, Davy UK, Downey Osborne, Honeycomb and Tughans. The headline sponsor was LDC. Mills Selig sponsored the drinks reception. Quilter Cheviot sponsored the networking booklets with Barclays being the table plan sponsor.

Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year Sponsored by: Tughans Winner: Grant Thornton NI LLP In 2024, the Corporate Finance Team at Grant Thornton NI achieved its highest-ever fee levels, more than 50 per cent up on 2023. This remarkable fee growth was driven by the team’s energy and dedication, as well as the trusted relationships it has cultivated with its clients and the wider market. On top of this, the judges noted they had been involved in some of the most significant transactions over the year. Shortlisted: Cavanagh Kelly Dougold Partners HNH Partners ASM (M) Deloitte

Bank/Funder of the Year Winner: Danske Bank Danske has had another excellent year, supporting Northern Ireland businesses with over £700m of lending approvals in 2024, up 24 per cent from 2023 and allowing NI businesses to expand, grow and invest in international markets. The judges were impressed with its support of sustainability transition, with over 80 business customers completing the Climate Action programme and its Sustainable Lending programme. Shortlisted: HSBC UK Barclays

Private Equity Funder/ Team of the Year Sponsored by: A&L Goodbody Winner: Whiterock In March 2024 Whiterock successfully launched its Growth Capital Fund totalling £75m, the largest local PE fund in Northern Ireland. The Fund has already surpassed its Year 1 deployment targets. This, together with the fact that Whiterock continues to build its talented and diverse equity team, greatly impressed the judges. Shortlisted: Foresight BGF Corporate Law Firm of the Year Winner: Carson McDowell LLP In 2024, the Carson McDowell corporate team contributed significantly to an overall growth in the firm’s year-on-year turnover, advising on over 85 deals with a combined value in the region in excess of £1bn. The judges were impressed that the team is described as ‘tier-one’ and one of the region’s largest and most experienced. Shortlisted: Pinsent Masons Belfast LLP DWF (Northern Ireland) Mills Selig Tughans LLP A&L Goodbody NI LLP Davidson McDonnell

Private Equity / Venture Capital Deal the Year Winner: Sale of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group to Exponent Private Equity (exit for Foresight and 57 Stars) Kingsbridge Healthcare Group is the largest private hospital group in Northern Ireland. During the investment period, Foresight and 57 Stars significantly invested in Kingsbridge’s facilities and expanded from primarily orthopaedic surgeries into new services. The judges noted that not only was this one of the most successful returns for a financial investor ever achieved in Northern Ireland, it also brought another large institutional investor to the market. Shortlisted: Acquisition of Metacompliance Group by Keensight Capital (Advisers: Simmonds and Simmonds LLP; Mayer Brown International LLP; EY) Investment in Solarfix NI by Whiterock (Advisers: Tughans LLP; A&L Goodbody; AAB) Investment in TES Group by Foresight Group (Advisers: ASM Magherafelt; Arthur Cox; Grant Thornton; Shoosmiths; PMSI; Vista; Mabbett & Associates) Investment in Cirdan Imaging by 57 Stars and Investment Fund for Northern Ireland (IFNI) (Advisers and funders: Tughans LLP; Clarendon Fund Managers; Bank of Ireland; Kernel Capital; Millar McCall Wylie) Sale of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group to Exponent Private Equity (exit for Foresight and 57 Stars) (Advisers: A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Arthur Cox LLP; PwC; KPMG Belfast; Vision to Value) Investment in Blue Build Group by Cordovan Capital (Advisers: Tughans LLP; EY; Wilson Nesbitt; HNH Partners; Shoosmiths NI) Sale and investment in Options Technology to Vitruvian Partners (Advisers: Carson McDowell; PwC, Paul Hastings LLP; Malek Moss Legal Group; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP; Kirkland & Ellis Partners LLP; KPMG) Investment in Blair’s Caravans by Melior Equity Partners (Advisers: Tughans LLP; Grant Thornton; Burness Paull; KPMG; Turley Legal; HNH Partners; McKees)

Transaction Services Team of the Year Sponsored by: Downey Osborne Winner: EY EY’s Transaction Services Team worked on over 15 completed deals across the UK and Ireland over the last 12 months, including the landmark sale of Phoenix Energy, NI's largest transaction in over a decade. The judges were not only impressed with the significance of the deals they worked on but also its innovative use of advanced data analytics techniques, ensuring clients have a comprehensive understanding of their transactions. Shortlisted: Grant Thornton KPMG AAB HNH Partners ASM (M) Cavanagh Kelly

Deal of the Year (sub £2.5m) Winner: Investment in Vikela Armour Founded in 2020, the engineering start-up secured investment from ScaleX Investments, Two Magnolias Venture Capital and a consortium of Northern Irish angels. The transaction has provided the company with working capital to fund the relocation of the business to a new headquarters and get products into the market in 2025. The judges felt the deal showcases the potential of homegrown innovation and should therefore inspire other NI entrepreneurs. Shortlisted: Investment in Cocktail Keg Co. by Investment Fund for NI and others (Advisers: Clarendon Fund Managers; Tughans LLP; A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; McKees; Paterson & Rocks) Investment in Retinize by Qubis, Sure Valley Ventures, Techstart Ventures, Innovation Ulster and Invest Northern Ireland (Advisers: Carson McDowell; Miller McCall Wylie; LK Shields; Tughans LLP) Acquisition of Induction Healthcare Group by Eolas Medical (Advisers: Davidson McDonnell; Burness Paul LLP) Acquisition of Rosies Bakes by Martin Group (Advisers: Dougold Partners; Mills Selig; Millar McCall Wylie) Investment in Catagen by Whiterock (IFNI) (Advisers: Whiterock; A&L Goodbody NI LLP; Davidson McDonnell) Investment in Vikela Armour by ScaleX Investments, Two Magnolias Venture Capital and others (Advisers: Mills Selig) Acquisition of Coleraine Football Club by Bannsiders Holdings (Advisers: Macaulay Wray LLP; Johnsons Solicitors (Belfast); Turley Legal)

Deal of the Year (above £2.5m-£10m) Sponsored by: Davy UK Winner: Investment in Woodland Kitchens NI by BGF Woodland Kitchens NI is a family-owned kitchen and bathroom furniture manufacturer and provider of end-to-end supply and fit contracts. The investment allowed the business to acquire JTC Furniture Group in Scotland, which should generate a turnover in excess of £50 million.. The judges noted that the deal underscored BGF’s commitment to supporting innovative businesses in the manufacturing sector. Shortlisted: Investment in Titanic Distillers by Whiterock (Advisers: Tughans LLP; HNH Partners; Arthur Cox) Investment in Woodland Kitchens NI by BGF (Advisers: A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; Tughans LLP; HNH Partners, HCA Corporate Finance) Investment in Cirdan Imaging by 57 Stars and Investment Fund for Northern Ireland (IFNI) (Advisers and funders: Tughans LLP; Clarendon Fund Managers; Bank of Ireland; Kernel Capital; Millar McCall Wylie) Funding into MBNI by Danske Bank (Advisers: Mills Selig; Cleaver Fulton Rankin; Colliers; Skope) Investment in Drinksology Kirker Greer Group by Whiterock (Advisers: Mills Selig; HNH Partners; Johnston Solicitors) Investment in Judra by Whiterock (Advisers: Tughans LLP; A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; AAB) Deal of the Year (£10m+) Sponsored by: Honeycomb Winner: Sale of First Derivatives to EPAM The sale of First Derivatives marked a milestone for the local economy and the broader Northern Ireland region as it highlighted the strength of Northern Ireland's tech sector, its global competitiveness and the innovation emerging from the region. The deal has enhanced FD Technologies' ability to innovate and expand its strategic priorities, making it truly stand out for the judges. Shortlisted: Investment in Axial3D by 57 Stars (Advisers: Tughans LLP; HNH Partners; Luminii Consulting; A&L Goodbody) Sale of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group to Exponent Private Equity (exit for Foresight and 57 Stars) (Advisers: A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Arthur Cox LLP; PwC; KPMG Belfast; Vision to Value) Acquisition of Phoenix Energy by CK Infrastructure Holdings (Advisers: A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; AO Shearman; EY) Acquisition of Kilwaughter Holdings by Saint-Gobain (Advisers: Grant Thornton NI LLP; A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; Carson McDowell LLP; Clifford Chance LLP) Funding for Regen Waste by Danske Bank (Advisers: TLT Solicitors; A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP; HNH Partners) Sale of Obarcs to Solina UK (Advisers: Davidson McDonnell; Walkers Global; Eversheds Sutherland) Sale of First Derivatives to EPAM (Advisers: EY; Rothschild; Mills Selig)

Emerging Dealmaker of the Year Sponsored by: LDC Winner: Sarah Dugdale, A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP Sarah was the first female to have been made partner in A&L’s Corporate and M&A team in Northern Ireland. She has been active in the NI deals market for over 12 years but 2024 was an exceptional year for her, acting on a large number of high-profile and market leading deals this year. The judges noted that, as a mother, Sarah is genuinely committed to embedding a culture where all working parents are supported and encouraged to succeed in their careers whilst also prioritising their families. Shortlisted: Aimee Craig, Tughans LLP Liam Pettigrew, Deloitte Jamie Cairnduff, Whiterock Brendan Donnelly, Tughans LLP Louise McCaffrey, Davidson McDonnell Kyle Dougal, Dougold Partners

Dealmaker of the Year Sponsored by: Danske Bank Winner: Charlie Kerlin, Grant Thornton NI LLP Shortlisted: Glenn Watterson, Mills Selig Ruairi Dougal, Dougold Partners Wayne Horwood, HNH Partners Ben Sims, Tughans LLP Gerard Armstrong, Carson McDowell Mark Thompson, A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP

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