Anthesis Acquires Global ESG Advisory Firm Wallbrook

Anthesis, the sustainable performance activator and the largest group of dedicated sustainability professionals globally, has strengthened its response to the growing global regulatory and compliance environment with a strategic acquisition

The acquisition of Wallbrook, a leading global ESG advisory firm focused on anti-corruption, investigations and human rights, marks the fourth bolt-on since our investment in 2021.

This strategic deal is in response to the avalanche of new regulations, changes to the compliance landscape, and urgent requirements for organisations to commit to transitioning their operations to acting ethically and responsibly while minimising their ecological impact.

By merging Anthesis’ decade of ESG expertise, including unrivalled strength in environmental issues, with Wallbrook’s best in class approach to ethics and compliance, clients can have unwavering confidence in their ESG commitments and investments from an honest, accountable, and sustainable perspective.

With offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and Zurich, Wallbrook was established in 2018 to help the world’s foremost organisations make ethical, compliant and informed decisions about their operations, acquisitions, disputes and partnerships.

Co-Managing Partner, Ian Barclay, will join the Anthesis Board and become part of Anthesis’s leadership team as part of the integration. Attracting high-integrity and mission-driven individuals, the 70-strong team includes Mariana Abreu, Wallbrook’s Head of ESG and Human Rights who is a human rights lawyer with Global Witness and Amnesty International and Wendy Wu, Wallbrook’s Head of Investigations and a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Aligning with Anthesis and Palatine’s shared culture to unite as B Corps, the Wallbrook team provide best practice counsel across anti-corruption M&A compliance, human rights impact assessments, ESG advisory, and internal and workplace culture investigations. From helping companies to avoid bribery in land acquisitions for sustainable infrastructure to modern slavery risks in the supply of minerals for green technology, Wallbrook identifies and addresses risks throughout the value chain.

In recognition of its transaction governance advisory, Wallbrook has received the Chambers Tier One Ranking for two consecutive years, one of only four leading crisis response and risk advisory professional services to be acknowledged.

As one of the largest independent and wholly employee-owned intelligence firms providing due diligence services, Wallbrook’s offerings strongly complement Anthesis’ ESG solutions for corporate businesses, private equity sponsors and other global asset management platforms, including Materiality assessments, ESG strategies and roadmaps, implementation and communications, and disclosing against legal requirements, including CDP, SASB, TCFD and GRI.

Commenting on the deal, Stuart McLachlan, Anthesis Group’s CEO, said: “An organisation’s governance directly correlates with how it views, and operates within, sustainable business models. All elements of ESG must be a priority, making our merger with Wallbrook an obvious and important addition to Anthesis. Together, we can support organisations to thrive in the face of complexity and disruption as we guide them into a more ethical and responsible existence through local intelligence on a global scale, expertise across all jurisdictions, and combined thinking across the complete ESG agenda. I look forward to working with the wider Wallbrook team and welcoming Ian to our leadership council and the Board.”

Wallbrook’s Co-Managing Partner, Ian Barclay, added,  “The combination of Anthesis and Wallbrook offers our clients access to a wide range of experts helping to solve key sustainability challenges in support of a circular economy, through effective ESG diligence and human rights impact assessments, supply and value chain analysis, policy development and reporting. I am particularly excited that our corporate clients and the wide array of investment platforms we serve will benefit from Anthesis’ depth in environmental consulting, as we continue to support them in the transition to net zero and navigate such a dynamic regulatory environment.”

Gary Tipper, Managing Partner at Palatine, commented, “Environmental, Social and Governance challenges are often inherently interlinked so broadening Anthesis’ capability in Governance will strengthen its ability to make a meaningful difference to its clients.  Helping our investments originate and complete strategic M&A is a core value enhancement focus for Palatine and so we are delighted to have done so here.”

Wallbrook is Anthesis’ 17th acquisition in 10 years, the collective offering brings Anthesis Group to 1,100 sustainability specialists with offices in 22 countries.

Recognised as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the UK and Europe, Anthesis’ ambitions for 2023 are to build on its position as the market leader in sustainable performance and attract the best talent to deliver meaningful impact with the world’s largest and most influential organisations globally.