UK-based companions at Grant Thornton, the accountancy agency, have voted to again the sale of a majority stake to Cinven, the personal fairness agency.

Sky Information has learnt that GTUK’s partnership voted unanimously to help the deal, in a transfer anticipated to be introduced internally as early as Monday.

Assist for the deal had been extensively anticipated throughout the agency, given that it’s going to crystallise substantial windfalls for its 240 companions.

The transaction, which is known to worth GTUK at as much as £1.5bn, is without doubt one of the most important ever struck in Britain’s audit sector.

Cinven noticed off competitors for the deal from New Mountain Capital, which owns an enormous stake in Grant Thornton’s US enterprise.

Different contenders, together with EQT, Permira and Carlyle, had been eradicated earlier within the course of.

GTUK has improved its monetary efficiency following a turbulent interval for its management, with a £1.3m high quality being imposed for “critical failings” in 2022 in relation to its audit of Sports activities Direct, the sportswear empire based by Mike Ashley and now referred to as Frasers Group.

It was additionally handed a £2.3m penalty the yr earlier than for demonstrating a “critical lack of competence” in relation to its work on Patisserie Holdings, the proprietor of the collapsed cafe chain Patisserie Valerie.

Since then, Grant Thornton has slashed the variety of so-called public curiosity entity (PIEs) audit shoppers, a class which incorporates banks, insurers and different corporations deemed to be of explicit significance.

A spokesman for GTUK declined to touch upon Sunday.