Julian Lucas and Howard Weston set up in business in 2003 following successful careers selling businesses, including their own.
Julian has since retired (see profile below) and today the business is independent and privately owned by Howard and Jeanette Weston.
Based in the beautiful Georgian city of Bath (just an hour and a bit from London), we represent businesses from all over the UK and occasionally from overseas. Deal sizes are typically in the region of £500,000 to £10 million and our clients range from PLCs and Limited Companies to Partnerships and Sole Traders.
Beyond the fact that we’re known for the quality of our negotiating, marketing and dealmaking, what really sets us apart is our belief that the only thing that matters is the result we get for our clients.
We are directly accountable to every client for the results we produce on their behalf.
After years of experience we've realised that to guarantee and maintain our success rate the only people we can trust to get it right time after time is ourselves. That's why we don't employ deal management teams, account managers or a revolving door of sales staff.
Because it's our names above the door, we can't afford to do a bad job. We are only as good as our last deal and can't afford to ever rest on our laurels
We are a tight-knit team who are selective about the clients we represent. We prefer to deliver a service that matches the precise needs of the business and owners - and that becomes difficult when you take on too many projects.
This allows us to keep our own business quite private, in terms of promotion, and for us to be selective about the projects that we undertake. - one of the reasons for our well above average proven success.
Follow this link to read more about why you might want to hire us.
Julian has an impressive 50 year career in business and is an experienced managing director, having owned and run large companies across Europe specialising in the investment, property development, business turnaround, leisure and hospitality sectors.
Julian co-founded Lucas & Weston with Howard in 2003.
Julian retired from frontline business broking in 2012 and is a non-executive director of our business. His experience, advice and enthusiasm are invaluable.
Howard qualified as one of the UKs youngest ever commercial divers at the age of 18. Quickly realising it wasn't a long-term career option, he subsequently went on to start, own and sell several of his own businesses.
As well as being entrepreneurial, a thorough understanding of the corporate world comes from working for a Fortune 500 company as European sales and marketing manager, where he was directly responsible for a divisional sales increase of 400% inside two years. Insider marketing know-how comes from his role as advertisement director for a leading magazine publishing and media company.
Howard also spent a number of years as a business broker for a national brokerage firm before starting Lucas & Weston with Julian in 2003. For the past 18 years, he has been successfully advising owners, shareholders and investment groups on selling their businesses. Responsible for sales of companies worth millions of pounds, Howard has handled over 250+ transactions.
A qualified financial advisor, Howard is also a member of the Corporate Finance Faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and holds the institute's Corporate Finance Qualification. He is regularly invited to speak on business sales and company valuations and has written articles for the BBC and other media.
Howard also runs the bespoke acquisition service: www.westonacquisitions.com
Main interests: aikido, scuba diving, rugby, reading, travelling and playing the guitar badly.
Jeanette has worked for architects, designers, auction houses, hotel groups, investment firms, the Home Office and the UN (United Nations). She is a qualified psychotherapist and offers our clients unique insights into business psychology.
After over 26 years in business, Jeanette knows what makes a company successful. She is always very happy to enlighten company owners on the subject.
Main interests: the mind, neuroscience, reading, travel, art, antiques and gardening.
With a keen eye for detail and a reputation for leaving no stone unturned, Jill is the research powerhouse behind the firm. She has worked in a wide range of fields including school dinner lady, van driver and tour guide.
We are always grateful for her positivity and calm under pressure.
Main interests: reading, crosswords, beachcombing and family gatherings.
