THE North East division of business advisers RSM Tenon had a strong 2010 and finished the year as one of the region's lead advisers.

Figures published by corporate finance researchers at Experian show RSM Tenon at the top of the table for deal volumes along with Brewin Dolphin.

RSM Tenon’s corporate finance team in the North East is headed up by director of corporate finance, Tony Edwards.

He said: “It is still very hard work to get deals over the line.

“Obtaining finance remains a problem, and timescales when you do tend to be more protracted than a few years ago. But with everyone – clients, financial institutions, lawyers and ourselves – working hard and pulling in the same direction, deals are still getting done.”

Edwards is cautiously optimistic about prospects for 2011. “We continue to have a strong pipeline of deals, and there are some new financing initiatives which will certainly help.”

Among the deals completed by RSM Tenon Corporate Finance in 2010 were the sale of Washington-based construction firm GJP Holdings to US-based RPM International Inc and the sale of Wearside-based Frank Jones chemists to Middlesbrough-based Knightingales.