Winner MBO of  Penn Pharmaceuticals

Penn, a Tredegar-based pharmaceutical research and development company, was bought out by its management for £67m in a deal backed by Lloyds Development Capital and HSBC. The management team, headed by Peter George, was advised by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Addleshaw Goddard, and LDC was advised by Osborne Clarke and Deloitte. The deal took about a year and completed in September 2007.

Shortlist MBO of Peter’s Food Service, purchase of Nuaire by Electra Partners from ECI Partners, MBO of Williams Medical.

Sponsored by Morgan Cole

Winner Stephen Berry, partner, M&A Solicitors

Stephen Berry joined M&A as a founding partner in 1999. He led on the national Britannia deal and worked on a string of others including the management buyout of Alexander Mann Solutions.

Shortlist Jeremy Stone of Merchant Ventures, Excalibur and Wales Fund Managers, Andrew Hodgson of KPMG, Alan Whiteley of M&A Solicitors

Sponsored by Hays Accountancy & Finance

Winner Jason Evans, head of corporate finance South West and Wales, Lloyds TSB

Jason Evans previously picked up Corporate Banker of the Year awards while at two separate banks – HSBC and Lloyds TSB. Over the year, Lloyds backed IQE, JD Cleverly, Glamalco and Solo Services Group.

Shortlist Paul Oldham of Lloyds Development Capital, Geraint Rowe of Gambit Corporate Finance, Owen Sennitt of Bank of Scotland

Sponsored by Headoffice

Winner Geraint Rowe, Gambit Corporate Finance

Geraint Rowe is a partner at Wales’ best-known home-grown corporate finance firm. In the year in question, his firm advised on deals including the management buyout of Peter's Food Service, the sale of ProtectaGroup, and the sale of CHSS.

Shortlist Andrew Hodgson of KPMG, Paul Oldham of Lloyds Development Capital (formerly of Grant Thornton), Trefor Griffith of Grant Thornton, Colin John of Deloitte

Sponsored by HSBC

Winner Kevin Beevers, HSBC

Second win in a row for Kevin Beevers, who has helped HSBC through buyouts at Harris Pye Group, Vellacine and Penn Pharmaceuticals.

Shortlist Jason Evans of Lloyds TSB, Stuart Allison of The Royal Bank of Scotland, Nick Evans of The Royal Bank of Scotland

Sponsored by GVA Grimley

Winner Andrew Morris, Geldards

This is the second year in a row that Andrew Morris has won this award. Among other deals, he has been a key player in the recent expansion by Finsbury Food Group.

Shortlist Duncan Macintosh of Capital Law, Stephen Berry of M&A Solicitors, Alan Whiteley of M&A Solicitors, Paul Lowe of Eversheds

Sponsored by Barclays Commercial

Winner Chris Burgess, HW Corporate Finance
Chris is a partner in the Cardiff office of HW Corporate Finance, which was involved, among other things, in fundraising by Vale Healthcare, the £22m private health scheme, and the sale of Training Services Wales to a management and employee buyout team.

Shortlist Nick Evans of The Royal Bank of Scotland, Trefor Griffith of Grant Thornton, Nicola McNeely of Capital Law, Ravi Nalliah of Broomfield & Alexander

Sponsored by The Co-operative Bank

Winner Deloitte

Deloitte’s corporate finance team advised on a string of impressive deals across Wales last year including the acquisition of Penn Pharmaceutical Services, the disposal of National Britannia and a series of purchases for Finsbury Food Group.

Shortlist PricewaterhouseCoopers, HW Corporate Finance, Gambit Corporate Finance, Grant Thornton

Sponsored by GE Commercial Finance

Winner Geldards

Geldards is one of Wales’ best known law firms with 53 partners and fee income of £25m a year. Over the year the firm worked on a series of deals including the sale of the insurance broking division of Julian Hodge Bank to ProtectaGroup, and acquisitions by Finsbury Food Group.

Shortlist Morgan Cole, Berry Smith, Eversheds, M&A Solicitors

Sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland

Winner The Royal Bank of Scotland

RBS has seen its profile rise dramatically in Wales over the past few years. Its recent deals include the purchase of Nuaire, the management buyouts at Peters Foods and funding Vale Healthcare.

Shortlist HSBC, Lloyds TSB

Sponsored by Odgers Ray and Berndtson