Grant Thornton advises The MECO Group

The MECO Group is one of the world’s leading, independent specialist MGAs, providing marine insurance products to a diverse range of global clients.

MECO provides cover through its three core insurance brands - The Charterers P&I Club, Transmarine and Aurora P&I - and complementary legal services are offered through its law firm True North.

Joining forces with Markel presents a great opportunity for the MECO team to expand on the strong presence they’ve built in many key markets over the past 50 years, and to leverage Markel’s capabilities to provide a more comprehensive and competitive offering for their clients. 

Given the specialist nature of the MECO business, we focussed on a select number of trade and Private Equity-backed trade parties who we felt were best placed to build upon the success of the business and its strong market position, offer a strong cultural and strategic fit to benefit both its existing team and its clients, and ultimately pay a premium price for the business

Using our in-depth sector experience and knowledge, we selected the most appropriate potential buyers and ran a tight and highly competitive process before selecting Markel as the preferred bidder. Working in tandem with the shareholders and their legal advisors we then led negotiations to a successful conclusion.