AN APPETITE for mergers and acquisitions remains strong among businesses in York according to the city law firm which has acted on deals approaching £20 million in just three months.

The York office of law firm Andrew Jackson Solicitors has announced the completion of three corporate transactions with an aggregate value approaching £20 million in June, marking a successful start to the first half of the year for the firm and its clients.

The transactions were led by corporate partners Philip Ashworth and Matthew Smith and included advising the University of York on the sale of its subsidiary York EMC Services Ltd (YES) to Luxembourg-based analytical services provider Eurofins Group; assisting Yorwaste on its acquisition of Todd Waste Management Group in Thirsk; and advising the shareholders of AFS Group Holdings Ltd, one of the UK’s leading independent funding providers, on the sale of a 48 per cent stake in the business to leading challenger bank Aldermore Group PLC.

Mr Ashworth said: “The corporate transactions that we have been involved in show that the sector has been undeterred by market uncertainty, and that forward thinking and entrepreneurial businesses have the appetite for merger and acquisition related activity.

“The second half of 2017 is shaping up to be just as active, with a number of significant transactions already underway and we are looking forward to another busy six months ahead.

“Andrew Jackson continues to thrive with a clear focus on delivering exceptional legal services built around our clients’ needs. We are very proud to be working with some of the region’s leading businesses, helping them to realise their ambitions.”

Since opening its York office in December 2013 at York Science Park, and opening a fourth regional office in Scarborough last year, the firm has reported continue growth of client offering.

Most recently it appointed partner Azher Quyoom, an insolvency and corporate recovery specialist, together with Adam Sinclair who, before joining the firm’s business development team earlier this year, chaired York’s new Business Improvement District.

The firm also has offices in Hull and Grimsby.