"Buying, selling or investing in a business should be a positive experience. By integrating the main areas of advice Ali PSG makes the whole process clearer, faster and less stressful."
Akbar Ali
A new dealmaking boutique that integrates legal, finance and conflict resolution services has been established in the City of London. Ali Professional Services Group, which has its headquarters on Bishopsgate, delivers joined-up advice on M&A, capital markets, investment and fundraising transactions involving high-growth businesses throughout the UK.
The Group, which specialises in transactions involving private equity and venture capital, was co-founded by CEO and Head of Legal Services Akbar Ali (pictured, centre), along with Adnan Sajid, Head of Corporate Finance (right), and Alexander Dunlop, Head of Conflict Resolutions (left).
In addition to its three founders the Group currently employs four staff, including three fee earners. It plans to increase its headcount to ten by early 2022, and to grow rapidly from that point.
The firm has also already promoted Reem Chahine, who was taken on as a corporate paralegal, to the role of trainee solicitor. Miss Chahine will complete a traditional training contract with the firm, which is currently developing a new programme for future trainees in line with the latest routes to qualification being promoted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Mr Ali said, “What makes Ali PSG different from most dealmaking firms is our joined-up legal and finance offering. This means both of the crucial elements of a client’s transaction are delivered in tandem, making for a quicker, smoother experience.
“We are unique because we integrate conflict resolution into that offering. We have seen the issues that can occur in the aftermath of corporate transactions, and are able to use this expertise to structure deals in a way that pre-empts disputes and minimises the chances of conflict further down the line.
“Buying, selling or investing in a business should be a positive experience. By integrating the main areas of advice Ali PSG makes the whole process clearer, faster and less stressful, enabling clients to focus on their real priorities rather than the minutiae of getting a deal over the line.”
Prior to establishing Ali PSG Mr Ali enjoyed a successful career leading legal teams providing advice on a range of mid-market corporate transactions across a wide range of sectors, from healthcare to cross-border professional services M&A deals.
Mr Sajid has joined Ali PSG from accountants UHY Hacker Young, where he was a corporate finance partner. An expert in private equity transactions, with more than 20 years’ experience, he leads Ali PSG’s corporate finance practice, working in close cooperation with the Group’s legal services division.
Mr Dunlop, Head of Conflict Resolutions, is a specialist in negotiating non-litigated solutions to disputes. He advises the parties to transactions, post-completion, on areas where their long-term expectations do not coincide, as well as providing pre-emptive advice to clients whose transactions are being structured by Ali PSG.
The conflict resolution and HR advisory practice led by Mr Dunlop also works with a number of governmental and public sector bodies.
Ali PSG is structured as a limited company rather than the traditional limited liability partnership model adopted by most professional services firms. According to Mr Ali this structure was chosen to provide greater transparency and flexibility.
He said, “The partnership model can be opaque and result in complex structures of ownership and governance. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, a limited company was the obvious choice for us.
“It will enable us to grow nimbly, rewarding staff with share option schemes as appropriate and also giving us simpler access to any external capital we might require as we implement our business plan. This structure should also give clients and business partners the confidence that not only do we provide a professional service but we do so as a transparent, professionally run business.”
