Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Data Controller Overview

Watson Capital Partners ("WCP", "we", "us", or "our") operates as a specialist off-market M&A advisory and bilateral origination boutique in the United Kingdom. We connect founders of established UK private companies with verified trade consolidators, institutional search funds (ETA), and family offices.

We treat confidentiality and data protection as the cornerstone of our advisory mandate. This Privacy Policy details how we collect, use, store, and safeguard personal and commercial data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

2. Lawful Bases for Data Processing

Under Article 6 of the UK GDPR, we process personal information strictly where justified by one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f)): To identify potential succession candidates and unbrokered acquisition opportunities across the UK Companies House register, conducting discreet business-to-business corporate outreach to company directors, and matching suitable institutional buyers. We have conducted a Legitimate Interests Assessment (LIA) confirming that our outreach is targeted, non-intrusive, and balanced against individual privacy rights.
• Contractual Performance (Article 6(1)(b)): To execute bilateral advisory mandates, facilitate mutual non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and progress diligence between verified transaction principals.
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): Where you proactively submit confidential inquiries or valuation requests via our website or email desk.
• Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): To maintain statutory accounting records and comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing obligations where applicable.

3. Information We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of information:

A. Inbound Inquiry Information

• Name, business email address, phone number, and corporate role.
• Entity name, primary trading sector, geographical region, and estimated financial scale (Turnover, EBITDA brackets).
• Transaction parameters (succession timeline, retirement horizon, full buyout vs partial equity rollover).

B. Public Registry & Commercial Intelligence

• Information publicly filed at Companies House (registered company numbers, incorporation dates, filed statutory accounts, director appointments, PSC shareholding records).
• Corporate website information, published press announcements, and industry trade accreditations.

C. Technical & Website Usage Data

• IP address, browser type, referral source, page interaction timestamps, and device parameters collected strictly via essential and anonymized analytics cookies.

4. Strict Non-Disclosure & Selective Disclosure Protocol

Commercial confidentiality is vital in corporate acquisitions to protect employee stability, customer relationships, and competitive advantage. We enforce the following rigorous safeguards:

• Anonymized Blind Teasers Only: Initial deal origination teasers shared with vetted capital partners describe operational profiles, sector metrics, and EBITDA ranges only. All identifying trademarks, legal entities, and trading addresses are redacted.
• Executed Mutual NDAs: Full corporate identity, filed accounts, and operational data are disclosed exclusively after the acquirer has executed our legally binding Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement.
• No Public Broadcasts: We never list companies on public business-for-sale websites or broker directories.

5. Data Security, Storage & Retention

All digital assets, diligence folders, and inquiry submissions are encrypted using industry-standard AES-256 bit encryption at rest and transmitted using secure TLS 1.3 protocols. Data is hosted in tier-4 UK and EEA sovereign data centers.

Retention Schedules: Inbound valuation inquiries and mandate correspondence are retained for the duration of the engagement plus 6 years to satisfy statutory limitation periods under English law. Inactive prospect profiles that do not progress to an active mandate are reviewed and securely purged on an annual cycle.

6. Your UK GDPR Statutory Rights

As a data subject in the United Kingdom, you maintain statutory rights under Chapter III of the UK GDPR:

• Right of Access: Request confirmation and a copy of all personal data held about you (Subject Access Request).
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete corporate contact data.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal records where there is no overriding statutory obligation for retention.
• Right to Object & Opt-Out: Object at any time to our business-to-business correspondence. Every direct communication from Watson Capital Partners contains an instant, one-click opt-out mechanism.
• Right to Restriction of Processing: Request suspension of processing under specific legal disputes.

7. Contact the Compliance Desk & Supervisory Authority

To exercise any of your data protection rights, or if you have questions regarding our confidentiality protocols, please contact our Senior Data Protection Officer:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or via helpline 0303 123 1113.