Fiander Tovell played a pivotal role in facilitating the successful Management Buy-Out of Project Seymour, which involved two closely linked advertising production companies. This move was specifically aimed at enabling a smooth transition of ownership to the dedicated management team.

Founded back in 2008, Project Seymour has been a driving force in the advertising industry, collaborating with numerous brands and agencies to craft compelling advertising campaigns. Their team of skilled creative designers, artworkers, retouchers, editors, and animators has consistently delivered outstanding results, solidifying the company’s reputation as a trusted and innovative partner in the field.

The deal was led by Cathy Revis and Andrew Jackson at Fiander Tovell, Philip Mettam at Meridian and Lucy Gleisner at Trethowans.

One of the founder shareholders of Project Seymour commented, “We knew that we needed to have a plan for the future, but we weren’t sure whether a Sale or Management Buyout was the best option for us. We were never pressurised and had numerous meetings until we clearly understood our options. The team were always available and explained our options very clearly and most importantly in layman’s terms. The whole process has taken just over 6 months. We are delighted with the outcome!”

Cathy Revis, Head of Tax and Transaction Support, commented: “Seymour sought our expertise to create a broader shareholder structure. The challenge was to provide flexibility and protection for future retirements within the team while incentivizing and recruiting new talent. As a result of the deal, they stand strong in the competitive landscape, leveraging their extensive experience for continued success in the dynamic advertising world.”

Lucy Gleisner, Partner at Trethowans commented: “The MBO has pulled together two ‘sister’ companies into one group structure and has provided important succession planning. We were delighted to work with the founders and management team to continue the two companies’ growth and wish them the best of luck for their future success.”

Philip Mettam commented: “Seymour is a market leading team of creatives supporting major agencies on a wide array of projects. The team set us the challenge of helping them to build a broader shareholder structure, whilst also giving enough flexibility and protection around future retirements in the team, and the need to recruit and incentivize new talent moving forward.”