Advising Grant Thornton UAE on its business combination with Grant Thornton Advisors LLC

We've advised Grant Thornton UAE on its business combination with Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, joining a multinational platform of advisory and audit firms established by Grant Thornton Advisors with Grant Thornton Ireland earlier this year, backed by an investor group led by US private equity firm New Mountain Capital.

The business combination will see Grant Thornton UAE unite with a number of other significant Grant Thornton businesses boasting a multinational team of more than 13,000 professionals across more than 50 offices.  With the addition of Grant Thornton UAE, the platform can now offer broader capabilities to a growing client base and further enhance the talent and quality of its unified advisory and tax services. The combination also brings strength to its independent audit and assurance practices.

Additionally, this move bolsters the platform's standing in the UAE which has emerged as one of the world’s most prominent international financial centers, with aggregated access and expertise in major growth industries including banking, asset management, insurance and energy.

Our team was led by Dubai-based partner Abdullah Mutawi who commented: "We are very proud to have advised the shareholders of Grant Thornton UAE on this landmark transaction.  Aside from being a testament to the incredible business built by our clients, the deal marks a watershed in the M&A deal-making environment in our region for several reasons, not least in that it is the most significant transaction involving a professional services business in our region led by a major US private equity player.  The deal also underscores the growing investment appeal of the UAE and other regional economies and the confidence that international investors continue to have in our region.”  

The cross-border team was led by Dubai-based partner Abdullah Mutawi, and included partner Ed Chapman, Senior Associates Richard Price and Daniel Sterling and associates Ellie Goonetillake and Hope Oraka with regulatory advice provided by Senior Counsel Mohammed Tartir and Associate Laura Sperling.