John Barker

Partner

John specialises in:

• Corporate Finance

Biography

Current role

John is a Corporate Finance and Business Assurance partner and heads up the firm’s Betting and Gaming Unit within the Leisure and Hospitality Group. He leads the firm’s Eastern Regional corporate finance function and acts and has acted for a number of the firm’s quoted clients, many in the wider leisure and betting and gaming sector, as lead audit partner.  He has also led many of the firm‘s significant gaming transaction assignments.

Experience

On qualification John joined Thompson McLintock which merged with KPMG and in 1984 spent 15 months with the DTI working on special projects including the float of BT. He joined BDO in 1986 concentrating on large audits and developed his skills in transaction support aspects of corporate finance. John has worked with the leisure industry, and in particular within the Betting and Gaming sector, for over 20 years. Initially he advised land based businesses and now works closely with on-line clients and various sector contacts on a variety of projects in the UK and internationally. In addition to audit and general advisory roles, his assignments undertaken include acting as reporting accountant in IPOs, bank reports and investigations, together with work on acquisitions and disposal due diligence. 

Recent transactions include:

• Reporting accountant on the $15.3 million reverse acquisition of Top Layer Security and placing of new shares by Corero plc
• Reporting accountant on the £9.5 AIM million IPO of Hangar 8 plc
• Financial due diligence on the acquisition of PT Turnkey Services Limited, by Playtech, for initial consideration of €140 million
• Financial due diligence on the £2 million acquisition of Enormous Yes Company Limited by Knowledge & Merchandising, Inc
• Reporting accountant on the £37 million disposal by Nestor Healthcare Group plc of its Carewatch business

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