Kekst and Company led PR firms advising private equity deals in the first quarter as the firm worked 11 transactions, according to the Deal.
Kekst, which repped four target or seller companies and seven acquirers or bidders, was followed by Sard Verbinnen & Co. with 10 deals and an even split of five targets and five acquirers.
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher and Owen Blicksilver PR handled nine deals apiece, while Brunswick Group was involved in eight and Abernathy MacGregor Group took part in four.
The Deal said it is tracking the "advisory class" of law firms, investment banks and PR counsel in private equity deals for the first time as the sector has evolved from large club deals taking companies private to more strategic transactions.
Kirkland & Ellis led law firms, while Barclays Capital was the top investment banks.
The Deal said advisers expected the PE transaction numbers to rise amid better peformance in financial markets in the second quarter.
FGS Global and Teneo represent Canada’s billionaire Weston family as its Wittington Investments holding company acquires Boots Group, the 177-year-old UK health & beauty retailer, from Sycamore Partners for $8.9B.
Joele Frank handles C.H. Robinson Worldwide as the freight transportation company acquires RXO Inc. in a stock and cash transaction pegged at $5.8B to create a company with an enterprise value of more than $25B.
Brunswick Group handles France’s Schneider Electric as it acquires Boston’s PTC, maker of engineering software, for $22.6B cash.
Burson Buchanan handles AAR Corp as the supplier of parts and services to the aviation market acquires a 65 percent stake in MRO Holdings.
The financial services industry thinks it needs more communications, when the real issue is credibility—and that requires entirely different solutions.
