National financial advice group Shackleton has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aberdein Considine Wealth Limited, trading as AC Wealth, from its existing shareholders, in a deal that will lift the group’s Scottish assets under management and advice to about £1.3 billion.
The transaction, announced on 9 September 2026, adds approximately £800 million of client assets to Shackleton and brings 40 staff — including 14 FCA-authorised and regulated financial advisers — into the group. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Completion remains subject to Financial Conduct Authority approval.
On completion, Shackleton will operate in Scotland from offices in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, while maintaining local representation in Perth and Stirling. The group said it will structure its Scottish operations into two regions: Scotland East, with a principal office in Aberdeen, and Scotland West, with a principal office in Glasgow. Existing AC Wealth clients will continue to be served by the same advisers and teams, and are expected in time to draw on Shackleton’s in-house investment capability and platform.
The sale marks a strategic exit for Aberdein Considine, one of Scotland’s larger full-service legal practices, from the wealth advice sector. AC Wealth was carved out of the LLP into an independent limited company in June 2025, and the disposal follows what the vendor described as a decision to invest further in its core legal offering.
“The team at AC Wealth has impressed us from the outset, and I’m delighted that we have been able to agree the acquisition of such a highly regarded firm. This is a transformative deal for Shackleton in Scotland, a country with which our namesake, Sir Ernest Shackleton, had important connections. Scotland is a core market for us, and I believe today’s announcement represents an excellent outcome for all parties, most importantly existing clients of AC Wealth, who should in time benefit from our growing scale and strong track record of driving down the cost of investing, while retaining an absolute commitment to providing first-class advice and service,” said Paul Feeney, Chief Executive Officer of Shackleton.
“The journey to become part of Shackleton is an extremely positive development for AC Wealth clients and colleagues alike. Our approach and values are closely aligned, and this development will provide not only continuity of relationships and service for our clients, but also additional support and resources of a much larger Chartered, client-focused firm. I’m excited for the opportunities this transition will present to our team and to support our continued development and success in the financial advice sector in Scotland. As we look forward to starting this next chapter in our development, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Partners and our former colleagues at Aberdein Considine, who have been hugely supportive over the years,” said Jennifer Paice, Chief Executive Officer of AC Wealth.
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“This deal is aligned with our strategic decision to invest further and grow our core offering as one of the UK’s leading full-service legal practices. Having overseen the transition of AC Wealth to an independent limited company in June 2025, I believe that becoming part of Shackleton represents a very natural next step for AC Wealth, whose clients and staff will benefit not only from Shackleton’s scale and focus on financial planning, but also from the reassurance of the firm’s strong ethos and values, and clear aim of delivering continuity for clients. Over the years, we have naturally developed strong business relationships with our former financial planning colleagues and, following completion of the deal, where appropriate, we look forward to working with Shackleton in the future. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the AC Wealth team for their contributions over the years, and to wish them continued success as part of Shackleton,” said Jacqueline Law, Managing Partner of Aberdein Considine LLP.
The AC Wealth deal is Shackleton’s latest in an active acquisition programme. Formed in 2024 through the rebrand of Skerritts Group and led by former Quilter chief executive Paul Feeney, Shackleton was acquired by US private equity firm Lee Equity Partners in November 2025 and has since completed the acquisitions of Arundel Wealth Management, PK Financial Planning and, in September 2026, the Argentis Group (formerly Hurst Point Group). Following the Argentis completion, the group reported combined assets under advice or management of about £17.5 billion across some 38 offices in the UK.
