Throughout 2025, DWF’s corporate team remained focused on its core sectors, advising clients on a broad range of complex, high-value and strategically significant transactions globally.
Activity was strongest in technology, followed by real estate and financial services, with continued momentum across energy and industrials and consumer. The team’s cornerstone private equity and venture capital deals continued supporting clients on investment processes from seed capital and development capital through to ultimate exit.
In the technology and telecoms space, the team advised Daisy Communications Holdings Limited in relation to its merger with Virgin Media O2, creating a £1.4 billion turnover business-to-business communications group and one of the UK’s most significant telecoms transactions of the year.
The team also advised a number of financial services and private equity clients, including Tatton Asset Management plc and Inflexion on an investment into a newly established IFA consolidator backed by £115 million of funding, Elyssian Capital on its investment into IMS Euro Group Ltd, and Horizon Capital on its disposal of Ascent AI.
Further highlights included advising Foresight Group LLP on its venture capital investment into Singapore-based KYC technology company Asiaverify, Healthcare Ireland’s acquisition of Kathryn Homes Limited from Runwood Limited, the shareholders of Digital Enforcement Concepts on its sale to US-based IP House, and Furrows Limited on a complex group reorganisation and subsequent sale to an Employee Ownership Trust.
In Scotland, DWF assisted the Scottish National Investment Bank with eight investment deals, . These transactions aligned with the Bank’s objectives, promoting net zero initiatives and innovation, and provided patient capital to businesses across Scotland.
Frank Shephard, global head of corporate at DWF, commented: "2025 was a strong year for our corporate team, with sustained activity across our core sectors and continued demand for high-quality transactional advice. We have remained committed to delivering complex and strategically important advice to our clients in our chosen locations with the support of our international footprint and specialists in our commercial and regulatory, and real estate teams.
"Our focus on key markets such as TMT, consumer, energy, insurance and financial services have been crucial to maintaining momentum in a challenging market. As we move into 2026, we remain optimistic about opportunities across private equity, venture capital and strategic M&A, as investors continue to seek growth and long-term value."
