Blake Morgan is celebrating success at the South Coast Deals Awards 2026 after advising on the transaction recognised as Deal of the Year (over £50m).
The UK law firm was the lead legal adviser for the former shareholders on the landmark Barchester Healthcare transaction, which was named winner of the prestigious category, recognising one of the most significant care home deals globally which completed during the past year.
The judges hailed the disposal of Barchester Healthcare (Holdco and Limecay) to Welltower as ‘an absolutely phenomenal transaction, which stood out not only due to its size but also because it represented the culmination of a relationship that had been years in the making’.
The award-winning deal highlights Blake Morgan’s strength in leading on complex, high-value transactions and reflects the firm’s expertise in delivering strategic legal advice to businesses, investors and stakeholders in the health and social care sector.
In addition to its involvement in the award-winning transaction, Blake Morgan was also shortlisted for Law Firm of the Year, while Partner Mathew Wilson was named a finalist in the Lawyer of the Year category, and Associate Katie Newham a finalist in the Emerging Dealmaker of the Year category, underlining the depth of talent across the firm’s Corporate team.
The South Coast Deals Awards recognise the leading dealmakers, advisers, funders and businesses involved in the region’s most impactful corporate transactions. This year’s awards showcased the quality and breadth of deal activity taking place across the South Coast. The Business Magazine and Insider Media awards were hosted by Mark Durden-Smith and took place on Thursday 10 September at the Leonardo Royal Hotel, Southampton.
Commenting on the firm’s recognition, Mathew Wilson, Partner at Blake Morgan, said:
It is fantastic to see the Barchester Healthcare transaction recognised with this award. Led by my fellow corporate partner Mark Hepworth, Blake Morgan have supported the Limecay and Barchester teams for many years and we are absolutely delighted to have been able to contribute towards their successes, It was exceptional work by Mark and the team. Being involved in a deal of this scale and significance demonstrates the strength of our team and the collaborative approach we take to supporting clients on complex transactions.
We are also delighted that Blake Morgan was shortlisted for Law Firm of the Year and proud to see Katie and myself recognised individually for contributions to the region's dealmaking community.
Blake Morgan advised on the landmark Barchester Healthcare transaction through its market-leading Corporate team, which supports clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, disposals, restructurings, IPOs and other PLC advisory work and a wide range of other strategic business transactions across the UK and internationally.
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