Squire Patton Boggs’ specialist Equity Capital Markets (ECM) team has been advising Numis Securities the Nominated Adviser and Broker to Hunters Group, which today announces its intention to seek admission of its shares to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. The expected admission date is 2 July 2015. 

Hunters Group is one of the largest national sales and lettings estate agency businesses in the United Kingdom. Since its inception in Yorkshire in 1992, Hunters has developed a nationwide franchise business model and expanded significantly through attracting new franchisees, the conversion of independents and acquisition of other agency chains, for instance in the Midlands and most recently in Norfolk.  It currently operates more than 150 branches, of which some 140 are franchised branches.

Squire Patton Boggs’ Corporate partner Ed Dawes, supported by Nina Martyres, in Birmingham, has led the firm’s ECM team advising Numis on the planned admission. “We are very pleased to support Numis again on another significant AIM listing,” said Ed Dawes.  “The AIM market this year continues to be buoyant with opportunities for well-managed, dynamic businesses in the UK and elsewhere that have a strategic growth agenda.  Certainly the estate agency sector in the UK is a large and diverse one which continues to see innovation, growth and consolidation.”

The Hunters Group planned AIM admission marks the fourth IPO this year for Squire Patton Boggs’ ECM team, following the recent involvement in the AIM floats of Gear4music, a York-based on-line musical instrument and equipment retailer, work led by Leeds partner Hannah Kendrick; and of Castleford-based Premier Technical Services Group, work led by Leeds partner Stephen Glover; and of Curtis Banks Group, a leading provider of Self-Invested Pension Products, work led by London partner Giles Distin, supported by Nina Martyres.