Birmingham-based independent corporate finance boutique Orbis Partners is rebranding as Clairfield. The rebrand marks the next chapter in a partnership that started in 2010 when Orbis became the UK partner for global investment bank Clairfield International.

Orbis Partners was founded in 2006 through an MBO from Kroll Corporate Finance.

Clairfield International provides advice to entrepreneurs, multinational corporations and financial investors on mergers, acquisitions, and disposals, as well as additional corporate finance services, largely in crossborder situations. Clairfield International’s team of over 300 professionals across 30 countries have completed 730 deals in the last five years totalling EUR 33 billion in deal value.

James Grenfell, partner at Clairfield, commented “In early 2022 we became a shareholder and main board member of Clairfield International, which cemented a long standing and successful relationship. The nature of the M&A market and the strength of the Clairfield brand, makes the transition feel like a natural step, signalling our commitment to our international team and the importance of global dealmaking. We remain firmly focussed on providing entrepreneurial corporate finance advice to owner managers, private equity and corporates, with the rebranding highlighting our global ambitions to access flows of capital from around the world.”

“The vast majority of our projects involve international buyers, sellers, or funders. Our current pipeline includes UK mandates with large corporates in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden who are looking to enter the UK for the first time and need local expertise and sector knowledge. The strength and depth of the Clairfield family gives us global reach with overseas territories becoming our local markets through our trusted colleagues’ expertise and relationships,” says Gary Ecob, partner at Clairfield and head of Clairfield’s consumer & retail sector group.

Recent deals by the Birmingham team include the sale of Kestrel Aluminium Systems to German multinational Schüco; acting for Technology One, Australia’s largest enterprise SaaS company on its acquisition of Scientia; advising the shareholders of premium pet food brand Little Big Paw on the sale to Swedish acquiror Petbuddy Group; and advising Dutch-headquartered Customs Support Group on two acquisitions in the UK.

“Our team in Birmingham are excellent dealmakers and sector experts that have embraced the benefits of the larger Clairfield group. This rebranding further strengthens the Clairfield brand overall after many group partnerships have aligned branding over the last years. Clairfield has become ever more integrated with expanded central practice groups, with highly regarded sector, debt advisory and ESG advisory know-how, making Clairfield recognised as a top middle-market firm internationally. Our access and expertise in the UK are formidable,” says executive Clairfield chair Alex Klemm.