This week the UK deals community descends on Birmingham for the Insider UK Dealmakers Awards 2026. Awards only capture a moment in time, sure, but they’re also a great snapshot of where the market’s heading and who’s shaping it.
We’re delighted to see our Corporate Finance Partner, Adam Maitland, nominated for UK Dealmaker of the Year, fresh off his win as Scottish Dealmaker of the Year in late 2025.
On top of that, the sale of the Port of Nigg by Global Energy Group to Mitsui & MOL has been shortlisted for Deal of the Year (Large) – with Hutcheon Mearns (now Cooper Parry) leading the charge on the transaction.
And making it a hat‑trick… Lee Equity Partners’ acquisition of Cooper Parry has been shortlisted for Large Deal of the Year (Midlands). A milestone moment for the firm and a big statement about the scale of our ambition.
Scotland’s Landmark Deal
The Port of Nigg transaction stands out as one of Scotland’s most strategically important infrastructure deals in recent years. As a nationally significant energy asset -central to offshore wind and the wider energy transition – the deal required precision positioning with international strategic capital.
Mitsui & MOL bring long-term backing, global reach and the firepower for the site’s next phase of development. A big win for the region, the sector, and Scotland’s transition story.
It was a cross-border, multi-stakeholder, high-complexity mandate, the kind that reflects the calibre of capital now moving into Scottish energy and infrastructure.
From Boutique Beginnings to Mid‑Market Challenger
This recognition also reflects a longer journey.
Adam set up the deals offering at Hutcheon Mearns back in 2017 with a simple belief: the Scottish mid-market deserved something better. Founder-led and investor-backed businesses needed senior attention, faster thinking and a more commercial, less rigid advisory approach.
So the model was built early: work with management teams long before a deal is “a deal”, shape the strategy, tighten the story, build the buyer universe and be there when decisions matter.
That approach scaled fast. Hutcheon Mearns grew past £10m revenue, delivered high volumes of mid-market transactions across sectors, and stayed lean, partner-led and pragmatic.
The Cooper Parry Chapter
Joining Cooper Parry has taken that platform up another level. Clients now get broader capability across the deals spectrum (and far beyond) without losing the pace, clarity, and senior input the team was built on.
And for Cooper Parry as a whole, it marks another step in becoming the UK’s next mid‑market challenger brand: bigger footprint, deeper sector expertise, Scotland growing fast, and a deals team firing on all cylinders.
Naill Benzahia, Partner at Cooper Parry, puts it simply:
“Transactions of this scale and complexity need early, holistic execution. The strength of the platform now is that we can match deep sector knowledge with national and international reach.”
Looking Ahead
Scottish businesses continue to attract serious international interest across energy, industrials, technology, professional services and more. The market’s global, competitive and increasingly sophisticated.
The Insider nominations shine a light on standout people and standout deals – in Scotland, the Midlands and across the UK. More importantly, they show the depth of capability now available to ambitious mid-market businesses working with us.
The team’s really looking forward to the awards in Birmingham – and to continuing to shape the deals driving the UK’s next phase of growth.
