Focusing on special situations and M&A, Mr. Deacon brings more than 20 years of specialist corporate finance experience advising on complex, stressed and distressed M&A deals across a range of sectors. His unique relationships with the private equity rescue community provide funding solutions that add to trade and other traditional funding options.

Prior to joining A&M, Mr Deacon established and built successful Special Situations M&A practices at EY and BDO. His notable engagements include leading the administration sale of Deltic Night Clubs, the UK’s leading nightclub operator, to Danish private equity backed REKOM. The sale protected the majority of the company’s U.K. sites and jobs during the pandemic lockdown and provided continuity when operators could finally reopen.

In the gym sector, Mr. Deacon led the rescue consolidation of Dave Whelan Sports Gyms group into Sports Direct to create one of the U.K.’s largest gym groups. In the Healthcare sector, he worked closely alongside A&M, the appointed joint administrators, in the sale of specialist care operator the Huntercombe Group in a successful carve-out from Four Seasons Health Care Group to Montreux Private Equity, returning material funds to creditors.

Mr Deacon earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and business management from King’s College London. He is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Institute for Turnaround.