Ince Group acquires corporate advisory business Arden Partners

Ince Group acquires corporate advisory business Arden Partners

The £10 million takeover to create a one-stop-shop for investment services

The UK-listed law firm Ince Group has acquired Birmingham-based corporate adviser and stockbroker Arden Partners. The approximately £10m acquisition was announced on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

It is yet another attempt of Ince's ongoing efforts to expand its non-legal services division. On acquiring its own corporate advisory arm, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)-listed firm said it hoped to strengthen the development of its diversified professional services offering and accelerate the strategy of developing corporate finance services.

Donald Brown, CEO of Arden, said being part of a more diversified entity, the deal was an "important strategic development," as it cemented the company's ability to provide a wider range of services and gain access to a larger client base."

Adrian Biles, CEO of Ince Group described the deal as one borne from client need and founded on a set of shared commercial cultural values and mutual respect. He said the company's UK and overseas clients hoped to streamline their advisory relationships whilst being able to access the London capital markets.

Arden, which like Ince is listed on the LSE's growth market, AIM and has counted the law firm as one of its clients since 2017, mainly offers corporate finance and advisory services for public companies. Arden shareholders will now own approximately 21.6 per cent of Ince's share capital.

Arden will also gain access to Ince's resources and clients across its international network, which includes 14 offices across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, Ince is set to benefit from Arden's sectoral coverage across the oil and gas, renewables and healthcare industries.

The deal comes on the heels of the firm rebranding its corporate finance advisory arm, James Stocks & Co, as Ince Corporate Finance.