CAMPBELL SMITH W.S. (NOMINEES) LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC153997 · ltd · incorporated 1994-11-01
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 Apr 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
81/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Solicitors
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 62-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 81/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 62). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
14 officers (2 active, 14 linked, 11 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
96 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
81/100Exceptional
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
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Apr 2024Apr 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-04-052024-04-05
Average employees200300

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (42 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-12-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-11-08
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2023-03-31
    ➖
    SCOTT, Eric John resigned
    director
  6. 2022-08-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-07-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-11-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-07-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-07-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2017-06-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-12-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2015-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2015-11-30
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2015-11-30
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  16. 2015-04-01
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  17. 2014-03-26
    ➖
    ANDREW, John Noel James resigned
    director
  18. 2014-03-26
    ➖
    TODD, Isabel Sandra resigned
    director
  19. 2013-03-31
    ➖
    HENDERSON, David James Thomas resigned
    director
  20. 2012-11-07
    ➖
    FERGUSON, David Neil resigned
    director
  21. 2012-02-06
    ➕
    MACCONNACHIE, Julia Maria appointed
    director
  22. 2011-01-11
    ➖
    HEATLEY, George Weir Scott resigned
    secretary
  23. 2011-01-11
    ➖
    HEATLEY, George Weir Scott resigned
    director
  24. 2006-10-31
    ➕
    ANDREW, John Noel James appointed
    director
  25. 2006-10-31
    ➖
    CRAWFORD, John Hamilton resigned
    director
  26. 2006-10-31
    ➕
    TODD, Isabel Sandra appointed
    director
  27. 2003-05-06
    ➕
    FERGUSON, Helen Gilmour appointed
    director
  28. 1997-11-30
    ➖
    COWIE, Susan Margaret resigned
    director
  29. 1997-07-10
    ➖
    STEELE, Kenneth Urquhart resigned
    director
  30. 1994-11-01
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CAMPBELL SMITH W.S. (NOMINEES) LIMITED
  31. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    HEATLEY, George Weir Scott appointed
    secretary
  32. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  33. 1994-11-01
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  34. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    COWIE, Susan Margaret appointed
    director
  35. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    CRAWFORD, John Hamilton appointed
    director
  36. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    FERGUSON, David Neil appointed
    director
  37. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    HEATLEY, George Weir Scott appointed
    director
  38. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    HENDERSON, David James Thomas appointed
    director
  39. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    SCOTT, Eric John appointed
    director
  40. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    STEELE, Kenneth Urquhart appointed
    director
  41. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  42. 1994-11-01
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

76/100
High — earn-out structure required

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

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

76/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 31 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • 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

3 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Eric John Scott
Individual · British · DOB 11/1958 · age 68
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
Mrs Julia Maria Macconnachie
Individual · British · DOB 06/1964 · age 62
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
Mrs Helen Gilmour Ferguson
Individual · British · DOB 03/1965 · age 61
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016

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

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

6 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
Incorporated1994-11-01
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC69102 — Solicitors

Registered office

21 York Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3EN

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-05
Last made up to: 2025-04-05
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-15
Last: 2025-11-01

Officers (2 active · 12 resigned)

FERGUSON, Helen Gilmour→
director · ~61y · appointed 2003-05-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACCONNACHIE, Julia Maria→
director · ~62y · appointed 2012-02-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HEATLEY, George Weir Scott→
secretary · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2011-01-11
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 1994-11-01
Resigned
ANDREW, John Noel James→
director · ~73y · appointed 2006-10-31 · resigned 2014-03-26
Resigned
COWIE, Susan Margaret→
director · ~65y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 1997-11-30
Resigned
CRAWFORD, John Hamilton→
director · ~85y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2006-10-31
Resigned
FERGUSON, David Neil→
director · ~79y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2012-11-07
Resigned
HEATLEY, George Weir Scott→
director · ~78y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2011-01-11
Resigned
HENDERSON, David James Thomas→
director · ~76y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2013-03-31
Resigned
SCOTT, Eric John→
director · ~68y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2023-03-31
Resigned
STEELE, Kenneth Urquhart→
director · ~64y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 1997-07-10
Resigned
TODD, Isabel Sandra→
director · ~67y · appointed 2006-10-31 · resigned 2014-03-26
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 1994-11-01
Resigned

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

Recent filings (96 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-12-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-12-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-08
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-08-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-07-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-07-09