Buckingham Corporate Finance has been awarded the International Network of M&A Partners (IMAP) Award for closing the most cross border deals with other IMAP partners over the last 12 months.

During 2005/2006 amongst others, Buckingham closed cross-border deals which included:

• the acquisition by Umeco plc (UK) of aerospace component distributor Provest (Italy),

• the sale of Arteon (France) a distributor of construction materials owned by Halifax Industrial (UK), a Bridgepoint and Elderstreet investment, to DSI (Germany)

• the sale of  Pecaso (Germany) supplying IT for the HR sector to Accenture (US)

• three other cross-border M&A transactions involving IMAP partners in Finland , Israel and the Czech Republic.

IMAP has unmatched global reach, with 79 offices spread across 33 countries, covering North and South America, West and Eastern Europe and Asia. Together, IMAP deploys some 280 expert mid-market dealmakers. In 2005 IMAP firms advised on 220 completed transactions with an aggregate value of $4.2billion, positioning IMAP as the World’s leading network of firms delivering M&A advice to mid-market transactions.

Buckingham partners Stephen Bennett, Mike Simson and Ian Leaman said: “We are thrilled to win this award, which was presented to us at IMAP’s recent bi-annual conference in Germany. We were competing against many leading independent corporate finance houses from across the globe and this award reflects the increasing level of cross border M&A activity involving UK and European companies in particular.”

“IMAP offers a truly global service to clients undertaking mid-market cross-border transactions. Whilst member firms operate to the highest international standards, the IMAP structure ensures each maintains the entrepreneurial flair often absent from competing international organisations. Combine this with the local market knowledge and you have a formula which sets Buckingham and IMAP apart. But it’s not just talk - it actually works in practice.”