DAVIDSON & SHIRLEY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC339565 · ltd · incorporated 2008-03-13
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£505.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
83/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Solicitors
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 83/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -55% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 15.6y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 15.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (4 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
52 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
83/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £505,489
Net assets shrinking
Down £213,595 YoY
Cash draining
Cash down 55% YoY
Cash YoY
-55%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£174k
↓ 55% YoY
Net Worth
£505k
↓ 30% YoY
Current Assets
£350k
↓ 36% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£144k£288k£431k£575k£719kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£508.2k£722.3k
Current assets£349.6k£549.7k
Cash£173.6k£384.4k
Debtors£176.0k£165.3k
Net assets£505.5k£719.1k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-10-15
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  4. 2024-10-15
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  5. 2024-10-15
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  6. 2024-10-09
    📄
    memorandum-articles
    incorporation · MA
  7. 2024-10-09
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  8. 2024-10-09
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  9. 2024-10-09
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  10. 2024-10-09
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  11. 2024-10-01
    ➕
    FRAME, Laura Jane appointed
    director
  12. 2024-09-26
    ➕
    TENNANT, William appointed
    secretary
  13. 2024-09-26
    ➕
    SNEDDON, Walter Scott appointed
    director
  14. 2024-09-26
    ➖
    ROBERTSON, James resigned
    secretary
  15. 2024-09-26
    ➖
    TENNANT, William resigned
    director
  16. 2023-11-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2022-10-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2022-03-11
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  19. 2021-10-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2021-09-14
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  21. 2021-04-23
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  22. 2021-04-23
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  23. 2021-02-28
    ➖
    GRAY, Robert Colin resigned
    director
  24. 2020-12-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  25. 2010-10-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  26. 2008-03-13
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As DAVIDSON & SHIRLEY LIMITED
  27. 2008-03-13
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, James appointed
    director
  28. 2008-03-13
    ➕
    ROBERTSON, James appointed
    secretary
  29. 2008-03-13
    ➕
    GRAY, Robert Colin appointed
    director
  30. 2008-03-13
    ➕
    TENNANT, William appointed
    director

Owner dependency

75/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

63/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr James Robertson
Individual · British · DOB 05/1961 · age 65
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016
Mr William Tennant
Individual · British · DOB 08/1953 · age 73
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Robert Colin Grayceased 28/02/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Similar companies

Active · Professional services · ML postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
IMV TECHNOLOGIES UK HOLDINGS LIMITED→
SC184117 · est 1998
£14.81M
£10.92M–£18.71M
——028y8461y
BSB STRUCTURAL TOPCO LIMITED→
SC358057 · est 2009
£13.36M
£9.84M–£16.87M
——50017y8665y
TRIDENT MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD→
SC503188 · est 2015
£9.78M
£7.21M–£12.36M
——10111y8576y
ACE STRUCTURAL DRAUGHTING LIMITED→
SC333423 · est 2007
——£70.8k—18y8371y
KRISTELAN (UK) LIMITED→
SC350294 · est 2008
——£130.4k—17y8358y
RECOVERY FIRST LIMITED→
SC396353 · est 2011
———90015y8365y
SOUTH WEST TRANSPORT LTD.→
SC174229 · est 1997
——£873—29y8358y
TEN LIVE LIMITED→
SC369924 · est 2009
——£436.8k—16y8361y
UTEACH LIMITED→
SC304740 · est 2006
——£341.6k—19y8362y
A D PLANS LIMITED→
SC263752 · est 2004
——£158.0k—22y8265y
ANDERSON BALLANTINE LIMITED→
SC338733 · est 2008
————18y8270y
CAHILL JACK ASSOCIATES LIMITED→
SC383119 · est 2010
——£118.8k—15y8260y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2008-03-13
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC69102 — Solicitors

Registered office

11 Hope Street
Lanark
ML11 7ND

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-27
Last: 2026-03-13

Officers (4 active · 3 resigned)

TENNANT, William→
secretary · appointed 2024-09-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FRAME, Laura Jane→
director · ~47y · appointed 2024-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROBERTSON, James→
director · ~65y · appointed 2008-03-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SNEDDON, Walter Scott→
director · ~53y · appointed 2024-09-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROBERTSON, James→
secretary · appointed 2008-03-13 · resigned 2024-09-26
Resigned
GRAY, Robert Colin→
director · ~61y · appointed 2008-03-13 · resigned 2021-02-28
Resigned
TENNANT, William→
director · ~73y · appointed 2008-03-13 · resigned 2024-09-26
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Floating charge1 property22/10/2010—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (52 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-28
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-10-15
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2024-10-15
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2024-10-15
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2024-10-09
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-10-09
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-10-09
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-10-09
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-10-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-13