Sovereign acquires financial planning and wealth management business Equilibrium

Sovereign Capital Partners, the UK lower-mid market private equity Buy & Build specialist, has acquired Equilibrium, a leading independent financial advisory (IFA) and fund management business based in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

Founded in 1995, Equilibrium manages approximately £1.3bn in assets across 1,300 clients and has established itself as one of the North West's most respected financial planning firms. The leadership team, led by Founder and Managing Partner Colin Lawson, has built a well-invested platform with a strong compliance culture, robust technology infrastructure, and a clear growth strategy.

Employing approximately 90 people, the company has delivered exceptional organic revenue growth over the past decade, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 10%, with revenues increasing from £5.1m to £13.1m. This growth has been driven by strong net client inflows, a scalable paraplanner-led operating model which provides capacity for advisers to win new business, and a vertically integrated proposition that combines financial planning with discretionary fund management.

As part of the acquisition, David Campbell joins as Chair, bringing extensive board-level experience in financial services and private equity-backed businesses. Most recently, he served as Chair of Global Reach, a foreign exchange services provider, and in his executive career he was Managing Director at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management, and was CEO at Tilney where he led the private equity-backed management buyout and subsequent sale to Deutsche Bank. In addition, David Chennell joins as CFO, having previously held senior finance roles at Churches Fire & Security and Stackhouse Poland.

The business is now poised to enter its next phase, and with Sovereign’s backing Equilibrium will accelerate its expansion through enhanced investment in people, technology, and client experience, alongside strategic acquisitions to extend its geographical reach and leverage its proven platform for bolt-on opportunities.

This acquisition follows the recent sales of Shackleton, the London-headquartered IFA and wealth manager, and Acolin, a Zurich-based provider of fund distribution services.

James Dargan, Partner, Sovereign Capital Partners, said: "The investment in Equilibrium is about backing a high‑quality business in a fragmented sector that is undergoing significant change. Given our knowledge of the sector we have identified Equilibrium as a high-quality business that has consistently focused on the client and employee value proposition. Colin and the team have demonstrated an ability to grow ahead of the market organically and navigate volatility. Our investment will support the business’ acquisition strategy, and facilitate further investment in the management team and technology infrastructure. We believe the winners will be those who combine deep client trust with the infrastructure and ambition to scale - Equilibrium is exactly that kind of business."

Colin Lawson, Founder and Managing Partner, Equilibrium, said: "Our clients value continuity and care above all else, and this investment safeguards both. With Sovereign’s backing we can bring Equilibrium’s relationship-driven approach to more people across the UK, while continuing to innovate in a fast-changing market."

Advisers

• Legal: Pinsent Masons (Rob Cunningham)
• Financial and regulatory due diligence: KPMG (Mandeep Baura)
• Insurance due diligence: Towergate (Stuart Taylor)
• Tax due diligence and tax structuring: A&M (Dafydd Williams)
• Tech due diligence: Alderton Digital (Rod Alderton)
• Cyber due diligence: Cydea (Robin Oldham)
• File reviews: TCC (David Boyhan)
• Customer referencing: Teneo (Mike Callow)
• Operational modelling: JEGI Clarity (Vangelis Livanis)