This week, the UK deal community gathers in Birmingham for the Insider UK Dealmakers Awards 2026. While awards are only a snapshot in time, they provide a useful lens on how the market is evolving, and the individuals and transactions shaping it.
We’re delighted to see our Corporate Finance Partner, Adam Maitland, nominated for UK Dealmaker of the Year, following his recognition as Scottish Dealmaker of the Year in late 2025.
Separately, the sale of the Port of Nigg by Global Energy Group to Mitsui & MOL has been shortlisted for Deal of the Year (Large). Hutcheon Mearns (now Cooper Parry) acted as lead advisor on the transaction.
The Port of Nigg transaction was one of the most strategically significant infrastructure deals in Scotland in recent years. As a nationally important energy asset with a central role in offshore wind and energy transition infrastructure, the process required careful positioning with international industrial capital. The sale to Mitsui & MOL delivered long-term backing, global reach and strategic alignment for the next phase of development; all hugely important for the local economy and national transition story.
The mandate involved cross-border structuring, complex stakeholder management and disciplined execution. It reflects the increasing sophistication of capital flowing into Scottish infrastructure and energy assets.
From Boutique to Mid-Market Challenger
The recognition also reflects a longer journey.
Adam set up the deals offering at Hutcheon Mearns in 2017 with a clear view that the Scottish mid-market needed something different. Too often, founder-led and investor-backed businesses were either underserved by larger institutions or constrained by process-heavy advisory models.
The objective was straightforward: build a corporate finance platform that combined senior attention with pace, commercial judgement and early engagement.
Rather than waiting for fully formed mandates, the firm worked alongside management teams and shareholders well before a transaction crystallised — whether that was advising on business planning, strategic options, buyer engagement or capital structure. That earlier involvement often translated into stronger positioning and better outcomes.
Over time, the platform scaled meaningfully. Hutcheon Mearns grew to more than £10m in revenue, completing high volumes of mid-market transactions across multiple markets, while maintaining a lean and partner-led structure.
The approach was consistent: pragmatic advice, direct communication and world-class execution – bringing Big 4 and Global Investment Banking expertise to the mid-market.
The Cooper Parry Chapter
The acquisition of Hutcheon Mearns by Cooper Parry marked the next stage of that development.
For clients, it brings broader capability across the deals spectrum and beyond, coupled with full international connectivity and a highly established mid-market corporate finance team. For the team itself, it provides greater platform scale without changing the underlying advisory philosophy.
Naill Benzahia, Partner at Cooper Parry, comments:
“Transactions of this scale and complexity require a holistic approach to execution, as working earlier and longer with clients optimises sale outcomes. The strength of the platform now is that we can combine our sector experience with national and international reach.”
Looking Ahead
Scottish businesses continue to attract international capital across key growth sectors including energy, industrials, technology, professional services and more. The market is competitive, increasingly global and more technically demanding.
Recognition at the Insider awards reflects both individual contribution and the quality of transactions being executed in Scotland. More importantly, it reinforces the depth of capability now available to ambitious mid-market businesses.
The team looks forward to the awards in Birmingham and to continuing to advise on the transactions shaping the UK’s next phase of growth.
