Mourant advises Cinven on majority investment in Grant Thornton UK

Mourant, a law firm-led professional services business, has collaborated with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer to advise international private equity firm Cinven on its majority investment in Grant Thornton UK LLP, one of the UK’s largest professional services firms.

Grant Thornton, founded in 1904, provides audit, tax, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including medium and large corporates, government organisations, and individuals.

Cinven’s investment, which sees the firm partnering with Grant Thornton’s UK Partner base, reflects its strong conviction in the resilience and growth potential of the professional services sector. Cinven aims to support the firm’s strategy to drive growth, enhance technology enablement, and further strengthen its position in the market.

Mourant provided specialist British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Cayman Islands legal advice, supporting the structuring and implementation of the deal. The Mourant BVI team was led by BVI Partner, Ian Montgomery, and the Mourant Cayman Islands team was led by Cayman Islands Managing Partner, Hayden Isbister who was supported by Counsel Alastair Lagrange.

Commenting on the transaction, Ian Montgomery, said:

“We are proud to have supported Cinven on this landmark transaction. This deal exemplifies the strength of our private equity expertise and our ability to provide seamless, high-quality offshore legal advice on complex, cross-jurisdictional matters. Working closely with Freshfields, we were able to deliver tailored support to facilitate this important investment in the professional services sector.”

The transaction is subject to Partner ratification, regulatory approvals, and customary closing conditions.