London, May 24, 2022 – Polestar has advised the shareholders of GPW on its sale to New York based J.S.Held.
J.S. Held, a specialised, global consulting firm, announced today that it has acquired GPW Group, a leader in complex global disputes and investigations, asset tracing, sovereign debt advisory, business intelligence, and political risk. Headquartered in London, with offices in Dubai and Singapore, this acquisition furthers the strategic growth of J.S. Held’s Global Investigations Practice.
“Since inception, GPW has delivered market-leading intelligence and investigations services to our clients. By joining forces with J.S. Held’s team of more than 1,500 professionals and 100 offices worldwide, we gain access to new resources and experts that complement our team and core services” said Peter Pender-Cudlip, Partner and Co-Founder of GPW. “The combination strengthens our ability to provide clients with the specialised expertise they require across the globe.”
Philip Worman, GPW’s CEO said “GPW was delighted with the professional and highly commercial advice we received from Polestar. Charlie and the team anticipated road bumps and provided a highly responsive and practical approach to making this a successful deal. We were particularly pleased with the rapport they built up with the buy side”
Charles Whelan of Polestar added “It is great to see GPW joining such a dynamic business as JS Held. The team at JS Held put forward a strong strategic rationale for the deal and have followed this up with showing they are also the ideal cultural fit during the completion period”
“GPW is a market leader in providing intelligence to drive sound business decisions and help resolve commercial disputes,” said Max Flynn, Co-Leader of J.S. Held’s Financial Investigations Division. “The addition of the GPW team brings over 20 of the industry’s leading intelligence and disputes experts into our Global Investigations Practice and bolsters our presence in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.”
GPW’s experts are regularly featured in the media including The Financial Times, BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, and Reuters – from topics as diverse as Russia sanctions, asset tracing, and the United States elections.
“We live in an uncertain world – geopolitical and economic headwinds mean our clients need actionable strategic and risk advice more than ever. J.S Held is acquiring a market-leading risk company at a pivotal time in the global economy. The two firms will provide an unrivalled offering to clients seeking to drive opportunities and minimise risk,” said Philip Worman, Managing Partner of GPW.
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GPW was advised by Polestar and Charles Russell Speechlys. J.S Held was advised by Morgan Lewis, PwC and Goodwin
“It is great to see GPW joining such a dynamic business as JS Held. The team at JS Held put forward a strong strategic rationale for the deal and have followed this up with showing they are also the ideal cultural fit during the completion period.”
