Affinia, an accounting group then backed by Sovereign Capital Partners, said on 4 February 2026 that it would combine with the Brighton, London and Nottingham offices of UHY Hacker Young, subject to regulatory and other approvals, according to statements published by Sovereign Capital Partners and by UHY Hacker Young.
| Date | Target | Buyer / backer | Sector | Type | Stake disclosed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February 2026 (announced) | UHY Hacker Young offices in London and Nottingham (UHY Hacker Young LLP) and Brighton (UHY Hacker Young SE Limited) | Affinia; backer Sovereign Capital Partners | Accountancy | Combination: the three offices join the Affinia group and trade as UHY Affinia | Not disclosed | Sovereign Capital Partners; UHY Hacker Young |
What the parties said
Both statements give the same figures for the enlarged business: £100m of revenue, 1,000 people and 17 offices. The combined firm was to operate as UHY Affinia and become a member of the UHY Hacker Young Group. Sovereign’s release adds that the group’s remaining 10 independent member firms would take its combined revenue above £150m, and that Subarna Banerjee, managing partner of UHY Hacker Young LLP, would join Affinia’s group board.
Sovereign called it Affinia’s largest transaction to date and counted the three offices as three acquisitions, taking the total since its 2023 investment to 14.
Accountancy Age reported the deal the same day, with the same figures and the same condition: the combination was "subject to regulatory approval".
The seller’s side
UHY Hacker Young traces its origins to 1925 and the London firm Hacker Rubens & Co, according to the notes to Sovereign’s release, and was a founding member of the international network UHY in 1986. Sovereign put that network at more than 360 offices in 95 countries, with global revenue above US$1bn. The deal moved three offices into Affinia’s ownership; the other member firms of the network stayed outside it.
The buyer
Affinia began as LB Group, an East of England practice. Sovereign backed its management buyout in May 2023 and the business was rebranded as Affinia in November 2024, according to Sovereign’s exit statement of 21 April 2026; Sovereign’s own news item on the launch of the Affinia brand is dated 2 December 2024. Less than three months after the UHY announcement, on 20 April 2026, RedBird Capital Partners agreed to buy Affinia from Sovereign (our note on that deal). RedBird’s release describes Affinia as owning "three of the UK businesses of UHY", which indicates the combination had gone through by then.
Dates that do not match
Sovereign’s own pages date the deal two ways. Its portfolio page says Affinia announced the combination in February 2026; its exit statement of 21 April 2026 places the combination in January 2026. We use the date of the announcement, 4 February 2026. No page cited gives a completion date.
What was not disclosed
- the price, and whether it was paid in cash, in Affinia shares or both;
- how many UHY Hacker Young partners became shareholders of Affinia, if any;
- which regulatory approvals the deal needed;
- what economic link, if any, the 10 independent UHY member firms have with Affinia beyond network membership.
Sources
- Sovereign Capital Partners, "Affinia to combine with three UHY Hacker Young offices to create Top 25 UK accounting firm", 4 February 2026: sovereigncapital.co.uk
- UHY Hacker Young, "Three UHY offices to combine with Affinia, bolstering the UHY Hacker Young Group": uhy-uk.com
- Sovereign Capital Partners, portfolio page for Affinia: sovereigncapital.co.uk
- Sovereign Capital Partners, "Sovereign to exit Affinia, one of the UK’s fastest growing accounting groups", 21 April 2026: sovereigncapital.co.uk
- Sovereign Capital Partners, "LB Group completes sixth acquisition and launches Affinia, a new challenger accounting, tax and business advisory group", 2 December 2024: sovereigncapital.co.uk
- RedBird Capital Partners, press release of 20 April 2026 (PDF): redbirdcap.com
- Accountancy Age, "Affinia and UHY Hacker Young Offices Combine in £100m Deal", 4 February 2026: accountancyage.com
Related reading: Affinia: who owns it, what it has bought.
