Wealth & Finance International - Wealth & Money Management Awards 2016

www.wealthandfinance-intl.com 41 Lex Associates LLP Best for Growth Strategies in Wealth Management - UK Lex Associates is a specialist corporate finance house with the motto “ Small Companies, Big Winners ” and a particular focus on fast growing businesses. We invited Les Green to tell us more. Company: Lex Associates LLP Name: Les Green Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.lexllp.com Address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ Telephone: 020 3697 7766 Lex Associates supports high net worth investors and family offices which are seeking private equity investments. Les provides us with more detail on the firm’s service offering and the clients it serves. “Here at Lex Associates we are different to other providers in that we use our extensive business experience to work closely with management teams and understand what makes them tick. This allows us to become “advocates” of their businesses when raising funding on their behalf. “We raise funds from a select group of high net worth investors, family offices and a broader base of specialist investment funds. The individ- uals we introduce to our client companies are experienced enough to know that most private equity investments are not usually “one-time” and it may take a couple of rounds on the journey to exit. “Our clients are generally fast growing businesses that have reached prof- itability and are looking to raise additional equity and/or debt finance.” Les adds that the firm is innovative thanks to its dedicated investors and unique approach to investing. “Many of our investors have built their own companies; hence, they know, first hand, the trials and tribulations involved. They can also act as a useful source of contacts and as mentors. “We are very selective about the companies we back. In particular, we only support those which we believe have the management team and business potential to reach a successful exit within a reasonable time horizon (ideally five years). “For funding, our “sweet spot” is £1m to £10m but we will take on much larger funding rounds, up to £20m, for more mature companies. Our preference it to support companies right through the process - from the writing of a suitable business plan to aiding with the financial mod- els and meeting with potential investors. “As we take the lead with our client companies, we are able to ensure investors receive regular updates on progress from the businesses they have backed. We can also allow investors to be involved with the com- panies as much or little as suits their requirements.” The financial market is a tough place in which to operate, but as Les out- lines, his firm’s approach ensures it always stays ahead of the competition. “Our sector is particularly under pressure from crowd funding which can initially be attractive to certain fast growing companies looking to raise funds quickly. However, the personal attention we provide to our client companies, and our ability to assist far beyond just the funding exercise, allows us to remain competitive.” As a concluding comment Les talks us through the industry at present and what the future has in store for his firm as a result. “Currently there is a strong trend towards the automation of the inter- action between financial firms and their clients. Whilst we will partake in this where we believe it adds real benefit, our view is that only by keeping the personal interaction and by discussing issues face-to-face can we deliver the quality of service which will deliver the results our corporate clients are seeking. “The last year was tougher than previous years for our firm as we un- usually had a couple of larger fund raising projects that were delayed for reasons outside of our control. However, the current financial year should see not only these projects come to fruition but another two substantial funding rounds completed, and as such we foresee some really interesting developments that will help us to grow our experience and knowledge. “Overall the firm has a bright and exciting future ahead, as we work with our strategic partners to build upon our current service offering and expand our team so that we can widen the scope of the services we offer to client companies.” WM16034