Moore Kingston Smith advises Bladonmore on sale to Headland Consultancy
Moore Kingston Smith advised Bladonmore, an international stakeholder communications firm, on its sale to Headland Consultancy, a reputation and communications specialist.
Established in London in 2002, Bladonmore has a 50-strong team across London and New York. It advises listed businesses, multi-nationals and private capital firms on stakeholder engagement, particularly during high-stakes moments such as financial results, M&A and crises, as well as for brand repositioning and business transformation. Its client roster includes Bridgepoint, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Philips and Stonepeak.
London-based Headland Consultancy, established in 2024, boasts over 200 experts. It offers comprehensive services including financial, corporate, crisis and change communications, public affairs and communication strategy to clients like Danone, DS Smith, Greene King, Iberdrola and Royal Mail.
Bladonmore will retain its distinct brand, offerings and management team, led by CEO Richard Carpenter and Founder and Chair Richard Rivlin. The acquisition enables both firms to partner, leveraging Headland’s collaborative culture to expand its advisory services and international reach. This positions it as a leading international reputation and communications adviser, while supporting Bladonmore’s continued growth.
This marks Headland’s first acquisition since LDC, a private equity investor and part of Lloyds Banking Group, reinvested in the firm in October 2024, following an initial partnership in 2021.
In this project, Moore Kingston Smith helped Bladonmore prepare for sale with initial employment-related securities and valuation advice. It provided M&A full sell-side tax advice to the firm and its shareholders. This includes due diligence support, advice on shareholder tax liabilities, negotiation of tax assets and liabilities, and a tax review of legal documents.
Furthermore, the team advised on cross-border considerations to ensure an efficient deal structure for Bladonmore.
The Moore Kingston Smith M&A tax team was led by Director Thomas Acland, supported by Manager Amy Tilley.
Richard Carpenter, CEO at Bladonmore, said: “Bladonmore’s success comes from our deep understanding of what matters to clients, as they tell their stories to key stakeholders across multiple channels. We want to build on that success. Joining forces with Headland will support that goal – and help its growth, too. Our companies are a fantastic fit – Bladonmore’s clients will gain access to new services and benefit from an even stronger presence and influence in the market. We’re excited about what lies ahead.
“Moore Kingston Smith were a great partner for us on the transaction. Their hands-on and expert delivery, from the initial stages to completion, was really great. We were impressed by their clear guidance through the complexities of cross-border tax regulations and their commitment to ensuring we got the deal done.”
Thomas Acland, M&A Tax Director at Moore Kingston Smith, added: “It was a pleasure to collaborate with Richard and the Bladonmore team, assisting them through the sale process. Their projects’ calibre and quality have always set them apart in a competitive sector. We look forward to seeing Bladonmore and Headland Consulting thrive as they begin this exciting new chapter.”
