M&A Today - Global Awards - 2018

Sintetica S.A.

Excellence in Drug Development & Best for Clinic Trials 2018 - Europe

Volume Ltd

Cognitive Computing Company of the Year 2018 & Award for Excellence - UK

A+E Networks Latin America

Best TV Marketing, PR & Events 2018

OPEN THE WINDOW TO YOUR BLACK BOX PERFORMANCE TOOLING FOR CONVERSATIONAL AI PLATFORMS

Make your chatbots perform better, with QBOX: the technology-agnostic data-model management tool that allows you to quantify the quality of your natural-language model.

QBOX.ai

PAGE

CONTENTS

5

Editor's Introduction

6

Africa

12

Asia

22 Australia 26

Europe

48

North America

58 South America 62

Global / Rest of the world

68

Winner’s Index

Editor in Chief Richard Baker 2nd Floor Quayside Tower 252 - 260 Broad Street Birmingham West Midlands B1 2HF United Kingdom +44 (0)20 3291 3493

The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the proprietor’s believe to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted for any errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

3

4

M&A | Today

Welcome to M&A Today - Global Awards – 2018 By broadening the focus beyond advertising alone, the purpose of our Annual Awards is to lift the perception of creativity above clever headlines and provide the readership with a comprehensive understanding of those firms that are truly leaders within their chosen areas of specialisation. The intellectual and emotional achievement of communication transcends the barriers of distance, language and culture. The Annual Awards programs extend over regional, national and international boundaries and reach out to the readers in an empirical, impartial and comprehensive way. It is a strict requirement for all M&A Today Awards programs to receive no less than 18% in votes from the global readership, currently in excess of 151,000. This policy is applied to further endorse the worthiness of the awards presented and any marketing carried out as a result of the awards process. As with each of the ten editions of M&A Today produced during the year, the M&A Today – Global Awards – 2018 provides the reader with in-depth analysis and coverage of the ever changing legal and financial landscape across the globe, whilst documenting those firms that are truly leaders within their specific areas of specialisation. In summary, in the current challenging times, the M&A Today Annual Awards programs provide a benchmark of the very best of the best industry leaders, exemplary teams and distinguished organisations based on the simple principles of veracity, accuracy and insight. The M&A Today – Global Awards – 2018 edition has been divided into seven sections. Furthermore, you will find a full and comprehensive winners index at the end of the supplement. We would like to extend our congratulations to all of the 2018 Global Awards winners.

Richard Baker Editor in Chief

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

5

AFRICA

AFRICA Dr Daniel N. Erasmus Mindpearl Nitereka Deo

6

Best Tax Risk Management Advisor - South Africa Best Contact Centre Outsourcer of the Year - South Africa Burundibest For Foreign Direct Investment - Burundi

M&A | Today

8 10 11

AFRICA

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

7

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

BEST TAX RISK MANAGEMENT ADVISOR

DR DANIEL N. ERASMUS

Leading African Tax Counsel with a US Presence TRM Daniel Erasmus Tax Court Practitioners is a niche professional firm based in the US and Africa, with associates (through the TP Associates Network in 65 countries). The firm focuses on tax controversy with an emphasis on complex domestic and international tax issue, and in particular on transfer pricing issues on the African continent. Our transfer pricing and other tax skills include involvement with the identification, valuation and movement of intangible property in a variety of industries. The team leader, Dr Daniel N. Erasmus, is an adjunct professor in international tax and transfer pricing, with more than 28 years’ experience in tax law issues. He is senior trial counsel in both domestic and international tax issues (currently and formerly) in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Clients are mostly MNE’s, with business in telecommunication, manufacturing, hotel & leisure, fund management, agri-science and financial services and banking, with a strong presence throughout Africa. AFRICA Tel: +27 11 698 0329 Fax: + 27 86 731 8063 Email: info@TaxRiskManagement.com

USA Tel: + 1 866 759 9467/561 568 7115 Fax: + 1 561 277 2527 Email: info@TaxRiskManagement.com Email: daniel@TaxRiskManagement.com

8

M&A | Today

AFRICA

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

9

AFRICA

BEST CONTACT CENTRE OUTSOURCER OF THE YEAR

SOUTH AFRICA

MINDPEARL Mindpearl is honoured to be recognised as the Best Contact Centre in South Africa by the M&A Today annual awards. Mindpearl’s history dates back to 1999, when the company operated as a captive contact centre. Today, Mindpearl is an award winning contact centre outsourcer wholly management owned and run. With in excess of 14 international clients, Mindpearl has grown its service portfolio to include respected airline and travel industry brands, as well as those in the retail, financial services, logistics and telecommunication industries.

promotes development and economic prosperity. Being a leading tourist destination and favoured option for tertiary education, it attracts international clients and linguists alike. The Mindpearl motto “Our people, your brand” is a true reflection of our diverse and inclusive spirit and we pride ourselves on employing over 50 nationalities speaking 25 languages. In Cape Town, we have nationals from Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East each contributing to our diverse culture and service offering.

Mindpearl South Africa has been operational since 2001. Our footprint extends to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Essen, Germany and Suva, Fiji. These strategically selected locations allow us to offer our clients premium language capabilities, cost effective solutions and a truly ‘follow the sun’ concept that promotes 24/7 operations and incurs nearly no disruptions to services.

Mindpearl thanks the M&A Today awards and its readership for bestowing this honour. Recognition by our clients, competitors and external parties reinforce our vision and the positive impact we have in the BPO sector, technological sphere, but more importantly on the global customer experience journey.

‘Pushing the boundaries of convention to deliver the ultimate brand experience’ represents Mindpearl’s strategic vision. Mindpearl has illustrated its pioneering industry leadership by being the first outsourcer to open international outsourced facilities in both South Africa (2001) and Fiji (2009). Today, both are award winning offshoring destinations.

Mindpearl Address: 2nd Floor, Block A, Mindpearl House 7 West Quay Road, Waterfront Cape Town 8001 South Africa Tel: +27 21 440 6771 Email: askus@mindpearl.com Web: www.mindpearl.com

South Africa offers a myriad of opportunities, which paired with its global standing and advanced infrastructure,

Cape Town, South Africa

10

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

M&A | Today

AFRICA

BURUNDI

BEST FOR FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

NITEREKA DEO

Independent Legal Adviser

An independent legal adviser based in Burundi, Nitereka Déo’s responsibilities as a lawyer are firmly routed in his many accomplishments, successfully advising and defending his clients in a range of legal matters, including taxation.

“My professional history is based on my admission to the Bar Association since 2011. This opportunity has developed my sensibility to litigant needs. In Burundi I handle cases covering a wide range of jurisdictions in the country. More specialists training allowed me to the international market easily. I treat different cases such as: civil, social and criminal. For the civil cases, the most common causes I notice are: land conflicts, divorces, recognition of illegitimate children, and contracts. I also handle unfair dismissal of employees, banditism, rape, fraud, and undermining of national security. I am interested in tax law and I am experienced in offering tax advice because it is necessary in business. Good relations with tax authorities allow the taxpayer to exercise their business comfortably. The state cannot put in motion his public will without taxes and duties to ensure the safety of its citizens and make public nature of activities, nor cannot improve its economy without a better tax policy. Interesting in tax law and encourage people being in good relation with tax authorities it is a great deal to society. My goal today and in the future in business is not to match with my competitors but to exceed them. For this, I must be compared to the best, learn from their ideas, their practices, their operations and their experiences so that internal practices are improving. In the future, I would like to contribute: to the promotion of fair justice, and for economic improvement to reduce poverty through my advisory services.”

Nitereka Déo

Email: niterekadeo@gmail.com Address: Bujumbura-Burundi Telephone: + 257 79 748 672 + 257 75 748 672 +257 68 716 848

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

11

ASIA

ASIA Deep & Far

Felicitas Global Pte Ltd Gulf Legal Consultants Just us & Otto Marketing Services W.L.L. Kalpana Unadkat LF Logistics (Hong Kong) Limited Paris Gallery L.L.C. Ramni Taneja, LLB

12

Best in Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition, Licensing, Counseling & Litigation Lawyers of the Year – Taiwan Best Boutique Marketing Consultancy of the Year - Singapore Best Law Firm of the Year – Qatar Best International Creative Agency & Marketing MD of the Year 2018 - Qatar Corporate Governance Lawyer of the Year - India Best End-to-End SCM Company - Hong Kong Most Influential Marketing Leader 2018 - UAE Constitutional Law Firm of the Year - India

M&A | Today

14

15 16 17 17 18 20 21

ASIA

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

13

ASIA

BEST IN PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADE SECRETS, UNFAIR COMPETITION, LICENSING, COUNSELING & LITIGATION LAWYERS OF THE YEAR

14

M&A | Today

TAIWAN

ASIA

BEST BOUTIQUE MARKETING CONSULTANCY OF THE YEAR

SINGAPORE

FELICITAS GLOBAL PTE LTD – YOUR GATEWAY TO ASIAN MARKETS Felicitas Global Pte Ltd (FGPL), set-up in 2009 by Ms. Radhika Ganapathy Ojha, is a Singapore-based boutique marketing consultancy firm offering hands-on, in-depth experience in market research and professional development. FGPL provides a wide range of marketing services to companies and institutions planning to enter new markets in Asia and Australia. Felicitas Global is the South-East Asia representative of VERONAFIERE which is one of Italy’s largest trade fair organizers. In this role, Felicitas Global Pte Ltd organizes and manages trade delegations from South East Asia to visit their exhibitions in Italy and participate in B2B meetings.

SOME TESTIMONIALS FROM CLIENTS

Another principal of Felicitas Global is SOLOMON ASSOCIATES, a US based company, providing benchmarking and advisory services for the global energy sector. Felicitas Global is responsible for business development of the entire Asia Pacific region for this client.

“Well done Felicitas Global Pte Ltd for your endless efforts and coordination to bring us to SIGEP Italy.”

“I really appreciate your excellent organization. I’m certain this will help us to boost our business, with new wineries.” Gregoire de Boisse - Le Sommelier, Taiwan

Mr. Kevin Sivakumar – Food Pro Services Sdn Bhd, Malaysia “The overseas buyer delegate group visit was well arranged. Surprise to see the large investments and efforts from the Organiser to bring relevant buyers and visits to the show. It benefited the buyers, exhibitors and the whole show and industry. All the arrangements made the visit effective and easy for us travelling from Asia. Keep it up and hope to have more of this excellent experience.” Mr. Soh Boon Ngee – IE Global Pte Ltd “It was a fruitful exhibition. Able to gather multiple contacts and prices of products for future import purpose.” Lim Wee Kiat- Hen Tick Foods Pte Ltd, Singapore

Ms. Radhika Ganapathy Ojha

Our Team Our core team comprises of experts offering more than 75 years of combined, hands-on, in-depth experience in market research and professional development. Our team members come from different parts of Asia bringing with them a pool of linguistic skills, knowledge and experience of doing business in Asia.

President Address: #20-07 Tong Eng Building 101 Cecil Street Singapore 069533 Tel: +65 6224 6788 Fax: +65 6227 3878

Our Awards 2017: Acquisition International’s Most Influential Woman in Consulting – Singapore: Radhika Ojha

Email: radhika@felicitasglobal.com Web: www.felicitasglobal.com

2016: Small Business Awardee for Program Management Company of the Year by Corporate Vision, UK

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

15

ASIA

QATAR

BEST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

Our Firm, Gulf Legal Consultants (GLC) – Jumah Nasser Al Kaabi is a Qatari-based law firm working in compliance with the Qatari law; organized to provide legal service requirements of individuals and companies in various business sectors in the State of Qatar and in foreign countries. GLC is headed by our Managing Partner, Mr. Jumah Nasser Al Kaabi who has extensive knowledge & expertise in both Qatari and International laws. We have achieved an excellent reputation in providing legal services to clients and thus, the end result of our extraordinary service performance. We take our pride to be recognized as one of the leading Qatari Law Firm having outstanding performance in handling complex legal issues and an associate & affiliate of the International Law Firm, Dentons. Our team comprises of well-experienced and diversified lawyers in the field of litigation, arbitration, corporate, real estate & retail, Intellectual property, TMT, Banking & Finance, Taxation and Energy, Transport & Infrastructure. Our Firm’s legal expertise extends beyond the specialty practice area of Industry. Our areas of practice is widely that of litigation, arbitration, dispute resolution, corporate, employment & pension, Real estate, Technology, Media & Telecoms (TMT), Intellectual Property, Banking & Finance, Energy, transport & infrastructure, Taxation and contracts (Oil&gas, Energy, Investment, Acquisition, Franchise, BOT, BOOT, FIDIC).

Cultural Centre, Qatar Luxury Group (QLG), SHAFALLAH, Sidra Medical & Research Centre. GLC has been entrusted by the Qatari government institutions to handle the latter’s disputes with international entities. We represented Charity & Foundations like Sheikh Eid Charitable Foundation, Sheikh Thani Bin Abdulla Charity for Humanitarian Services (RAF), Sheikh Jassim Al Thani Charitable Foundation to name a few. Amongst our immediate references include multinational companies such as Qatar National Import & Expert Company (QNIE), Qatar Power, Qatar Development Bank (QDB), BeIn Sports, AMLAK, Retaj Marketing & Projects Management, Al Habtoor Leighton Group, AL Jaber Engineering, Urbacon Contracting Company(UCC), Mall of Qatar, Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Gulf Investment Group (GIG), Al Rayyan Hospitality, Mohammad Bin Hamad Holdings (MBHH) composed of their several associate companies including but are not limited to Doha Clinic Hospital, Icon Medical Centre, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Doha Dyarco International Group, Caterpillar Financial Services, Zubair Furnishing Company, Al Mana Group, Saudi Electric Supply Company (SESCO), Dareen International Company, Al Sulaiteen Group of Companies, Al Khayarin Group of Companies, Armada Retail Concept Trading and Al Hamad Automobiles Qatar.

GLC also handles cases in the field of family, matrimonial and personal property law, including employment, pensions, immigration and other personal disputes.

GLC is being listed as a recommended law firm from both the prestigious The Legal 500 and the German Middle East Lawyers Association (GERMELA), GLC has bagged several awards such as Acquisition International 2013 Legal Awards as Commercial Law Firm of the year, 2014 Overall Law Firm awardees, 2015’s Best Full-Service Law Firm, 2016 Qatar Law Firm of the year and Full-Service law firm of the Year in Qatar at the Corporate Livewire - Global Awards 2017, to name a few.

We also cater to services such as contract drafting & administration, registration & licensing of foreign companies, interpretation & legal translation of contracts etc.

GLC has been the partner of 2013 Inside Investor MENA. The Firm was also featured in The Legal 500 EMEA Regional Insight Middle East Edition: Bridging the Gulf.

The service we provide the clients are teamwork of all complete legal support staff supervised by our Managing Partner, Mr. Al Kaabi himself and the rest of competitive legal counsels’, additional law clerks, court ‘Admin officers and paralegals stationed at our Law Office. GLC has diversified number of multilingual team members qualified to communicate in different languages such as Arabic, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Urdu, Farsi, and Filipino.

Apart from the recognitions mentioned above, GLC, as of February 2017, has reached its ten (10) years of providing excellent and extensive professional legal service. Our Firm’s focus now is to remain leading in our chosen field and to conquer what we have achieved over the last years. To hold on to our brand promise and commitments made to our clients, to provide the best legal service.

Individuals and multinational companies from the Middle East, North America, and Europe made up are valued clients. Our clients are of all sort, from individual to corporate and government entities such as Private Engineering Office (Emiri Diwan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar Fertilizer Company (QAFCO), Katara Hospitality, Qatar Project Management, Rayan TV Channel (Al Rayan for Media and Marketing), Qatar Basketball Federation, Al Rayyan Hospitality and Qatar Foundations Centers’ progressive community such as Al-Jazeera Children Channel (JCCTV), Doha Center for Media Freedom (DC4MF), Qatar Satellite Company (QSC), Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec), Childhood

16

M&A | Today

Gulf Legal Consultants Mr. Jumah Nasser Al Kaabi Managing Partner Address: P. O. Box: 15296 Doha, State of Qatar Tel: +974 4444 7757 / 4444 7797 Fax: +974 4444 7767 Email: law@glc-qa.com Web: www.glc-qa.com

ASIA

BEST INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE AGENCY & MARKETING MD OF THE YEAR 2018

QATAR

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE LAWYER OF THE YEAR

INDIA

KALPANA UNADKAT Partner - Khaitan & Co

Kalpana is a solicitor and a partner at Khaitan & Co’s Mumbai office. Prior to joining Khaitan, she worked at Ashurst’s London office for 10 years. While working in London, she played a key role in building Ashurst’s India practice and built a team at Germany, Milan, Paris and Singapore. Since returning to Mumbai in 2008, she specialises in cross border joint ventures and mergers & acquisitions. Kalpana’s focus is on representing corporates and their boards on strategic matters. She helps clients in a broad range of complex corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, spin-offs, etc. She is focused and has a consultative and collaborative style. She regularly acts for international companies and is widely recognised in independent guides as one of the leading lawyers and business insights. Kalpana is well recognized expert on diversity and leadership development. Her passion is to bring changes to the corporate Governance principles to increase the number of women at decision making level and in this regard, she has led several workshops and works with corporates. She also advises on board effectiveness, particularly around issues of corporate governance, leadership, organisational climate and decision-making. Her clients benefit from her vast knowledge, particularly regarding disclosures, board and committee structure and composition, executive compensation, compliance policies and corporate governance matters.

She has been awarded “women super achiever award” and “women lawyer of the Year – 2017” for corporate governance category. She has published numerous articles and is a frequent speaker at conferences. Best known for her coauthored of the research “Women on Board”, Kalpana is a go-to lawyer for boards and general counsels in relation to corporate and commercial matters. She has been frequently quoted in newspapers on corporate governance and M&A deals in India. Kalpana is also a member of several committees and is also an independent director on board of public companies (listed and unlisted).

Kalpana Unadkat Partner

Address: One Indiabulls Centre 13th Floor, Tower 1 841 Senapati Bapat Marg Mumbai - 400 013, India T : +91 22 6636 5000 F : +91 22 6636 5050 M : +91 99305 31957 E : kalpana.unadkat@khaitanco.com W : www.khaitanco.com

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

17

ASIA

BEST END-TO-END SCM COMPANY Asian Manufacturing Awards_ad_210x297_r1.pdf

1

28/2/2018

11:26 AM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

18

M&A | Today

HONG KONG

ASIA

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

19

ASIA

MOST INFLUENTIAL MARKETING LEADER 2018

UAE

MOHAMAD JABER

The Group Sales and Marketing Manager of the region’s leading luxury retailer, Paris Gallery.

Mohamad is in charge of the company’s franchises. A communications, strategic planning, marketing and public relations expert, with nearly 22 years of experience, he is well-known for developing innovative approaches to meet emerging opportunities. He has been instrumental in successfully conceptualizing and orchestrating a number of retail, financial, hospitality, fashion, health and real estate marketing campaigns in the Middle East region. Well known as inspirational and practical, he’s a resultsoriented person who has an uncanny knack for knowing what works and what doesn’t. Mohamad was cited as one of ‘50 Most Influential Global Marketing Leaders’ and was also awarded the ‘Most Influential Marketing Leader’ 2017 award. His outlook in life: When it’s challenging, it’s even more interesting. More often than not, throughout his career, Mohamad has found himself in challenging management positions that have helped him develop his social and professional skills to the point where he is now credited as being one of the major reasons for the success and growth of the organizations he’s worked with. With nearly two decades of marketing, communications and business expertise, Mohamad is truly in his element when he’s assisting organizations develop innovative approaches to meet emerging opportunities. He’s been instrumental in the realization of a number of retail marketing campaigns in the UAE where he has lived most of his adult life. Mohamad’s experience spans from strategic marketing and communication to image building and commercial deals. Some of the marketing campaigns and corporate identity launches he’s been involved in were for companies such as the Wall Street Exchange, Doha Bank, Ambulatory Healthcare Services SEHA, First Gulf Bank, Ibn Battuta Mall, Jumbo Electronics Qatar, and in the launch of Nakheel, Palm Jumeirah, Al Sondos Suites by Le Méridien, Abu Dhabi National Hotels and the Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments.

Mohamad Jaber Group Sales and Marketing Manager Paris Gallery L.L.C. Website: www.ParisGallery.com Email: Jaber.Mohamad@ParisGallery.com

Among many other things, Mohamad has always strived to be inspirational and practical. And being frank -- which he believes to be one of his good qualities -- may have its cons, but it surely makes it easy for anyone to work with him and accomplish the impossible even in the most difficult of situations.

20

M&A | Today

Facebook: @majaber2 Twitter: @majaber2 Instagram: @majaber2

ASIA

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

INDIA

LAW OFFICE OF RAMNI TANEJA Advocate and Notary

Ramni Taneja is an Indian Advocate, who is educated in Mumbai, India, and London, England. She enrolled as an Advocate on 17th October 1980, on the Roll of the Bar Council of Maharashtra, [Mumbai], India; subsequently transferred to the Bar Council of Delhi, India, on 20th October 1997. She was admitted on 3rd March 1997 as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, [now known as the Senior Courts of England and Wales]. She is also a Notary appointed in 1999 by the Government of India, New Delhi, India. She has been in legal practice both in India and overseas since 1980. Since 1997, Ramni Taneja practises in New Delhi, India, as an Advocate in the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Delhi, apart from various other tribunals and courts in Delhi and in India. From 1980 till 1982 she trained as an Advocate with Little & Co., Advocates and Solicitors, Mumbai, India; she headed the office of Little & Co., Advocates, in New Delhi, India, from 2002 till 2006. From 1983 till 1997, Ramni Taneja was licensed and practised as a Legal Consultant with A.R. Hilal & Associates, Advocates and Legal Consultants, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her law firm, Law Office of Ramni Taneja, began in New Delhi, India in August 2006. Ramni Taneja completed her school education through Grey Coat Hospital, Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom, as a consequence of which she obtained the University of London, General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Levels and Advanced Levels, between 1972-1974. She obtained her BA Honours [First Class Honours] Degree

in English Literature [Major] French Literature [Subsidiary] in 1977 from Elphinstone College, University of Bombay, India. She obtained her LLB Degree [First Class] in 1980 from Government Law College, University of Bombay, India. She was awarded the Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes Françaises Modernes in 1975 by l’Alliance Française, Paris, France, [Mention Tres Honorable: i.e. Distinction] and was ranked first in the examination in 1975 in India and Asia. Ramni Taneja has written extensively in international and Indian legal journals on various legal issues. She is the author of Foreign Direct Investment and Globalisation, published by Eastern Book Company, 2014. Ramni Taneja’s principal areas of legal practice covering litigation and transactional legal work are: all areas of civil law, commercial law, corporate law, constitutional law and criminal law. She also does other areas of legal practice.

Ramni Taneja

Address: A-34 Defence Colony New Delhi 110 024 India Enrolment No: D-336A/1980 Telephones: +91 11 4155 2051 4155 2052 Fax: +91 11 4155 2053 Email: ramni@ramnitaneja.com

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

21

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA Scancorp Sydney Criminal Lawyers

22

Boutique M&A Advisory Firm of the Year - Australia Best Criminal Law Firm 2018

M&A | Today

24 25

AUSTRALIA

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

23

AUSTRALIA

BOUTIQUE M&A ADVISORY FIRM OF THE YEAR

AUSTRALIA

“High performing privately owned businesses are an increasingly attractive asset class.” With a 30-year history and combined experience of more than $10 billion in transactions, Scan Capital is a leading boutique M&A firm specialising in divestments, acquisitions, valuations and corporate advice. Scan Capital (Scancorp) operates under its own Australian Financial Services License and has representatives across Australia. Recent Transactions 1. ASX listing of a Lithium technology company - Lepidico Ltd was an Australian public unlisted company which had developed a disruptive technology to recover lithium from sub economic mica. Scancorp facilitated an Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listing to deliver greater access to capital to fund growth, provide tradeable scrip to make acquisitions of lithium mining assets, and deliver liquidity for seed investors. Following its listing, in October 2017, Lepidico (ASX:LPD) announced that Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX:GXY), one of the world’s leading lithium mining companies had subscribed for a 12 % private placement in Lepidico. 2. Sale of industrial property into a single purpose fund – within the current low interest rate environment, industrial property with long-term leases are in high demand from investors pursuing yield. In an advisory capacity, Scancorp facilitated the initial acquisition of an industrial factory on behalf of its client. Scancorp subsequently identified a potential buyer of the factory and structured the sale to a single-purpose property investment fund. This enabled its client to realise the capital appreciation and reinvest in its manufacturing business. 3. Acquisition of a specialist day hospital – Scancorp was engaged to assist a day hospital aggregator to accelerate its growth via the acquisition of existing hospitals. Scancorp managed an acquisition campaign over 12 months which resulted in two completed acquisitions and a pipeline of additional candidates. Demand for day hospital assets is highly competitive, and the acquisitions were made “offmarket” to facilitate the succession planning of the existing owners. 4. Sale of a privately held engineering company to an ASX listed entity – Scancorp facilitated the sale of Morrison Geotechnic Holdings to HRL Holdings (ASX:HRL) which specialised in the provision of environmental services. The transaction enabled HRL to diversify its professional service offering while adding substantial revenues and increasing value to its shareholders. The shareholders of Morrison Geotechnic remained operational within the business following the sale. 5. Sale of a privately held IT security company to an ASX listed entity – Scancorp facilitated the sale of Decipher Works to Transaction Solutions International (ASX:TSN). TSN has a 25% interest in TSI India, which manages a network of 14,000 ATM machines. TSN sought to diversify its revenues through the acquisition of Decipher Works, a cyber security specialist based in Sydney. The transaction provides Decipher Works with additional support to accelerate growth of its service offering and geographic presence.

Scancorp noted substantial consolidation occurring within the labour hire industry and with revenues in excess of $10 million, Scancorp’s client was in high demand. The successful acquirer was an unlisted public company which achieved geographic, service and revenue expansion as a result of the transaction. 2018 Predictions In 2017, we saw the emergence of several trends that we anticipate will continue through 2018: •

Continued growth in small-cap activity: small enterprise value (<$10m) transactions jumped from 10% of all deals by volume in 2015 to 22% of deals in 2016. We anticipate this trend will continue as the owners of high quality privately held businesses look to exit.

•

Continued acquisition appetite within small-caps: as small cap ASX listed and public unlisted companies (e.g. $25 million to $150 million) look to accelerate their growth, we anticipate they will continue to be committed buyers of high quality privately held businesses.

•

Increased syndication: in 2018, we predict that traditional debt will become more difficult to obtain. Meanwhile, profitable privately held businesses will present as an appealing asset class to financial buyers (such as syndicates of investors and family offices). As such, we anticipate an increase in the number of buying syndicates that combine experienced industry operators supported

by financial investors.

Marcus Salouk Director Scancorp Address: Suite 22, Newstead Commercial Village 76 Doggett Street, Newstead, QLD 4006 Australia

6. Sale of a privately held labour hire company to a public company – Scancorp was engaged to manage the sale of a privately held trade and technical labour hire company.

24

M&A | Today

Tel: +61 7 3902 2400 Fax: +61 7 3399 4288 Web: www.scancorp.com.au

AUSTRALIA

BEST CRIMINAL LAW FIRM 2018

AUSTRALIA

Sydney Criminal Lawyers is a team of experienced criminal and traffic defence lawyers who work together to ensure you achieve the best possible result in your case. We offer a Senior Lawyer Guarantee, which means you are assured of representation in court by a specialist lawyer with years of defence experience. If you are going to court, we offer a free first conference and affordable fixed fees for most cases. Our firm is spearheaded by Accredited Specialist Criminal Lawyers, and we available to contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our legal helpline.

Sydney Criminal Lawyers Head Office: Museum Towers 267 Castlereagh Street Sydney (Suite 507 on level 5) NSW 2000, Australia Phone: +614 2 9261 8881 Email: info@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au Web: www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

25

EUROPE

EUROPE Alice Poole Architects Brenden Ward Photography Bute Island Foods Ltd Cavendish Corporate Finance LLP Corethree Edwin Bessant - Ceuta Group Eurohold Leumi ABL Limited MARI IANIQ Ltd MNM Developments (Scot) Ltd Open Study College Sintetica S.A. Tapestry Compliance LLP Taylor Hampton Solicitors Limited The Harley Street Dermatology Clinic The Laser Treatment Clinic Volume Ltd

26

Best Listed Building & Conservation Architecture Firm South England Best Wedding Photographer of the Year - UK Best Dairy Free Cheese Company - UK Corporate Finance Boutique of the Year/Leading Independent Financial Advisory of the Year - UK Best Global Leader in Mobile Ticketing & E-Commerce - UK CEO of the Year - UK Best Managing Partner in Corporate Finance - Spain Asset Based Lender of the Year - UK. Best Jewelled Furniture Designer UK and Award in Excellence in Joinery Services Best Luxury Apartment Development Firm of the Year - UK Best Online Learning Tool of the Year - UK Excellence in Drug Development & Best for Clinic Trials 2018 - Europe Boutique Law Firm of the Year - UK Best Immigration Law Firm of the Year - UKÂ Dermatologist of the Year 2018 - London, England Best Laser Skincare Treatment, Centre & Best Skincare Products - London, England Cognitive Computing Company of the Year 2018 & Award for Excellence - UK

M&A | Today

28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 42 44 45 46 47 2

EUROPE

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

27

EUROPE

BEST LISTED BUILDING & CONSERVATION ARCHITECTURE FIRM

28

M&A | Today

SOUTH ENGLAND

EUROPE

BEST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER UK 2018

SUNDERLAND ENGLAND

BRENDEN WARD PHOTOGRAPHY Brenden Ward Photography is a small photography business serving customers all over the North East of England. We invited Brenden Ward to tell us more about the firm and the range of services it offers.

Brenden Ward Photography specialises in wedding photography, and each one has to be thought through very carefully to ensure that the team have enough time to spend with the bride and groom to make sure they have a lovely collection of images for lasting memories. Brenden discusses how the firm works to ensure that they capture unforgettable memories. “At Brenden Ward Photography, our mission from day one was to keep our prices as low as possible but also produce quality products by using professional services from various organisations across the UK. To achieve this, we undertake a client focus approach right from the beginning, as we make sure we have a good relationship with the customers before their photoshoot or special day. This helps them to relax on the day and enjoy the experience.

times what they pay for our services and they have been left disappointed, which is a shame for the industry. We love the work we do and love being part of customers special day, which is why we have now been in operation for nearly 10 years, and collectively we also have over 25 years’ experience in the industry.” Moving forward, Brenden and his team are looking forward to being in business for many more years to come and meeting a lot more customers, as he concludes. “With regards to the future, we are looking to add more services for our customers. In 2018, we are due to add photo booth shoots to add to the fun and to focus a lot more of family portraits, and we may even venture into the pet photography side. All of these developments will offer us many exciting opportunities for growth and further enhancement.”

We are friendly and care about every customer that we serve and treat everyone with respect and fully understand their needs. Each wedding has different challenges but with our experience we can not only help the bride and groom with arranging their special day but also work around these challenges to help to make things run smoothly. “Fundamentally, we have proven over the years you do not have to pay large amounts of money to have family portraits, weddings and other special memories photographed. I personally have seen work where customers have paid three

y: Brenden Ward Photography

Brenden Ward Email: Brenden.ward@wedding-pho-sunderland.co.uk 125 Durham Rd, Sunderland, , UK 7717 207447

Brenden Ward Photography

lux

Email: Brenden.ward@wedding-photography-sunderland.co.uk Best Wedding Photographer 2018 - Sunderland

Address: 125 Durham Rd Sunderland SR3 4AL United Kingdrom Tel: +44 (0) 7717 207447

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

29

EUROPE

BEST DAIRY FREE CHEESE COMPANY

UK

BUTE ISLAND FOODS LTD

Bute Island Foods Ltd are one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading manufacturers and suppliers of dairy free vegan cheese products with their popular brand, Sheese. With over 20 years of experience and a state-of-the-art facility on the Isle of Bute in Rothesay, we pride ourselves on our extensive range of Sheese products which are 100% dairy, nut and gluten free and certified both vegan and kosher. We serve an international consumer base which largely comprises those with specialist diets (such as the aforementioned vegan and kosher) alongside allergy sufferers and free from consumers. In the UK alone we are stocked in over 800 stores including some of the major supermarkets, and overseas our distribution network continues to grow. Our mission is to provide great tasting, high quality foods that are enjoyable for everyone - regardless of their lifestyle choices, health concerns or beliefs. This focus on keeping our range inclusive drives our development, wherein we regularly introduce both new products to our portfolio and improve our existing ones, all while continually adapting and evolving the business in response to the challenges provided by such a quick moving and progressive industry.

30

The vegan and dairy free markets are subject to huge exponential growth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; over half of all UK adults are adopting vegan buying habits and over a fifth of those surveyed* said they would actively consider veganism as a lifestyle choice. Numbers of vegans in the UK more than tripled between 2006 and 2016 according to Vegan Society reports and in January 2017 around 60,000 signed up to take the vegan pledge. What drives this growth is a mixture of ethics, environmental awareness and health. The UK, American and various other world governments are introducing measures to curb unhealthy diets and combat the growing international obesity epidemic. Vegan eating has been linked to a lower BMI and higher levels of vitamin C and fibre consumption, and as such there is growing demand for meat and dairy free products that satisfy the needs of people who are attempting to eat more healthily. Our Sheese products satisfy these demands and their coconut oil base provides a means of improving cholesterol and in turn lowering

M&A | Today

EUROPE

UK the risk of CVDs, the number 1 cause of death worldwide. Climate change is another hot topic and has been for some years now as people become increasingly aware of the impact our day to day lives and eating habits have on the environment and planet. The U.N. believes that a global shift toward plant-based food is vital if we are to combat the worst effects of climate change. A report published by the Worldwatch Institute shows that a staggering 51 percent (or more) of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture today. Sheese’s animal free production process significantly lowers our carbon footprint and promotes the shift away from animal agriculture. Understanding these factors is fundamental to our business development - we continually assess how we can best cater to them through a mix of social media and blogosphere trend analysis, consumer feedback and a dedicated research and development team who often spend hours and days testing flavor varieties and combinations to perfect our recipes and ensure we stay on top. We operate to our company ethos, which is to always remember those for whom we produce our Sheese range, and that everyone in the company has an overall view of different departments. We hire our staff based on attitude – passion, innovation, team spirit and a willingness to learn are paramount. Understanding of the importance of providing high quality products to the highest food safety standards is what drives our employees, and although some may lack significant experience when they come to work with us we’ll happily train anyone willing to learn how we work and why. We’re expanding rapidly and providing jobs to many young people leaving school, college and university to meet the increasing demand for Sheese products. Looking ahead, we find ourselves with an increasing need for expansion. Our home is on the beautiful island that lends its name to our firm and we’re actively sourcing space there to facilitate our growth in the years to come. This, coupled with our continual expansion of our team and regular improvements and additions to our plant based, allergy friendly Sheese range will ensure we grow in line with the industry.

Our mission is to provide great tasting, high quality foods that are enjoyable for everyone Mark Crichton Email: mark@buteisland.com Address: Townhead, Rothesay Isle of Bute Scotland PA20 9JH Telephone: +44 (0) 1700 505357 Website: www.buteisland.com

We’re also excited for the launch of our new soy free range in 2018 which will further our product inclusivity and open up Sheese to a new market of allergy sufferers who have yet to experience its amazing range of flavours and textures. Meanwhile, we’re well equipped for task, loving what we do and the future continues to look bright here at Bute Island Foods. * Survey commissioned by The Vegan Society and  carried out online by Opinion Matters between 1723 October 2017 amongst 2,000 UK adult respondents

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

31

EUROPE

CORPORATE FINANCE BOUTIQUE OF THE YEAR LEADING INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISORY OF THE YEAR

UK

CAVENDISH CORPORATE FINANCE

For nearly 30 years, Cavendish has only acted for business owners. In the past year, we have advised on the sale of 19 businesses, helping proprietors achieve the best possible price for their companies, finding new owners who can take those businesses forward and accelerate their growth and performance. Understanding the range of businesses and technologies to a micro level is the challenge we at Cavendish have set ourselves. Helping us achieve this objective are our specialist team led by experts with backgrounds in fields such as engineering and finance together with years spent in corporate finance. Our entrenched expertise in so many subsectors is matched by unrivalled contacts with leading UK and multinationals. In addition, we can leverage centres of excellence within Oaklins such as the oil and gas team in Dallas, our aerospace team in Seattle or the automotive and aerospace hub in Germany. Oaklins is the world’s most experience mid-market M&A advisor. Over the last 5 years, Oaklins specialists have closed over 1,500 deals involving industry specialists, taking a global view and leveraging our deep local connections.

32

The relationships across the alliance underpin our commitment to continuous investment in innovation, leadership and the incorporation of best practices from across all of our business activities. To achieve such success, in a challenging market wrestling with the challenges of Brexit, we have developed an unrivalled knowledge of potential buyer pools and established teams of sector specialists, who are recognised authorities in their areas offering business owners expert advice on the best preparation, strategy and likely buyers to ensure a successful sale. Utilising our international network of M&A advisors we have continued to source overseas buyers, who typically pay a premium for UK businesses – about half of the companies we sold last year were to international buyers. There are almost no other firms that operate in the corporate finance arena that have the sole purpose of selling businesses; most represent buyers as well and this invariably begs the question by astute owners of business, are our advisors completely aligned with us? For nearly 30 years, Cavendish’s answer has been unequivocally “yes”.

M&A | Today

EUROPE

BEST GLOBAL LEADER IN MOBILE TICKETING & E-COMMERCE

UK

3 Ways Tech is Amping Up Live Events

Consumer-Central Experience

The use of mobile payment methods is on an exponential rise. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a smartphone is now a borderline extension of the consumer; so seamlessly integrated with day to day life. Whilst mobile ticketing has been widely adopted across the transport industry, in the live events space, the concept of utilising these dynamic solutions to their full capacity is still in its infancy – though the benefits of harnessing mobile technology are emphatically advantageous for both business and consumer alike.

Along with providing better security and a simpler, more instantaneous transaction; by purchasing a concert ticket via an app, the user’s experience is enhanced greatly, with the opportunity for an intuitive, omni-channel experience that extends beyond the concert. This now includes the capability of sending push notifications to alert users of any updates around the event, such as scheduling changes, or to offer post-concert exclusive content, competitions, give-aways or even new music releases.

But how exactly is mobile technology playing a role in the revolution of live events? The Demise of the Ticket Tout Along with the additional transactional security benefits, another facet of regained control is over ticket touts. ‘By using m-ticketing solutions, a vendor has the capability to significantly reduce, if not totally eliminate, ticketing touting; a common practice that preys upon a captive audience. The stadium owner has more control over the secondary market, and can prevent the sales of fraudulent or overpriced tickets to its consumers.’ says Ashley Murdoch, CEO of the global leaders in mobile ticketing technology, Corethree.

Creating an Ecosystem Through utilising the data received from mobile apps to harness the behaviour of the consumer, the business can monitor and adapt crowd levels in stadiums whilst simultaneously creating a fully integrated eco-system that can manage queues within the building and assist in adjusting staffing levels to accommodate such, driving an increase in profits for merchandise and hospitality providers, and most importantly, provide a personalised service for the consumer that will enhance their experience and encourage repeat custom.

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

33

EUROPE

EDWIN BESSANT - CEUTA GROUP - CEO OF THE YEAR

UK

Don’t let your heritage brands become a distant memory The CEOs of consumer led corporations now have a solution With our vision and a focus on ever evolving market trends, Ceuta Group is a global consumer brand services business delivering innovation and profitable growth for the brands of tomorrow.

of global and local marketplaces and our approach, people, values and ways of working are equally flexible, allowing our clients to select the precise expertise they need to accomplish their brand purpose; creating outstanding value for their business.

Over the last decade, the health & personal care and food & drinks industries have undergone immense change, with the level of consolidation through mergers & acquisitions creating huge global organisations with large, complex brand portfolios. In addition, ever-changing shopper and consumer behaviours have put both industries in a constant state of flux, leaving brand owners from start-ups to multinationals constantly challenged with the question: “What is the right path to growth?”

But the benefits of our Integrated Platform don’t stop there. The international, interdisciplinary nature of its offering means we can develop a local market strategy and route to market for our clients in over 100 international markets through our alliance of proven professional partners; opening up access to new trade channels and territories whilst assisting companies who don’t want to invest in a full bricks and mortar model to maximise their investment in brand building activities.

For many brand owners, keeping pace with a change can become a costly and commercially complex challenge which is often more disruptive and time-consuming than anticipated; pushing them to utilise numerous agencies who struggle to align and deliver value, strategy and innovation for their brands. At Ceuta Group, we work with businesses around the globe to offer a different route to achieving significant value creation for brands, business plans and strategies. Through a unique Integrated Platform of brand services, we provide everything a brand owner would want, or even need, under one organisation. From shopper, category and data insights to brand strategy development and creative design, right through to multichannel sales, distribution, trade marketing and experiential & field marketing, the Group has the services to meet clients’ needs. We offer a fully integrated, end-to-end brand management solution designed to bring innovation and commercial success to brands in fast-changing, national and global markets. Used individually or in combination, each of our specialist companies brings insight, innovation and focused expertise to support any aspect of a brand’s strategy for growth.

Everything we do at Ceuta Group is focused on creatively nurturing brands for optimal growth and reward. We are constantly evolving and enhancing our services, techniques and operations by looking ahead to anticipate future consumer and shopper needs, market demands, changing technologies and operational capabilities. With the vision to look into the future and the innovation and disciplines to prepare for it, Ceuta Group leads the future of ‘Brand Outsourcing’ and delivers a new generation of ‘Approach & Thinking’. To find out more about our services and work with us: Visit www.ceutagroup.com Email: peter.burrows@ceutagroup.com Call: Peter Burrows 01202 449713 / 07740 957740 Ceuta Group companies working together or singularly to deliver an integrated platform for clients:

For companies and private equity firms that are posed with the dilemma of how to optimise the value and growth potential of a vast and diverse portfolio of brands, in particular, how to manage non-core or acquired brands; Ceuta Group offers an alternative solution: Brand Fostering. Rather than divest a brand through sale or confine it to the non-investment category; our Brand Fostering service allows businesses to hand over the care and nurturing of a brand to us. Armed with our powerful and comprehensive suite of brand services, we take ownership and responsibility for the management and growth of their brand whilst defending its equity and enhancing its value; ultimately enabling our clients to optimise the ROI of their entire portfolio. From optimising a brand portfolio to breaking into new markets or trade channels; from managing and developing brands to turning a great product idea into a successful commercial launch, we bring speed, agility and cost efficiency to the management of our clients’ brands. And whilst we have scale, we apply the same focus and expertise to each and every brand we represent. Our unique Integrated Platform meets the changing dynamics

34

M&A | Today

EUROPE

BEST MANAGING PARTNER IN CORPORATE FINANCE

SPAIN

EUROHOLD

Experts in Corporate Finance for over 25 years

eurohold Corporate Finance since 1989

Business field: Mergers and Acquisitions Financial and Strategic Consulting • • • •

Independent leader on its home market by number of Mid-Cap transactions. Own international network, made of experts in various key industries. Strong ethical values, clear Mid-Cap orientation, focus on cross-border transactions. Different model in terms of proximity to individuals, companies and sectors.

Eurohold is a Corporate Finance Advisory firm founded in 1989 in Barcelona, which has defended since its set-up a different model in terms of proximity to individuals, companies and sectors.

Eurohold

Leader in Spain in number of Mid-Cap transactions over the last years, Eurohold has created its own international network which is constantly growing to accompany its clients worldwide.

Head Office: Avinguda Diagonal 361, 2-2 08037 Barcelona Spain

The team of professionals that forms Eurohold combines Corporate Finance specialists and industrial experts from different nationalities, enabling it to offer a global and independent service at an international level.

Tel: +34 934 578 980 Fax: +34 932 080 330 Email: info@eurohold.com Web: www.eurohold.com

Thanks to an in-depth knowledge in many sectors – Technology & Telecommunications, Pharmacy & Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Distribution, B2B Services, Transport & Logistics, Energy & Environment, Fashion - Eurohold provides reliable and confidential advisory services to: • • •

Jean-François Alandry

Managing Partner and Co-Founder

Global or national companies in their external growth and/ or divestment strategy Private independent companies in their total or partial sale strategy. Private Equity funds

Eurohold offers Corporate Finance services acting from the conception to the structuring and closing of the transactions, bringing its strong experience in each process step: valuations, Information Memorandum writing, transaction definition, fund structuring, counterparts identification, supervision and management of confidential documents, negotiations organization, Due Diligence and Vendor Due Diligence supervision, Data Room organization, supervising of all kind of contracts including Letter of Intent, Memorandums of Understanding and SPWA (sale/purchase).

Pascal Vieilledent

Managing Partner and Co-Founder

Eurohold also relies on strong ethical values, a clear Mid-Cap orientation, a focus on cross-border transactions, and an ability to generate transactions thanks to deep sectors knowledge.

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

35

EUROPE

ASSET BASED LENDER OF THE YEAR BRIGHTON | LONDON | BIRMINGHAM | LEEDS | MANCHESTER | READING

COMPLETING DEALS, WITH CONFIDENCE Specialising in structured ABL facilities up to £35m with exceptional levels of client service. We have built a reputation for our flexible and personal approach to completing deals. CASE STUDY: IT BUSINESS

Private Equity backed supplier of cash processing machines required flexible funding to support global growth plans Leumi ABL provided £5m ABL facility

CASE STUDY: FOODS BUSINESS

Leading supplier of dried fruit, nuts & seeds required flexible funding to support growth plans Leumi ABL provided £19m ABL package including CID, stock finance + term loan

INVOICE FINANCE | STOCK | P&M | TRADE | TERM LOANS

To find out more about the Leumi ABL approach to business call Phil Woodward on 07900 802774 or email pwoodward@leumiabl.co.uk or visit www.leumiabl.co.uk

36

M&A | Today

UK

EUROPE

BEST JEWELLED FURNITURE DESIGNER & AWARD IN EXCELLENCE IN JOINERY SERVICES

UK

Mari Paulina C. Janiq is a multi-award winning designer and journalist, founder of TARNAVA Design Studio and MARI IANIQ (a London based high end brand of furniture, lighting and accessories, providing bespoke pieces and solutions for luxury interiors) and Creative Director at VISOTTI furniture. Born in Poland to an academic family, as a little girl Mari Paulina was exposed to high culture at a very early age. With art and creativity running in the family, she is a direct descendant of an outstanding Polish Symbolist painter Jacek Malczewski, and has inherited his unique sense of colour and ability to play with colour and light. Travelling the world with her parents from a young age, she was also immersed in many different cultures. Mari Paulina was always fascinated by texture, fashion and jewellery, but also had an innate recognition of quality. Passionate about design she works continuously with her team to create most beautiful interiors and bespoke furniture that is exquisitely designed, of the highest quality, but is also comfortable and ultimately easy to live with. She is Founder & Creative Director of TARNAVA Design studio and MARI IANIQ and Creative Director of VISOTTI – a new brand of Biedermeier inspired collection of modern classic furniture. Now with her team at TARNAVA Design Studio she designs bespoke furniture and entire furniture ranges for other brands. The collaboration with MARI IANIQ brought Mari Paulina wide international recognition and several awards around the globe. MARI IANIQ is a London based, high-end brand of furniture, lighting and accessories providing bespoke pieces and solutions for luxury interiors. Inspired by Haute Couture and collectable jewellery, all MARI IANIQ creations are elegant and timeless, though subtly incorporating elements of Classical Art and Art Deco shapes. Signature features include gentle fluting, cut corners, mixed metals and contrasting textures, suspended empty shapes and our unique metallic patinas that lend a sophisticated finish to each piece. For more refinement we use beading, gemstones and crystals as decorative features in our creations. MARI IANIQ’s focus is quality not quantity. All our products are lovingly tailor-made for every client, never mass-produced. They are true design trophies for those who pride themselves on their taste for superior, collectible furniture.

“ I believe that every Person immersed in beautiful spaces and surrounded with fine objects grows and becomes better…”

MARI IANIQ pieces will adorn your interior like jewels.

TARNAVA Design Studio Tel: +44 795 122 8666 +48 512 356 257 Email: studio@tarnavadesignstudio.com Web: tarnavadesignstudio.com

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

37

EUROPE

BEST LUXURY APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT FIRM OF THE YEAR

UK

Setting a benchmark for excellence – Family run MNM Developments keeps hitting the heights Multi-award winning MNM Developments is a family run firm of developers, specialising in luxury apartment developments in Edinburgh and the Lothians. In our M&A Today Global Awards, the company has been named Best Apartment Development Firm in the UK 2018 for its Marionville development at Meadowbank in Edinburgh, the latest in a string of prestigious awards for the young firm. Marionville brings 51 two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, in a striking architectural style, to the market. With only one remaining, MNM has sold consistently well to downsizers from the area, attracted to the outside space and security of the high specification apartments and penthouses. “Here at MNM, our mission is to create fantastic developments which tick all the boxes for our clients in terms of price, design, specifications and location,” said Company Director Michaela Teague. “Now on our fifth development, we believe we are establishing a house style for MNM. We stand for quality in the industry, and although we are a young firm headed up by young people, we have a wealth of expertise and heritage in this industry to draw on. To consistently achieve our aims and maintain a track record for luxury, contemporary developments, we stick to a group of trusted suppliers, including architects, Hackland Dore, and a number of reliable contractors and tradesmen employed direct.”

“As we are all from Edinburgh and know the city and its environs well, it is the perfect place for us to be based and to build in. We know the locations to go for and where there is likely to be most demand for our product,” she added. Marionville is constructed of a sigmat metal frame with an insulated stone render system, and a mix of natural and recon stone. The apartments are also extremely well insulated with high quality energy efficient boilers, along with a VentAxia heat recovery system. The development offers private underground parking, plus bicycle and motorcycle storage areas. It also has the very latest door entry systems. All apartments are pre-wired for the state of the art Sonos sound system which comes fitted as standard in all of the Marionville penthouses. Looking ahead, Michaela predicts that technology will become increasingly essential to many property firms’ business, and she explains that MNM are already streets ahead in terms of upcoming advances which will affect the industry. “Moving forward, there will be more technology used in new developments as part of the existing specifications, which is something we already embrace; as well as a greater use of eco-efficient materials. Again, we are already on board with this,” she said.

With staff all working towards achieving a mission of overall success and exceeding expectations in various aspects of business, Michaela takes time to tell us about the internal culture within MNM, and discusses how the close-knit family feel ensures that the team work together to achieve success.

With Princes Street and its many attractions, just over a mile away from the development, Marionville can be said to offer City Centre living but with an extremely affordable proposition for a development of this quality.

“Here at MNM, we are a very small strong team, a family business, headed up by myself and my two brothers. Our parents, who used to run the successful brand, Teague Homes, support us as advisors but are not directly involved in the business as we wanted to make our own way, and not use the Teague name directly. We have been very successful so far and are delighted with the reputation we are establishing,” said Michaela.

Furthermore, in terms of lifestyle, Marionville is within easy walking distance of Meadowbank Shopping Park, and there is a large Sports Stadium nearby, currently being refurbished. For those wishing to get out and about in the fresh air, Marionville is close to Lochend Park as well as Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat. Marionville is the fourth development of MNM, and the team believe it is now establishing a house style in contemporary, highly specified apartment developments.

MNM Developments Further details: +44 (0) 131 273 5257 Website: www.mnmdev.co.uk

38

M&A | Today

EUROPE

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

39

EUROPE

BEST ONLINE LEARNING TOOL OF THE YEAR

UK

We are one of the UK’s leading distance learning colleges in the UK. It’s an honour to receive the award for Best Online Learning Tool of the Year UK as we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality blended learning courses that offer an exceptional interactive learning experience. Our drive for continuous improvement is reflected in this experience as we are keen to continuously develop our learning materials to meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of our students.

Founded in 2007, Open Study College was built on the belief that education should be available to everyone. We put our students at the heart of everything we do to ensure that we’re able to provide the courses and service they want. After almost 11 years of delivering first-class distance learning we’ve helped over 63,000 students from around the world to improve their prospects and chase the career they desire.

• • • • • • • •

Accounting & Bookkeeping Beauty Therapy Child Care Computing Counselling Fitness & Nutrition Social Care Travel & Tourism

To complement our vast subject range, we offer both continuing professional development (CPD) courses and qualifications such as CACHE, AAT, ILM, ABE and A-Levels to name a few. In the last 11 years we have formed valuable partnerships with awarding bodies to develop courses that will help our students to improve their career prospects and develop professionally. Open Study College thanks M&A Today Awards and its readership for this award. Over the last 18 months, we have received some outstanding recognition for our merits as both a business and an educational establishment. We are greatly appreciative of any recognition and to collect the award for Best Online Learning Tool UK reinforces the positive changes we have made to our online learning platform. As an educational business we are passionate about providing an affordable education for all. We take pride in delivering what our students want: flexible blended learning with highquality study materials, award-winning tutor support and first-class customer service. It’s about our students taking control of their learning, whilst studying at their own pace from the comfort of their own home, without the pressure of deadlines… a truly flexible way to learn.

If you are interested in speaking to us about the professional development of you or your team, contact Robbie Bryant on +44 (0) 121 329 4666 or email robbie.bryant@ openstudycollege.com

We are a customer-centric business that is dedicated to listening to our students, constantly gathering feedback from multiple feeds, to understand what’s important to them. It’s our understanding of our students and our dedication to delivering an outstanding distance learning experience that sets us apart. We’re exceptional at what we do and have proven that we are an institution that students can trust, which is demonstrated in our 5-star rating on Trust Pilot. Over the last 11 years we have continued to thrive because we understand the needs and requirements of the students, allowing us to respond and adapt. It’s the reason we offer more than 450 courses that cover a wide range of subjects including, but not limited to:

40

M&A | Today

EUROPE

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

41

EUROPE

EXCELLENCE IN DRUG DEVELOPMENT & BEST FOR CLINIC TRIALS 2018

EUROPE

Leadership by innovation Sintetica S.A. is a pharmaceutical company delivering injectable anaesthetics and analgesics to patients worldwide through innovative science and excellence in development, production and marketing. We sat down with Elisabetta Donati, Scientific Affairs Corporate Director, who gives us an insight into the success of the firm and its achievements. Established 1921 in Switzerland, Sintetica possess sites which are based in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and United Kingdom, with its headquarters in Mendrisio, Switzerland. With 230 people employed around Europe, the workforce is diverse, coming from 28 different countries across the globe. Sintetica’s primary focus is on local anaesthesia and pain relief. As of 2012, Sintetica established its global division, which was the first international corporate structure. The global division was tasked with pursuing international growth under two distinct models, being a B2B licensing strategy and somewhat later a B2C strategy in selected markets. Elisabetta outlines Sintetica’s overall mission, discussing what steps are taken in order to achieve the leadership, and how employees integrate innovation into every aspect of its work. “Here at Sintetica, we are fully committed to innovating therapies and drugs in local anaesthesia, pain management and neuromodulation. As such, we move forward with passion and

competence in the full respect of people and the environment. All our efforts and resources are focused on becoming a leader in these fields, by developing novel medicine and better treatment options for physicians and patients worldwide”. Sintetica recently got approval in the US for a New Drug Application - Clorotekal (spinal Chloroprocaine mainly conceived for the fast track anesthesia in day surgery cases, enhancing the recovery after surgery). “This is an outstanding achievement. In fact, we are one of the few small medium-sized companies in the world which actually managed to register an original innovative medicine in the United States”. Sintetica managed all trials from cell and animal toxicity, to clinical research on human beings, obviously going through pharmaceutical development. Moreover, the firm has submitted over 350 product registrations in over 100 different countries world-wide, via the network of partners it has built.

From left Barbara Piccagli, Elisabetta Donati and Clara Bianchi.

42

M&A | Today

EUROPE

EUROPE

Recently, Sintetica found success in being selected in the M&A Today Global Awards for excellence in drug development and best for clinical trials 2018 Europe, and Elisabetta tells us how the team feel about this success and what it means to the firm going forwards. “It is an incredible joy first, as it represents a tangible reward to the huge efforts and strong ambition of Sintetica to move from a small Swiss excellence firm, to a leading global company.” The impressive technological enhancement of the last decade has strongly changed many surgical procedures and perioperative practices. Novel therapies and treatments require more and more the redevelopment of existing drugs. “As such, we enhance drug formulation, assuring the fitting of our ‘Premix’ medicines to the current standard of care” Clara Bianchi, Pharma R&D manager reflects. Surgical procedures become less and less invasive and their duration reduces, while there is an increased cost pressure on the health system which is leading to a shift towards day surgery.

“Here at Sintetica, we are fully committed to innovating therapies and drugs in local anaesthesia, pain management and neuromodulation. As such, we move forward with passion and competence in the full respect of people and the environment.” Sintetica S.A. Contact: Elisabetta Donati Address: via Penate 5, 6850 Mendrisio Switzerland Website: www.sintetica.com

“Modern short and medium acting local anaesthetics are our ‘One Day Surgery’ proposal, enabling physicians to adapt the length and the conditions of anaesthesia to the novel surgical needs, allowing patients to go home on the same day” concludes Barbara Piccagli, Clinical R&D manager.

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

43

EUROPE

UK

BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

TAPESTRY COMPLIANCE LLP

Leadership and expertise in global HR and incentives law

Tapestry Compliance is a multi-award winning law firm specialising in providing legal and tax advice for global incentives and employee share plans, as well as broader global employment law and HR issues. As leaders in this area, we work with many of the world’s leading companies on designing, drafting and implementing a wide range of employee and executive equity plans.  We also advise in relation to a variety of corporate transactions that can impact companies’ executive and employee share plans.  We have a team who focus on the financial services sector, advising on global remuneration regulations, incentives for fund managers and remuneration governance.

compliance of their global plans quickly and efficiently.

Tapestry’s network of experts in law firms in over 100 countries, support our clients in providing practical, expert, cost-effective advice. Alongside which, we have developed leading technology to provide an innovative approach to legal compliance in this sector. OnTap, our online information database is used by companies around the world as a tool to provide quick, cost effective guidance on the legal and tax requirements for operating equity plans globally. The database helps companies plan their next launch; updating them on the latest regulations and tax requirements, as well as providing tools and reports to help them manage the

The support we provide, is more extensive than traditional law firms. We advise on the broader governance and administration considerations; diversity considerations in plan design, communication and design features. 

Our team provide legal advice on how to design employee share plans to meet company objectives - whether to meet new regulations or following a corporate transaction, merger or acquisition. We draft all the documents needed to operate incentive and share plans, then project manage the global legal and tax issues linked to these operations.

With the largest incentives team of any UK headquartered firm, our focus is on providing practical, commercial advice in plain English. Tapestry also provides the UK’s only professionally recognised training course, the ICSA Certificate in Employee Share Plans.

Janet Cooper OBE

Email: janet.cooper@tapestrycompliance.com Website: www.tapestrycompliance.com

44

M&A | Today

EUROPE

BEST IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

UK

Taylor Hampton is a specialist litigation and immigration firm based in the heart of London, directly opposite the Royal Courts of Justice. We are a pioneering and ambitious firm with a single-minded approach: to help our clients succeed. Taylor Hampton’s immigration team consists of highly experienced legal advisers, who offer thorough and robust advice and thrive on the ability to get the desired results for clients.

of visa you require, through to leave to remain, permanent residence and full UK citizenship. It is important to note that the government is set to toughen up rules on immigration, so it’s vital to get advice before making your plans.

We provide assistance on all aspects of UK immigration law, offering practical and focused solutions for private individuals and, when required, attendance at appeals and court cases.

We guarantee to understand your needs and guide you through the bureaucracy of pursuing your application. Working together, we can make a success of your plans to live in the UK.

Our multilingual lawyers hold extensive experience in acting for companies and individuals in relation to immigration issues and provide our clients with the personal attention they require with experienced advice and effective guidance. Our immigration team has strong connections with a number of leading barristers, including Queen’s Counsel.

Taylor Hampton Solicitors also process Australian migration applications. We have a separate website dedicated to this: www.emigrate-to-australia.co.uk. Our highly experienced consultants have been assisting clients for nearly a decade with various Australian applications including spouse migration, skilled migration, state sponsored, employer sponsored migration, parent, tourist and many other visa types for Australia.

We have particular expertise in complex personal immigration matters for high net-worth individuals; in particular Tier 1 investors and Tier 1 entrepreneurs. Where possible, we try to offer a fixed-price fee structure that is cost-effective.

We offer a cost-effective and thorough end-to-end service for Australian migration. We also assist businesses in the UK in moving their employees to Australia to fulfil contracts or set up a separate company operation in Australia.

Our experienced immigration team is able to provide advice on the following: • Tier 1 (Investor) • Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) • Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) • Tier 2 Work Visa • Tier 4 Student Visa • 10 years Long Residency • 5 Years Permanent Residency Settlement • Spouse Visa • All type of Appeals • EEA Family Permit • Tier 2 & Tier 5 Sponsorship Licence Application • Naturalisation • British Citizenship Law • Family Re-union • Civil Penalties

If you are looking to migrate to the UK or Australia or know someone who needs a visa, please get in contact with us on +44 (0) 207 427 5290 or email us at enquiries@taylorhampton. co.uk Our other practice areas include: • Media: Defamation; Internet Law; Phone Hacking; Family Hacking; Intellectual Property; Privacy; Sports Law • Commercial Litigation: Litigation & the Chinese Community; Professional Negligence • Australian Visa Services • Family Law • Residential Landlord & Tenant

•

Taylor Hampton’s expert immigration lawyers are here to advise and help you with all your immigration needs. Whether you are a business wanting to bring your employees to the UK, a student seeking to study here, or if you want to work in the UK or bring your family to join you, we can help. The UK has a complex immigration system which is set to become even more complicated with stringent requirements being imposed on those wanting to immigrate here. It can be daunting to navigate alone, so let our experienced team help you. We can advise on immigration issues, from which type

Art Law

Taylor Hampton Solicitors Contact: Loretta Pang, Associate Solicitor

Tel: +44 (0) 207 427 5970 Email: enquiries@taylorhampton.co.uk Web: www.taylorhampton.co.uk Address: 218 Strand, London WC2R 1AT, UK

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

45

EUROPE

LONDON ENGLAND

DERMATOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

The Harley Street Dermatology Clinic is a private clinic in London, UK, with ten consultant dermatologists providing consultation, diagnosis, and the treatment of the rarest and most difficult to diagnose skin, hair, nail and genital conditions. Founded in 2013 by Dr Adam Friedmann MBBS, FRCP the vision was to establish a leading service provider in the field of private dermatology in London and nationwide. Our consultants are trained in adult and paediatric dermatology, treating patients of all ages from all around the world. In addition, our clinical psychologist also provides care and treatment for the psychological effects that these conditions can have on your health and wellbeing. We provide emotional support and offer expert advice on managing and living with a skin condition. This year brings great promise, not only with being awarded dermatologist of the year by M&A Today, and prior to that by Global 100, we were also listed on GHPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website as Best Private Medical Practice in Central London last year, and recently, we have been awarded for the 4th year running with a customer service award by WhatClinic! Moreover, we are proud of our further internal achievements and growth. To elaborate, our clinic has been officially approved by the Care and Quality Commission public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, who are responsible for the inspection and regulation of health and social care services in England. As well as this, we are in the works and under construction for the launch of our operating theatre for various dermatology procedures to be performed in-house, including but not limited to cancer, mole, and lipoma removal.

Next door to our state of the art operating theatre, we are also working on a phototherapy and patch testing unit. The UVB and UVA light treatments reduce inflammation of the skin and can help in various inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, pityriasis lichenoides, cutaneous T cell lymphoma, lichen planus, and vitiligo. The patch testing service will be provided within the same unit, for the purpose of eliminating and discovering whether your skin condition is caused or aggravated by an allergy to substances which you have come into contact with. There are approximately 40 substances which we will be able to test for, not inclusive of your personal items such as toiletries. These facilities will allow us to be a dermatological centre of excellence and can all be found on the ground floor of our lovely location at 35 Devonshire Place. We are expecting to unveil the facilities this summer, this year! In summary, the M&A annual awards program itself provides a benchmark for the best of the best industry leaders and distinguished organisations, and with all our consistent and expanding work, this award has given great morale and humility to our team to continue to strive to grow, be better, and do better for our patients.

The Harley Street Dermatology Clinic Address: 35 Devonshire Place, London, W1G 6JP Tel: 0845 154 3260 Fax: 0845 154 3261

Dr. Adam Friedmann

Email: info@hs-dc.co.uk

Consultant Dermatologist & Clinical Lead

46

Web: www.theharleystreetdermatologyclinic.co.uk

M&A | Today

EUROPE

LONDON ENGLAND

BEST LASER SKINCARE TREATMENT CENTRE & BEST SKINCARE PRODUCTS

“Future glow: The below glow-givers are creating loads of buzz among those in the know right now…” Ingeborg van Lotringen Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK Inspired by the clients she has advised over the past 2 decades at her multi-award winning Harley Street clinic, Founder & Skin Expert Zaheda Hafez utilised her expertise and in collaboration with leading cosmetic scientists created ZAHEDA skin care. A superior skin care that translates into a simple daily routine to reveal a more beautiful glowing complexion.

The 3 Steps Skin Care Schedule:

Marine and botanical actives work synergistically in this science-led formulation. The rich nature of algae means that it can provide immeasurable benefits in one unique formulation to keep the skin more plump, supple firm and youthful.

ZAHEDA Skincare range:

“In my professional experience I believe above all beautiful skin starts with superior skin care and a simple daily routine. Simply follow my 3 Steps Skin Care Schedule to beautiful glowing skin.”

Zaheda Hafez Founder & Skin Expert

• • •

• • • • • • • • •

Choose these 3 products from the range: One Cleanser, One Exfoliator & One Moisturiser Simply Cleanse, Exfoliate & Moisturise Twice a day

Deep Sea Cleanse Ocean Tone Ultra Smooth Sea Polish Sea Collagen Marine Serum Marine Fluid Shine Free Marine Boost Super Serum Ultimate Youth Lift Ultra Light Derma White Sea Collagen Marine Body Serum

Further information:

ZAHEDA SKINCARE

Tel: +44 (0) 207 307 8712 Address: 1 Harley Street London W1 Website: www.zaheda.com

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

47

NORTH AMERICA

NORTH AMERICA Adar Capital Partners Coalition on Adult Basic Education DeMello & Associates ELIJAH Ghost Systems, Inc. Simpson Healthcare

48

Best Latin America Emerging Markets Fund (3 Years): Adar Macro Fund Ltd. - Cayman Islands Best Adult Education Provider of the Year - New York, USA Best Commercial Architecture Firm - Bermuda Computer Forensic Investigations Provider of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; USA Best Network Security CEO - West USA Best Pharmaceutical Marketing Support Specialists - Connecticut, USA

M&A | Today

50 51 52 54 55 56

NORTH AMERICA

GLOBAL AWARDS - 2018

49

NORTH AMERICA

BEST LATIN AMERICA EMERGING MARKETS FUND (3 YEARS): ADAR MACRO FUND LTD.

CAYMAN ISLANDS

We are Adar Capital Partners Ltd. (ACP), a dynamic firm that represents over 25 years of global investingexperience. We advise institutional investors, family offices, and private investment funds. Our clients benefit from our innovative thinking, meticulous research, and exceptional customer service. Led by founder and CIO Zev Marynberg, Adar has developed a very successful investment strategy with a focus on Latin American and European financial markets. Our primary fund, the Adar Macro Fund (the “Fund”), manages assets in excess of $1.5 billion. The Fund’s outstanding track record has earned it many accolades, including Best Performing Macro Strategy Fund (1 Year) by the Wealth & Finance 2017 Alternative Investment Awards, and Best Latin America Emerging Markets Fund (3 Years) by the Acquisition International 2017 Awards.

portfolio balanced and by maintaining low leverage ratios. Risk management is at the core of all of our investment decisions. We focus on global investment opportunities in equity and fixed income assets in Europe and Latin America. We create diverse and balanced portfolios to minimize market volatility. We manage our core group of investments to achieve optimal performance and build wealth in our portfolios. Our research analysis targets investment opportunities that we believe can achieve maximal returns for our investors.

Investment Process Adar Capital Partners (ACP) identifies unique investment opportunities by pairing expert analysis of investments in emerging markets with our extensive knowledge of the countries in which we invest. Our investment process is based on in-depth fundamental analysis, on-site due diligence, and deep local expertise. The ACP team has developed strong relationships with investment banks and institutions throughout Latin America and Europe. We manage our investment risk by keeping our

We engage in enhanced due diligence of investments with onsite visits, calls with management and internal review. We ensure safety by performing core risk analysis and selecting investments with solid fundamentals. We constantly review the possible downside risk in each investment, and we perform risk assessments that place limits on aggregate investments and leverage.

Adar Capital Partners Ltd.

Address: One Capital Place, 4th Floor Shedden Road, George Town Grand Cayman KY1-1103 Cayman Islands

Address: Itzhak Kariv 16 Suite 824 94182 Jerusalem Israel Email: contact@adarcap.com Web: www.adarcapitalpartners.com Tel: +972 2642 8503

50

M&A | Today

NORTH AMERICA

BEST ADULT EDUCATION PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

NEW YORK USA

Recipient of 6 International Davey Awards for mobilizing the ďŹ eld of Adult Education.

3 Quick Clicks, that is all it takes to contact your mayor, governor, and legislators!

www.educateandelevate.org.

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

51

NORTH AMERICA

Best Commercial Architecture Firm - Bermuda 30 BEST COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE FIRM

AR170049

BERMUDA

Contact: Dennis DeMello Contact Email: ddemello@logic.bm or demelloasso@btcnet.bm Address: 38A Long Bay Lane, Somerset, Sandys, MA04, Bermuda Phone: 001 441 334 8821

Part of the Architizer Group, DeMello & Associates are an innovative Bermuda based architectural engineering and project management firm. Founded in 2009 they have gone Best Commercial Architecture from strength to strength, building on an abundance of experience and knowledge, with a client base spanning the USA, Brazil, China and India

Firm - Bermuda

o & Associates is a professional Architectural and Structural Engineering company. We spoke t DeMello to find out more. At DeMello & Associates, they believe that creating composite engineered materials is key for construction feasible structures that function in sync with their surroundings. They approach every project with an objective mind and focus on the façade fenestration and performance, and provide an artistic architectural and engineering program that differentiates from design most competitors. Associates is a them complete and build company

eMello & “To ensure excellence for our clients we are an 100% digital co DeMello & Associates is a professional Architectural and Structural Engineering company. We spoke to Dennis working with clients based around the world seeking innovative concept design works to construction documents ready for 3D In order to remain at the very forefront of the market DeMello to and find out more. design, newcontinue ideas and concepts. Dennis explains how the to offer their clients the service they expect, DeMello Looking to the future, Dennis discusses the latest development firm works to these and provide the & support Associates lookclients to the future for thethem latestwith developments in the industry, making use of modern technologies and industry which DeMello & Associates will be exploring in order ey need. improve on old building design systems. the very forefront of the latest market developments and contin & Associates, we believe that creating composite engineered clients the service they expect. eMello & Associates is a complete design and build company “To ensure excellence for our clients we are an 100% digital company, from key for construction feasible that function in sync withstructures clients based around the world seeking innovative concept design works to construction documents ready for 3D Printing.” D working design, new ideas every and concepts. Dennis explains how the “Overall, the future is bright, as we make use of modern techn oundings. As such, we approach project with an objective DeMello &them Associates Looking to the future, Dennis discusses the latest developments in the firm works to support these clients and provide with the (Parametrization) and improve on old building design systems. cus on the façade fenestration and performance. We provide industry which DeMello & Associates will be exploring in order to remain at outcome they need. Address: 38A Long program Bay Lane, Somerset, Sandys, MA04, theand very forefront of the latest market developments continue to offer composite engineering of newand building materials is a key t chitectural and engineering that differentiates us Bermuda from “At DeMello & Associates, we believe that creating composite engineered clients the service they expect. titors. Tel: 1441 234 that 1043 or 1441 334 8821 be keeping an eye on to ensure that we offer clients cutting ed materials is key for construction feasible structures function in sync with its surroundings. As such, we approach every project with an objective DemelloAssosiates mind and focus on the façade fenestration Facebook: and performance. We provide an artistic architectural and engineering program that differentiates us from Web: www.architizer.com/firms/demello-associates most competitors.

52

Build 2017 Architecture Awards

“Overall, the future is bright, as we make use of modern technologies (Parametrization) and improve on old building design systems. 3D printing and composite engineering of new building materials is a key trend we will be keeping an eye on to ensure that we offer clients cutting edge services.”

M&A | Today

NORTH AMERICA

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

53

NORTH AMERICA

COMPUTER FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

USA

Founded in 2003, ELIJAH is an industry leader in providing expert digital forensic, legal technology, and cybersecurity solutions. ELIJAH optimizes project management in all aspects of its services, having developed its proprietary Dart project management system to facilitate internal workflow and client coordination. ELIJAH’s team of digital forensics experts performs data collection, investigation, consulting and testimony services relating to electronically stored information. ELIJAH has substantial experience testifying in federal and state courts on a wide range of issues, including data misappropriation, data recovery, document authenticity and evidence spoliation among others. In addition to serving as a retained expert, ELIJAH serves as a forensic neutral to facilitate the efficient discovery and production of data. ELIJAH has the capability to collect and analyze a wide variety of devices and accounts, including PCs, laptops, servers, smartphones, tablets, external media, email, social media and cloud storage, among others. With rapid response capabilities, ELIJAH quickly can put boots on the ground to address any incident, and has pioneered advanced secure approaches for remote data collection and analysis to remove geographical barriers to engagement. ELIJAH’s sister company Elijah Data Security LLC is the organization trusted by the SMB market and law firms to provide perceptive cybersecurity expertise that maximizes security while minimizing unnecessary costs. As cyber-attacks become more common and sophisticated, organizations know that such incidents can exact high monetary and reputational

costs. Whether for information security assessments, consulting, penetration testing, or incident response, ELIJAH helps organizations efficiently minimize cybersecurity risk. ELIJAH has developed a proprietary SaaS-based solution, eCollect, that balances organizations’ needs to manage the risk of employee data theft against privacy concerns. Using eCollect, organizations that choose not to employ intrusive employee monitoring technology quickly can assess upon an employee’s departure what files the employee had been opening, and whether the employee had used external storage devices to potentially copy files in connection with a planned departure. Organizations now can get rapid, on-demand insight into the most common ways to assess potential employee data theft, without having to employ an intrusive and expensive employee monitoring solution. The team at ELIJAH has earned numerous industry recognitions, including 2018 recognitions as “Computer Forensic Investigations Provider of the Year – USA” and “Technology Solutions Provider of the Year (Legal) – USA”. ELIJAH’s CEO Andy Reisman is routinely invited to speak at conferences and events regarding issues in digital forensics, and has been recognized as a Gamechanger of the Year in Legal Technology.

Also awarded in the categories: • • •

Best for Digital Forensics & Expert Testimony & Information Systems Forensics Expert of the Year Midwest USA Technology Solutions Provider of the Year ( Legal ) -USA E-Discovery Company of the Year - USA

For a free initial consultation contact info@elijaht.com or call 866-354-5240. ELIJAH is headquartered at 205 W. Wacker Dr. Suite 1950, Chicago IL 60606, and maintains offices in Florida, Illinois, and Michigan. Additional information can be found at www.elijaht.com and www.elijahds.com.

54

M&A | Today

NORTH AMERICA

BEST NETWORK SECURITY CEO

WEST USA

Creating a Positive Impact Ghost Systems, Inc. was organised in January 2014, establishing its worldwide headquarters and NOC/SIC in Nevada, USA to support the Financial Services & Banking; Legal; Healthcare/Pharma; Critical Infrastructure & Energy; Mid-Market Enterprise and The Internet of Things (IoT) markets. Taking time to tell us more about the innovative company is CEO, Don Ritzman who reveals the secrets behind the firm’s success. Founded in 2014, Ghost Systems, Inc. established its worldwide headquarters and NOC/SIC in Nevada, USA to support the Financial Services & Banking; Legal; Healthcare/Pharma; Critical Infrastructure & Energy; Mid-Market Enterprise and The Internet of Things (IoT) markets – the most vulnerable markets for cyber-thefts today. Ghosts’ SafePlace Ecosystem™ is designed from the ground up to be resilient and “Secure by Design”. The tightly integrated Ecosystem – secure mesh network coupled with Jibberish™, a secure, flexible and user definable interface, which has been third-party tested and is impenetrable – virtually guarantees network infrastructure and the information that is transported across it is secure. When installed into an organisation, the SafePlace Ecosystem “Ghostifies™” the network and the company that is connected to it, creating a SafePlace™ in which to safely communicate with customers, partners or entire communities of common interest. This dramatically enhances the data availability, confidentiality, and integrity while preventing unauthorised access or theft of digital information – whether in-flight or atrest. There is no other holistic solution available today that employs proprietary technologies to provide such a highly resilient, and secure network & communications ecosystem – Ghost built “The Internet of Trust™.” Beginning the interview, Don starts by explaining the firm’s overall mission, the steps Ghost Systems, Inc. undertake to ensure the clients receive the best possible outcome, and what differentiates the company from competitors. “Here at Ghost Systems, Inc., our mission is to authoritatively develop and maintain a holistic, future-proof cyber security infrastructure – the SafePlace Ecosystem™. The SafePlace Ecosystem™ is built to the very highest modern standards by a team of highly experienced specialists, using the best-in-class patented technologies that are robust and secure. “Our key to a successful execution is smart, hard-working people throughout the organisation. With these people in place, Ghost functions like an efficient machine and successfully executes programs that meet our customer’s requirements. “As for what differentiates us from our competitors, staff and technology are Ghosts two primary differentiators. Ghost has a world-class business and technology team including several of the finest developers of cyber security technologies in the world today. These team members include; a co-author of the Orange Book, a distinguished cryptography and identity

expert, and the designer of the first-ever distributed OTP. Our technology is unmatched in the world today. SafePlace is a holistic, cyber-security ecosystem, fully integrated and secure from the ground up to provide the finest cyber-security solution available. When discussing the industry in his region currently, Don provides us with an overview, going into detail about the challenges and outside influences that are affecting it. “Security architectures largely grew organically over the past ten years, as organisations addressed a variety of new threats and tactics. This resulted in an army of deployed technologies like firewalls, IDS/IPS, network proxies, gateways, sandboxes, endpoint suites, etc. Over time, this patchwork approach became more difficult to manage and significantly less effective at blocking legitimate threats. Enterprises need a comprehensive solution that offers scalability, protects against both known and unknown threats, automates manual processes, and replaces a patchwork of ineffective tools with an integrated set of security services – in short, they need the Ghost SafePlace Ecosystem.” Looking ahead to what the future holds for Ghost Systems, Inc., Don reveals what developments he foresees within the industry, and how the firm will adapt around these changes. “Cybersecurity as a whole, is ever-changing. Cyber-criminals continually invest $billions developing malware. As a result, they are very successful pulling off large cyber-thefts costing billions of dollars in damage and personal losses to hundreds of millions of individuals. This continues to get worse as they gain more knowledge and experience. “Ghost continually builds cyber-security solutions capable of preventing their attacks. We invest heavily in R&D, constantly updating cyber-defences using modern techniques and technologies to mitigate cyber-attacks. We continually strive to change the fundamental dynamics of the war between cybercriminals and the good guys, making the Internet, private or public networks safer places for people and businesses to interact, having a positive impact across the World.”

Ghost Systems, Inc. Contact: Don Ritzman 865 Tahoe Blvd, Suite 214 Incline Village, Nevada 89451 , USA Tel: +1 831 459 8199 Web: www.ghost-systems.com

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

55

NORTH AMERICA

CONNECTICUT USA

BEST PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING SUPPORT SPECIALISTS

Simpson Healthcare Executives challenges key stakeholders in the healthcare industry to think disruptively about the future of healthcare and we work to best develop the scientific stories of diseases and provide purposeful medical education to physicians that most positively impact patients who are in need. Healthcare is a broad industry ecosystem, and innovation is central to transforming and evolving our industry so that we can fulfill the overarching goal of healthcare: helping people live better. This year, Simpson Healthcare celebrates its 20th year of business and we have had the opportunity to work with great biopharmaceutical clients, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Shire, Genzyme, Amgen, and Merck, to name a few. We unlock our clients’ full potential to connect with patients who could benefit most from their therapies as we strive to deliver more precise and personalized medicine for patients. We understand that educating and engaging physicians in the medical conversation is essential to and highly impactful for improving patient health outcomes and the way that diseases are diagnosed and treated.

equipped with treadmills and peloton bikes. As such, Simpson Healthcare most recently made the “Best Places to Work-2018 List” for the second consecutive year, a list that was organized by Best Companies Group and The Hartford Business Journal. Our founder has also been awarded “Healthcare Industry CEO of the Year-USA” and “Most Innovative CEO of the Year-USA” by Business Worldwide Magazine and was named among the “2017 Most Prominent Women in Business” by Acquisition International Magazine; and has won three Stevie Awards for Women in Business for entrepreneurship and innovation. Kelly Simpson-Angelini was also honored last spring as a “2017 Healthcare Transformers-Top 10 Innovation Catalyst” by Medical Marketing and Media (MM&M), the media agency of record for the past 50 years in the medical marketing industry.

Throughout the years, our award-winning, scientific agency has developed a senior-level of medical and strategic expertise in a broad array of therapeutic categories that we continue to work within, including: respiratory, oncology, cardiovascular, rare diseases, gastrointestinal, adult vaccines, and severe asthma, to name a few. When we take a step back and understand the number of patients whose quality of life we have touched in each of these spaces, we realize we are looking at a very large number. We know that the change we catalyze in healthcare continues to be extraordinarily meaningful for people both on a national and global scale. A few years ago, our leadership team revisited the mission and vision of Simpson Healthcare and organized this into a purpose statement, which guides our teams at every moment and is the reason why we do what we do every day at our agency. Our purpose is to support our clients to share the scientific story of the diseases they touch and therapies they discover for all in need.

We develop and pull through the story of why our clients brands matter for patients and how they will improve their lives. We understand the role of the disease and brand is one part of a larger scientific story and patient journey; we align with our clients on their medical and strategic goals and we work together to make these into a reality. Our offerings include traditional medical and scientific communications, but the diversity and experience within our organization allows us to bear the larger context of healthcare that facilitates high-level, strategic consulting as an important part of what our company delivers for every project we work on with our clients.

Kelly Simpson-Angelini, CEO+CSO founded the Simpson Healthcare in 1998, a diverse scientific agency that has become widely known as a global leader in scientific marketing and communications. As the most senior leader, Kelly really gets to know her people; surrounding herself with an experienced cabinet of senior leaders and ensures that we have both the right people on our teams and the right processes in place that best support our clients’ success and future endeavors. Kelly supports and ensures the experience and well-being of our internal team, offering yoga and meditation classes daily (live

and virtual), both individual and team nutritional programs with our experienced corporate nutritionist, and onsite gym

56

To expand upon our commitment to the healthcare experience and scientific innovation for our clients, we have used our passion for healthcare and disruptive innovation to build and customize specialized service offerings that provide long-term value to their business and the healthcare field. Through the collaborations of the talented members of our team—and with Kelly Simpson-Angelini’s scientific and business thought leadership on the purpose and intent of disruptive innovation within healthcare—Simpson Healthcare has developed and successfully implemented a new line of “FUTURING” work with our major “big pharma” clients. In order to understand why this type of work accelerates disruptive innovation, we

have to dig deeper into what “FUTURING” means. During FUTURING, we envision the potential best and worst futures

without any reference to present day. Once the FUTURES have been imagined, the drivers to reach those futures are identified, which helps identify opportunities to shape a

M&A | Today

NORTH AMERICA

CONNECTICUT USA “DESIRABLE FUTURE” or avoid impact from an “UNDESIRABLE FUTURE.” The reason this work is important is because the purpose of FUTURING is to look at global datasets, policies, and influential variables, and to disrupt key markets in healthcare with a longer 10–20-year vision for the future. These inventories are a starting point for change based on the identified opportunities from FUTURING. Our work here has been launched with many of our biopharmaceutical clients and we look forward as we continue to broaden the impact of their therapeutic brands. The core stories of disease, diagnosis, and new therapies will continue to be new and abundant. We see huge opportunity to continue to build knowledge and skills in organizing and showcasing scientific content. We will have more brands to build. More ways to build them and explain them. We believe we will be supporting new types of products like gene therapies that are a simple once in a lifetime treatment. A personalized and individualized approach to disease education and “my brand” will be something to simplify and focus on in our marketing material.

Simpson Healthcare Address: 230 Shore Road, Old Lyme CT 06371, USA Web: www.simpsonhealthcare.com

We Believe in Our People It’s those moments when you look at everyone around you and see how we are all here for each other, you can’t help but take a step back and think, “Wow. I love working here.”

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

57

SOUTH AMERICA

SOUTH AMERICA A+E Networks Latin America

58

Best TV Marketing, PR & Events 2018

M&A | Today

60

SOUTH AMERICA

GLOBAL AWARDS - 2018

59

SOUTH AMERICA

A+E NETWORKS LATIN AMERICA BEST TV MARKETING, PR & EVENTS 2018

A+E Networks Latin America is extremely proud and honored to count on the absolute best support from International Media across Latin America. The relationship established with journalists across the board is reflected by the quality of publications dedicated to the four brands. For years the fruit of the Public Relations department’s labor is echoed by the incredible backing it has from the media. A+E Networks Latin America always strives to provide press with the best brand experience when it comes to Public Relations, from unique Set Visits to majestic Press Conferences that reflect the quality of its Content and Talent, to Road Tours specifically designed to reach not only the masses but catered media outlets given exclusive access to A&E, History, Lifetime and History 2’s top talent. A+E Networks Latin America is gratified to count on the immense support from its partners such as A+E Networks, CBS Studios International, NBC Universal amongst others, as well, in order to establish this emotional connection between its content and the International Media across the Latin American markets.

A + E NETWORKS LATIN AMERICA WE PUT OUR AUDIENCE, CONTENT AND ALLIANCES AS THE MAIN CENTER OF EVERYTHING WE DO; THAT IS THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS.

A+E NETWORKS is a global multiplatform content company, owned by Disney/ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation, which reaches more than 500 million homes through all its platforms, from TV channels to social networks. Today, 8 out of 10 households in the United States receive our signal. A+E NETWORKS LATIN AMERICA is a partnership between A+E Television Networks and Ole Communications. This media company encompasses the recognized and prestigious brands of channels A&E, HISTORY, LIFETIME and H2. HBO Latin America Group distributes the channels in Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean. Each documentary, each series, each show, each movie, all the content and shows we produce are focused on a specific goal: to provide the best brand experience and content to our users. Each of our brands understands their audience and knows what they want and prefer to watch. With experience and high-quality standards, we make the difference to your business. A+E NETWORKS is constantly reinventing

60

USA

the way to produce content, innovating in formats and platforms in the creative, relevant and credible way that have always been the pillar of each brand in the recent years.

A&E

WE ARE JUSTICE At A&E, action, adventure, investigation and drama, in fiction and in real life, have a common focus: Justice. This discussion takes place through a series of successful movies, series and original productions that tell stories and tales, both surprising and personal. That invites and challenges the audience in matters of what is fair and unfair, right and wrong. They practically participate in each scene, tale and story since they are so emotionally connected through this unique multi-platform of entertainment. AT A&E THE SEARCH

FOR JUSTICE IS ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING SIDES OF ENTERTAINMENT. HIGHLIGHTS A&E offers series and movies with authentic characters

and thrilling stories in the name of justice. A&E has three tiers: A&E Series like: NCIS: LA, NCIS: New Orleans, Bull and the upcoming premier of Narcos, A&E Investigates with series like 60 Days In and the premier of special reports like Elizabeth Smart and Cults and Extreme Beliefs with Elizabeth Vargas. Along with A&E Movies the best movies packed with action like Kill Bill, The Da Vinci Code and the sequel of Rocky. A&E Latin America reaches over 74 million households. A&E is aimed primarily at Adults (Men and Women) 18 – 49.

HISTORY

LEAVE YOUR MARK The stories that defined mankind deserve to be told. Only HISTORY has the credibility to tell them through entertainment. HISTORY is the brand that connects the audience and history in an informative and entertaining way throughout

M&A | Today

SOUTH AMERICA

A+E NETWORKS LATIN AMERICA BEST TV MARKETING, PR & EVENTS 2018

USA

HIGHLIGHTS

Lifetime celebrates and entertains women by making them the protagonist through series and films that connect with their emotions. Lifetime offers the best content for the women of today with series like Dance Moms, Project Runway, UnReal and Jane the Virgin and the renowned Lifetime Movies like Godmother Cocaine with Catherine Zeta Jones, Harry & Meghan: Royal Romance and Olivia Newton-John along with the Christmas special of Lifetime Movies. Lifetime reaches more than 48 MM homes. Lifetime is aimed primarily at Women 18 – 49.

HISTORY2

MUCH MORE HISTORY 100% History 100% KNOWLEDGE

each single one of its platforms. Here stories are told in many ways: through the best series, miniseries and documentaries; always seeking a disruptive and innovative format to bring out the entertainment the audience wants.

For those who enjoy and take a deeper interest in history we have History2: a unique destination, 100% history, 100% knowledge and 100% documentaries.

HIGHLIGHTS

History is the undisputed leader and unique authority in historical content, HISTORY is history made into entertainment. HISTORY offers hit series such as: Forged in Fire, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, American Pickers, and Counting Cars, including the mega productions like, I Knew Jesus and Knightfall. Along with original productions such as the Emmy Award Winning “Francisco, El Jesuita” and “Desafio Sobre Fuego Latinoamerica”. HISTORY reaches more than 71 million homes. HISTORY is aimed primarily at Men 18 – 49

LIFETIME

THE FEMALE POWER LIFETIME is PASSION. Passion for life, passion for movies, passion for series. At LIFETIME we believe in celebrating and empowering women. And therefore, we have the best content. Our shows are written, directed, produced and starred by outstanding women in the entertainment industry. We are a multimedia brand that knows what women want. That is the reason LIFETIME is the favorite destination for female entertainment. A BRAND FOR WOMEN BY WOMEN We approach each day focused on telling stories about women- their lives, challenges and achievements. Our Lifetime Movies and series tell stories that are relevant for women with women as main characters. LIFETIME is without a doubt, the perfect space to create an emotional connection with women in a complete authentic and direct way. LIFETIME is not only a brand. It is a lifestyle.

History2 stimulates curiosity and nourishes intelligence. History2 offers history and culture for the whole family. If there is a space where you can build a direct and efficient conversation with the public, this space is here, at History and History2. Here your brand will be immersed in the broad masculine universe, surrounded by relevant information and quality entertainment.

HIGHLIGHTS

History2 is 100% history, 100% educational: much more history, more to explore and more to learn. History2 is the first channel created due to popular demand, for those who wanted to expand their knowledge and see more history. History2 entertains and educates us with content from science, technology, and mystery with a historical perspective through shows like Modern Marvels, Innovation Nation and Curse of the Oak Island. History2 is expected to reach over 41 MM homes. History2 is mainly aimed at an audience of Men 25-54.

A+E Networks Latin America Address: 2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 250, Coral Gables, FL 33134

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

Tel: (305) 260-7577

61

GLOBAL/REST OF THE WORLD

GLOBAL/ REST OF THE WORLD Imprima iRooms Limited Nicole Iseppi - ENGIE

62

VDR Platform of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Worldwide Global Energy Lawyer of the Year - Global

M&A | Today

64 65

GLOBAL/REST OF THE WORLD

GLOBAL AWARDS - 2018

63

GLOBAL/REST OF THE WORLD

WORLDWIDE

VDR PLATFORM OF THE YEAR

IMPRIMA

Virtual Data Rooms for Due Diligence, Asset Management and Document Sharing

When the stakes are high, our clients trust Imprima to keep their business-critical documents secure at all stages, leaving them to focus on finalising the deal. Imprima provides ultra-secure and reliable data sharing and collaboration platforms that enable asset owners, managers, and their advisors to manage the key documentation of their assets, as well as facilitate transactions. This involves automation of our clients’ workflows, including granular and highly-secure user management & permissioning, detailed reporting on user activity, Q&A, task management, and much more. And all that is provided with the highest service levels in the industry, 24/7, in all our office locations. Our innovative solutions, Virtual Data Room (IROOMS VDR) and Asset Lifecycle-Management (Imprima ALM) are applied to a wide range of use cases, including M&A, private-equity asset management & divestments, real-estate asset management, real-estate transactions, IPOs, biotech trials, insolvencies & restructuring. IROOMS VDR – the world’s most secure Virtual Data Room IROOMS VDR is a highly secure, reliable and easy to use virtual data room. It provides an online document safe, to help clients preserve the confidentiality of mission-critical

documents and communications during any deal transaction. The entire process and our people are certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 – the latest and most comprehensive in-depth security certification for providers of virtual data rooms. Imprima ALM – maximise your assets’ value with our digital Real Estate asset management platform Imprima ALM is a highly-secure, browser-based platform designed to support the full spectrum of real estate asset management activities, from updating lease agreements & planning permissions, to collaborating with property & facility managers. Imprima ALM empowers you and your team to organise, manage & track your assets in an extremely efficient and cost-saving way. So, you can really focus on maximising ROI, instead of wasting valuable time chasing after that expired leasehold agreement. Whether you are involved in M&A, real estate, capital raising, portfolio management or an IPO process, we know how to help you to maximise available options and deliver best value. So, place your trust in Imprima. When it really matters.

Imprima iRooms Limited Head Office: 10th Floor 30 Crown Place London EC2A 4EB London Tel: +44 20 7965 4700 New York Tel: +1 646 844 2993 Email: londonsales@imprima.com newyork@imprima.com

64

M&A | Today

GLOBAL/REST OF THE WORLD

GLOBAL

GLOBAL ENERGY LAWYER OF THE YEAR

NICOLE ISEPPI

Associate Director – Strategy & Economic Development, Global Centralised Generation

It is not often the legal and energy industry comes across a professional who in their career to date has had such a depth of unique, high calibre and leading international energy infrastructure experience as Nicole and she says she “still has a lot more she would like to be part of, contribute to and achieve within the energy industry.” Nicole is the only professional in the international energy and legal industry to date, who has worked directly in-house as a senior legal and strategic adviser in both the world’s largest IPP global energy company - ENGIE (formerly known as GDF Suez) and also one of the world’s largest energy project finance lenders - Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). She assists and advises such leading international companies in the successful delivery of their respective energy related interests, strategies and infrastructure investments. Prior to joining ENGIE, Nicole was also mandated to act as the adviser for establishing and implementing, on behalf of the Japanese Ministry of Finance and JBIC - Japan Carbon Finance, Ltd (JCF) (a new financial institution created to support development of greenhouse gas reduction projects). Nicole’s career to date specialises in providing a complete advisory & project management form of service, in relation to global energy infrastructure projects. She has had substantial experience in the strategic formulation, developmental, project financing, execution and operational phases of energy infrastructure projects within the IPP, IWPP, Renewable Energy and also LNG sectors of Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and European regions for the past 17+ years and has been with ENGIE since the beginning of 2010. When Nicole first joined ENGIE in 2010 she acted as the Deputy General Counsel and Head of Finance Legal for ENGIE’s South Asia, Middle East and Africa regions and shortly thereafter was also appointed to act as the Global Team Leader for ENGIE’s Structured Network for their international energy Financing Agreements (covering the United Kingdom, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America regions). Since the beginning of 2016, Nicole has now been acting as the Associate Director of Strategy & Economic Development for the Global Centralised Generation business of ENGIE. Where she applies her core energy and legal

industry skills & knowledge in a broader business, strategic and commercial sphere with respect to risk management of global power generation – an essential part of both ENGIE’s portfolio of assets and the global energy sector. As a result of Nicole’s international energy and legal experience, she was also appointed in the beginning of 2016 to the management committee and as a Project & Legal Director for the global solar Terrawatt Initiative (TWI). TWI is a global independent non-profit foundation created out of COP21 Paris Agreement, which promotes global solar development. Nicole has had the privilege and rare opportunity to have advised, negotiated and managed during her career to date, the successful execution and delivery of many of the energy global ‘Deals of the Year’, within the industry over the past decade and a half. Nicole has worked in the past as a foreign legal practitioner in Japan and has the professional qualifications as a Solicitor in England & Wales, Practitioner of the High Court of Australia and a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia. She is a regular speaker at various global energy infrastructure conferences, including was asked to give a keynote address at the Global Solar Leaders’ Summit Conference for 2017. She has also been nominated by her industry peers to be an official committee member of the IBA Global Power Law Committee. Nicole has also been awarded by her industry peers as (i) the “Global Energy Adviser of the Year - 2017” by the Global 100 Index (which recognizes the leading individuals and companies around the globe in all sectors) and (ii) “Global Female Energy Lawyer of the Year - 2017” by Legal Monthly Magazine Women International Awards.

Nicole Iseppi

Email: nicole.iseppi@engie.com Website: www.engie.com

GLOBAL AWARDS | 2018

65

GLOBAL/REST OF THE WORLD

66

M&A | Today

GLOBAL/REST OF THE WORLD

GLOBAL AWARDS - 2018

67

Index

AFRICA Bouchaib Law Firm Bernard Georges – George & Co Attorneys Dr Daniel N. Erasmus G. Elias & Co Mindpearl n. dowuona & company Nadia Kettani - Kettani Law Firm Nitereka Deo Stanbic Bank Kenya Limited

Best Law Firm of the Year - Algeria, Adnane Bouchaib - Bouchaib Law Firm - Best Lawyer of the Year - Algeria Best Commercial Law Lawyer of the Year - Seychelles Best Tax Risk Management Advisor - South Africa Firm of the Year - Africa Best Contact Centre Outsourcer of the Year - South Africa Law Firm of the Year - Ghana Best Lawyer of the Year - Morocco Burundibest For Foreign Direct Investment - Burundi Ben Wandawanda - Stanbic Bank - Best Commercially Astute Banking Executive of the Year - Kenya

8 10

11

ASIA Alem & Associates Black Media Group Cambodian German Cultural Association Deep & Far

Felicitas Global Pte Ltd Fivelements Hong Kong Limited Gulf Legal Consultants Ibtisama Beauty ihD Ltd   Just us & Otto Marketing Services W.L.L. Kalpana Unadkat Karanjawala & Company LF Logistics (Hong Kong) Limited Paris Gallery L.L.C.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP Ramni Taneja, LLB Subramaniam & Associates

Tanglin Trust School Tyabji Dayabhai

68

Law Firm of the Year - Corporate - Lebanon Kenneth Wan - Black Media Group - Leading Web Design Consultant of the Year - Hong Kong Best Contemporary Arts Centre 2018 -South East Asia Best in Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition, Licensing, Counseling & Litigation Lawyers of the Year – Taiwan Best Boutique Marketing Consultancy of the Year - Singapore Wellness Retreat of the Year - Indonesia Best Law Firm of the Year – Qatar Best New International Breakthrough Brand 2018   Best Full-Service Technology Consultancy of the Year - Hong Kong Best International Creative Agency & Marketing MD of the Year 2018 - Qatar Corporate Governance Lawyer of the Year - India Boutique - Litigation Law Firm of the Year - India, Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year in India Best End-to-End SCM Company - Hong Kong Mohamed Jaber -Paris Gallery, Group Sales & Marketing Manager Sales & Marketing Manager of the Year - MENA Region Most Influential Marketing Leader 2018 - UAE Law Firm of the Year - Business Litigation - Japan Constitutional Law Firm of the Year - India Hari Subramaniam - Subramaniam & Associates (SNA) - Best CEO & Lawyer in Best IP, Patent, Trademark, Design, Copyright, Domain Names & Related Issues of the Year - India Most Inspirational Education Business Leader 2018 - Singapore Aviation Law Firm of the Year in India

M&A | Today

14

15 16

17 17

18 20

21

Index

AUSTRALIA Fantastic Playgrounds Jacqueline Coates Mark Williams MinterEllisonRuddWatts RT Edgar – Glen Coutinho Scancorp Sydney Criminal Lawyers

Best Playground Equipment Provider of the Year - Australia Most Innovative Artist 2018 - South Australia Alternative Dispute Resolution Barrister of the Year - Australia Christopher Young - Best IP Law Firm of the Year - New Zealand Most Respected & Longest-Serving Real Estate Agency Melbourne, Australia Boutique M&A Advisory Firm of the Year - Australia Best Criminal Law Firm 2018

24 25

EUROPE Adrian Ashton

Alice Poole Architects Atelier Avo LLP Averian Global

Avondale Corporate Limited Bahas, Gramatidis & Partner Bamboo & Bees Becker Law Beragua Capital Advisory S.L. Bluestone Leasing Limited Brenden Ward Photography Bute Island Foods Ltd Cannon Technologies Ltd Cavendish Corporate Finance LLP Clear Capital Management LLP Conical Ltd Corethree Cruises4you Dr. Meyer-Dulheuer & Partner LLP Drake Star Partners Edwin Bessant - Ceuta Group Eurohold Eversheds Sutherland Fleet Evolution Ltd. Glance Creative Ltd

“Adrian Ashton - Best Advice Consultant & Trainer of the Year - UK Adrian Ashton - Best Freelance Enterprise Advice & Support Consultant of the Year - UK Best Provider of Enterprise Support to Social, Charitable & Public Organisations of the Year - UK” Best Listed Building & Conservation Architecture Firm South England Most Innovative Architectural Design Studio - London, UK Consulting Firm of the Year – Global Business Advisory Services firm of the year - UK and Ireland Business Restructuring Firm of the Year - Ireland M&A Adviser of the Year - UK Aviation Lawyer of the Year - Greece Individual - Blockchain Technology Sector Lawyer of the Year in France Commercial Law Firm of the Year ; Leading Divorce Law Firm of the Year; Chinese Law Lawyer of the Year - Austria Best Retail Industry Consultancy - 2018 - Europe Asset Finance Firm of the Year – UK Best Wedding Photographer of the Year - UK Best Dairy Free Cheese Company - UK Best Turnkey Data Centre Solutions Company - UK Corporate Finance Boutique of the Year/Leading Independent Financial Advisory of the Year - UK Best Discretionary Portfolio Manager - London, England Stephen Bedford - Conical - Best CEO of the Year – UK Conical Best Marketing Consultancy of the Year - UK Best Global Leader in Mobile Ticketing & E-Commerce - UK Best Cruise Travel Agency - Germany Best Patent Law Lawyer of the Year – Germany Julian Ostertag - Drake Star Partners - Managing Partner of the Year - Germany CEO of the Year - UK Best Managing Partner in Corporate Finance - Spain Best Lawyer of the Year for Corporate, Industrial Engineering, Sport & Transport Matters - UK Best for Salary Sacrifice Car Services - UK Best Innovative App Developer Company of the Year - UK

GLOBAL AWARDS - 2017

28

29 30 32

33

34 35

69

Index

EUROPE Green Park Interim & Executive Limited Hardies Property & Construction Consultants Heiko Schroter Straitons Whitelaw Limited Hill Dickinson LLP Hindesite Limited

Best Executive Search Firm Director - UK Best Construction Consultancy Firm & Award for Excellence in Project Management - Scotland Best Lawyer in Comprehensive Legal, Tax Consulting & Corporation Services – UK Individual - Aviation Lawyer of the Year in England Niche Recruitment Agency of the Year – Pharmaceutical Industry – UK Hogarths Hotel Group Best Countryside Hotel & Restaurant 2018 - West Midlands, UK Infinity Partnership Limited Corporate Finance Boutique of the Year - Scotland J. Rothschild Capital Management Limited Investment Trust of the Year 2018 - UK John Harrison & Company John Harrison - John Harrison & Company - Best Business Accountant of the Year - UK kdm communications limited Best Full-Service Life Sciences B2B Marketing Agency 2018 - UK Lamont Pridmore Chartered Accountancy Practice of the Year - England Law firm Mužina, Žvipelj and partners Ltd. Best Public Procurement Law Firm of the Year - Slovenia Leumi ABL Limited Asset Based Lender of the Year - UK. Lloyd Platt & Co Law Firm of the Year - Divorce Law - UK Divorce Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Divorce and Separation Law Firm of the Year - United Kingdom Family Law Firm of the Year - UK Mahima Best Meditation Coach 2018 - Switzerland Mari Ianiq Ltd. Best Jewelled Furniture Designer UK and Award in Excellence in Joinery Services Meneglaze Guest House Best Seafront B&B - UK MNM Developments (Scot) Ltd Best Luxury Apartment Development Firm of the Year - UK Nethan Valley Veterinary Centre Best Pet Veterinary Practice & Award for Excellence in Pet Behavioural Services - South Lanarkshire, Scotland Nimbletank Best Mobile & Digital Agency - UK Open Study College Best Online Learning Tool of the Year - UK Pragma Consulting Ltd Strategic Advisory Firm of the Year - United Kingdom PrimePartners Wirtschaftskanzlei Law Firm of the Year - Mergers & Acquisitions - Germany Rapid Change Consultancy Most Influential Woman in Leadership Coaching 2017 & 2018 - Northern Ireland RJG Architectural Design Services Best Residential Architecture Firm - Merseyside, UK Schmelz Rechtsanwälte OG Family Law Firm of the Year & Best Real Estate Boutique - Austria SCWP Schindhelm Corporate Law Firm of the Year – Austria Sellmyhome.co.uk Ltd Best Online Estate Agency of the Year - UK Sintetica S.A. Excellence in Drug Development & Best for Clinic Trials 2018 - Europe Smart IT Best IT Support Services Provider of the Year – North East Spectrum Corporate Finance Limited Best Advisor of the Year for Corporate Finance - UK Sturgeon Ventures LLP Best Regulatory Incubator 2018 & FinServ Gamechanger Innovation Award 2018 – UK for M&A Global Awards Tapestry Compliance LLP Boutique Law Firm of the Year - UK Taylor Hampton Solicitors Limited Best Immigration Law Firm of the Year - UK  The Harley Street Dermatology Clinic Dermatologist of the Year 2018 - London, England The Laser Treatment Clinic Best Laser Skincare Treatment, Centre & Best Skincare Products London, England Thintech Limited Best Desktop Virtualisation Consultancy 2018 – UK Turistika.cz, s.r.o. Best Content Management 2018 - Eastern Europe Vinden Estates Ltd. Most Instrumental Woman in Residential Sales 2018 - UK Volume Ltd Cognitive Computing Company of the Year 2018 & Award for Excellence - UK wkk law Commercial Real Estate of the Year - Austria XTB Limited Best Cryptocurrency Trading Provider – UK

70

M&A | Today

36

37

38

40

42

44 45 46 47

2

Index

NORTH AMERICA Adar Capital Partners Coalition on Adult Basic Education Corey Eschweiler – Glen Lerner Injury Attorneys DeMello & Associates Design/Build by Visner Inc. Donna J. Jackson Doyen Global Consulting - Sumit Ohri ELIJAH Ghost Systems, Inc. Giangi Townsend Innovation Insurance Group, LLC  Jennifer Jordan McCall Klein Lawyers LLP Looby Law, PLLC  Marcelo Fumasoni MCR Development LLC Midaxo, Inc. National Tax Relief, Inc. Pardini & Asociados Prophet Equity QA Mentor, Inc

Rockwell Antiques Simpson Healthcare Sttaton México The Rainmaker Institute

Best Latin America Emerging Markets Fund (3 Years): Adar Macro Fund Ltd. - Cayman Islands Best Adult Education Provider of the Year - New York, USA Best in Personal Injury Claims Lawyer of the Year - Nevada, USA

50

Best Commercial Architecture Firm - Bermuda Best Design Build Firm 2018 - Wisconsin - USA Best Estate Planning Attorney - Oklahoma, USA Most Innovative IT Services Provider 2018 - California, USA Computer Forensic Investigations Provider of the Year – USA Best Network Security CEO - West USA Best Woman’s Food & Lifestyle Blogger - South West USA Innovation Insurance Group LLC - Best Adviser of the Year - USA Individual - Wealth Management Lawyer of the Year - California, USA Best Class Action Law Firm 2018 & Personal Injury Attorney of the Year - British Columbia, Canada Best Law Firm of the Year - New York, USA Best Pharmaceutical HR Leader 2018 - Latin America Best High-End Hotel Investment & Development Firm - New York The Best M&A Software Company 2018 - USA The Tax Relief Firm of the Year - USA Law Firm of the Year - Corporate and Litigation – Panama Best Diversified PE Firm & Control Equity Investors of the Year 2018 - USA Best Software Quality Assurance Service Provider 2018 – USA Best Independent Software Testing Services Provider of the Year - USA Best Software Testing Services Provider & Excellence Award for Audit Services - North East USA Best Fine Art & Antique Dealer of the Year - Texas, USA Best Pharmaceutical Marketing Support Specialists - Connecticut, USA Full service firm of the year - USA Best Law Firm Marketing Consultancy - USA

52

51

54 55

56

SOUTH AMERICA A+E Networks Latin America Promare Consultoria

Best TV Marketing, PR & Events 2018 Automotive, Aviation & Maritime Sector - Brazil

60

GLOBAL / REST OF THE WORLD Genome Diagnostics PVT LTD Imprima iRooms Limited Nicole Iseppi - ENGIE WCN Plc

VDR Platform of the Year – Worldwide Global Energy Lawyer of the Year - Global Most Innovative Global e-Recruitment Provider

GLOBAL AWARDS - 2017

64 65

71

© M&A | Today