Fairgrove is thrilled to announce the acquisition of 100% of its share capital by Grant Thornton UK in a move which will expedite the creation of the UK’s leading mid-market strategy, value creation and commercial due diligence practice. The transaction will see Fairgrove retain its brand and leadership team, ensuring continuity of service and culture for its clients and employees.
Fairgrove will become part of Grant Thornton’s Strategic Advisory division, reporting to Keely Woodley.
For clients, the acquisition provides immediate access to an augmented team of professionals with deep sector expertise and experience, drawn from an unparalleled portfolio of credentials across Business Services, TMT, Built Environment, Industrials, Consumer, Healthcare, Financial Services and Education.
Fairgrove’s strategy clients will benefit from deeper sector expertise, greater analytical and advisory scale, and enhanced value creation capability, while private equity and M&A clients will be able to commission a fully joined-up CDD, FDD and Tax DD proposition, expediting deals and ensuring consistency of insight and opinion on buy-side and sell-side transactions.
Fairgrove co-Founding Partner, Patrick Woodrow, commented: “I am hugely excited to announce this acquisition, which is testament to the calibre of our team and the quality of our work. Fairgrove has grown in 12 of the last 13 years since inception and maintained a client net promoter score above +65 since we first started tracking this metric in 2018. Despite this track record, we are in no doubt that our best years lie ahead. In Grant Thornton we are partnering with a long-standing client and friend of the firm, who will invest in our business to realize our shared ambition of providing the best strategic advisory service to the UK mid-market.”
Co-Founding Partner, Paddy Woods Ballard, added: “The combination of the current CDD Provider of the Year and FDD Provider of the Year is a gamechanger for our private equity and M&A clients. There is a real buzz around both firms and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Grant Thornton UK is a leading audit, tax and advisory firm, led by nearly 300 partners and approximately 5,000 people. Part of a global network across more than 150 markets, Grant Thornton UK combines deep technical expertise with a senior-led approach to help organisations unlock growth, preserve value and make clear decisions when the picture is anything but. In 2025, Grant Thornton became the first major professional services firm in the UK to take private equity investment from international private equity firm Cinven to redefine what a modern professional services firm can be.
Malcolm Gomersall, Chief Executive, Grant Thornton UK: “Fairgrove has built a strong reputation for practical, evidence-based advice in strategy, transaction support and commercial due diligence. Bringing that expertise together with Grant Thornton UK’s broader advisory capabilities will allow us to provide even stronger support to clients as they make important growth, investment and transaction decisions. It is also another clear example of how we are investing in the senior talent and specialist capabilities needed to strengthen our market-leading Deals and Advisory business.”
Keely Woodley, Head of Strategic Advisory, Grant Thornton UK: “Fairgrove strengthens Grant Thornton UK’s ability to deliver pre- and post-deal value creation support to our private equity and corporate clients with their rigorous, data-led approach and sector-led strategic insights. Their specialist expertise in strategy, transaction support and commercial due diligence, combined with our wider advisory capabilities, gives clients access to a broader, more connected team with the insight and experience to help them make confident decisions. We’re delighted to be working together as one team, bringing our complementary expertise and shared client focus together to create even greater value.”
