Mills & Reeve

Mills & Reeve advises on 17 deals in 2025 as Yorkshire market remains robust

Mills & Reeve has advised on 17 deals in 2025 in Yorkshire. The Leeds corporate team has acted on several significant deals in the last 12 months with a combined deal value of £167 million. Deal activity spanned various sectors, including food and agriculture, healthcare, technology, life sciences, automotive and manufacturing.

More than a quarter of deals (29%) were cross-jurisdictional, including France, Ireland and India.

Significant regional deals include advising the shareholders on FibroFind, a globally recognised pre-clinical contract research organisation, on its investment from Vespa Capital. The team also advised on the sale of Yorkshire accountancy firm Brosnans on the sale to BK Plus. 

Mills & Reeve also acted for SAGA Truck and Van on the acquisition of Motus Truck & Van – the Mercedes-Benz Truck and Van division of Motus Group (UK). The transaction marks the formation of one of the largest Mercedes-Benz Truck, Mercedes-Benz Van, and FUSO partnerships in the UK.

Paul Johnson, corporate partner and head of Mills & Reeve in Yorkshire, said: “Despite the headwinds that businesses have been facing and continue to face, we have seen plenty of M&A activity in the Yorkshire market, with new instructions from clients coming in at a pace. We’re confident M&A activity will continue to increase in 2026, particularly inbound foreign investment acting as a strong factor. 

“There is a general uptick in business confidence being felt by our clients across the region, with businesses continuing to adopt digital-first strategies, including embedding AI and data tools across operations. We’re seeing this as a driver for growth and investment across a range of sectors, with the strength of the tech sector in Yorkshire, for example, benefitting from this.”

The Yorkshire corporate team specialises in mergers, acquisitions and disposals, private equity, investment funds, venture capital and equity investments, corporate group and family business re-organisations, business startups and spinouts. Mills & Reeve’s entrepreneurial clients benefit from the firm’s strengths across private wealth, corporate and commercial.