Moore Kingston Smith advises Fabric Social on sale to Publicis Groupe

Moore Kingston Smith has provided M&A tax advice to Fabric Social and its founding shareholder on the sale of Fabric to Publicis Groupe, the world’s largest media and communications group.

Founded by Niall McGarry, Fabric, an award-winning social media agency, has experienced rapid growth. Today, the agency employs almost 100 specialists who advise global brands and create high‑impact, culturally relevant social campaigns.

In just a few years since inception, Fabric has become a recognised force in the advertising market. In 2025, the agency was named Best Large Agency at the Global Social Media Awards. This transaction reflects a wider shift in the advertising landscape, where influencer and social marketing and traditional advertising are converging meaning that social first agencies such as Fabric are highly sought after by acquirers.

Fabric’s client roster includes L’Oréal, Vodafone, Sky, Currys, Morrisons, Holland & Barrett and Subway, among many others. One of its campaigns for Currys was awarded the Cannes Lions Bronze Lion.

Publicis Groupe, founded in Paris in 1926, is the largest advertising group in the world by revenue and a global leader in marketing, communications and digital business transformation.

In this significant transaction within the marketing services sector, Moore Kingston Smith provided full‑scope sell‑side M&A tax advice, supporting our client, WY Partners and Osborne Clark in a successful transaction.

The Moore Kingston Smith team was led by M&A tax specialists Mark Fielden and Sam Talbot.

Niall McGarry, Founder of Fabric Social, said:

“Becoming part of Publicis Groupe is a defining moment for Fabric. Publicis brings incredible scale, ambition and global reach, while sharing our belief in the power of culturally relevant social work. This partnership gives our team the opportunity to supercharge what we do best, collaborate with world‑class talent and deliver even greater impact for our clients, without losing the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven Fabric since day one.

“Moore Kingston Smith has been exceptional throughout the process, providing commercial and highly effective hands-on tax advice. Their support and advice made a genuine difference in delivering this deal within a demanding timeframe.”

Mark Fielden, Partner, M&A Tax at Moore Kingston Smith, commented:

“It has been a pleasure working with Niall and the Fabric team and supporting them on such a landmark transaction. It was also great to work with the excellent teams at WY and Osborne Clark. Fabric has built a standout proposition in a highly competitive market, and it has been both rewarding and exciting to help position the business for its next stage of growth as part of Publicis.”