Corporate Finance Advice

With most of our advisors coming from a ‘big four’ or investment banking background, Dow Schofield Watts combines high-quality advice with a hands-on service. We work with business owners, management teams and investors in the UK and internationally, and advise many of the leading private equity firms.

Whether you are looking to buy or sell a business, raise capital or planning your next strategic move, the Dow Schofield Watts team is well placed to provide the best possible advice.

Corporate Finance Team

James Dow Chief Executive Officer
Jon Schofield Non-Executive Director
Mark Watts Owner / Co-Founder
Roger Esler
Paul Herriott
Gregg Pendlington
Gerard Lucas
Dave Graham
William Baxter
Payam Keyghobadi

James Dow

Chief Executive Officer

Date of appointment Established Dow Schofield Watts in 2002 Experience James is qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and Cost and Management Accountant. James joined KPMG in 1983 and after qualifying, focused for over 13 years on corporate finance, approximately eight years as a partner leading Corporate Finance in the North West. James was nominated … Continued

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Jon Schofield

Non-Executive Director

Date of appointment Co-founded Dow Schofield Watts LLP in 2002 Experience Jon is a chartered accountant and spent 12 years with KPMG before joining an MBO in 1994. After exiting from the buyout, Jon became a partner at Grant Thornton. In 1999 he joined Cammell Laird Holdings Plc as Finance Director and subsequently was appointed … Continued

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Mark Watts

Owner / Co-Founder

Following graduation from Birmingham University, Mark qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG. Mark has over 20 years of corporate finance experience gained at Hill Samuel Bank, NatWest Markets, Old Mutual Securities where he lead and completed transactions in both the public and private markets. Mark is a founding Partner of Dow Schofield Watts. Disposals … Continued

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Roger Esler

Roger joined Dow Schofield Watts in 2012 with specific responsibility for the Yorkshire & the North East office and team. Following graduation from Sheffield University and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Roger then gained over 20 years corporate finance experience at SG Hambros, KPMG and latterly Deloitte where he was a partner for over a … Continued

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Paul Herriott

Paul is a Director in the Corporate Finance team based in Leeds. He joined Dow Schofield Watts in September 2013. He has advised companies across the mid-market on transactions including trade sales, strategic acquisitions, MBOs, private equity and debt fundraising. He has broad sector experience across manufacturing, business support services, technology & software, transport & … Continued

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Gregg Pendlington

Gregg joined Dow Schofield Watts Corporate Finance in 2013 having spent the previous 8 years with a national firm of Chartered Accountants (in their Corporate Finance team). He is FCA qualified and holds the Corporate Finance Qualification from ICAEW. He previously obtained his degree in Accounting and Financial Management at the University of Sheffield, graduating … Continued

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Gerard Lucas

Gerard joined Dow Schofield Watts Corporate Finance in 2016 after spending 13 years as a Corporate Finance Director at RSM and 3 years as a Finance Director at Sheard Packaging delivering an investment and growth strategy. Gerard has strong cross-border experience and specialises in providing strategic commercial advice and deal structuring to entrepreneurs and growing … Continued

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Dave Graham

Dave is a Director in the Corporate Finance Team. He joined Dow Schofield Watts eight years ago having previously worked for KPMG and telecoms group Caudwell. He is a Chartered Accountant with a Degree in Finance and Economics from The University of Liverpool. Dave’s experience covers a broad range of transaction and advisory roles including … Continued

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William Baxter

Will is a founding Partner in the London office’s Corporate Finance Team. He joined Dow Schofield Watts to jointly lead the firm’s activities in the Consumer, Leisure and Hospitality sectors. He has previously led sector teams at both BDO and Grant Thornton in London. Will originally qualified as a Solicitor and practiced in the Corporate … Continued

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Payam Keyghobadi

Payam is a founding Partner in the London office’s Corporate Finance Team, specialising in the Consumer, Leisure and Hospitality sectors. Payam qualified as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG, before moving to a mid-market corporate finance boutique in London where he became a Partner in 2014. Payam’s experience includes business sales and fundraisings on behalf of … Continued

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Corporate Finance Advice Services

Company sales

Preparing your business for a sale, identifying potential buyers and negotiating and structuring the deal.
Acquisitions

Developing your growth strategy, identifying targets and managing the deal process through to completion.
MBOs & MBIs

Supporting management teams acquiring a business, and business owners selling to an MBO or MBI team.
Debt advisory

Selecting the right funding provider and achieving the best deal in terms of amount, flexibility and pricing.
International

Helping UK companies to find overseas buyers, and international companies seeking acquisitions in the UK.
Private equity

Advising private equity firms on deals of all types, and supporting businesses seeking PE investment.
Technology

Specialist advice from our dedicated tech team for firms seeking to buy or sell a business or secure funding.
Special situations

Creative solutions for companies seeking to overcome a particular challenge or tackle complex problems.

Recent Deals

Let's Chat

Arrange your free financial review with us today, or get in touch to discuss how we can work together. You can also contact us using the following form.