HE may have only just turned 30 but Andrew Webber has already been made a partner at his firm TLT. And this year's well deserved award has confirmed his place at the top table in the highly competitive corporate finance and dealmaking world in the West Country.

Once again, this is a contender who was shortlisted last year only to miss out – but this time around Andrew has bagged the award thanks to another very successful year on the markets in the region.

His bosses say that since losing out on the title last year, he has ascended to another level in his career and they believe he is a more than worthy winner this time around.

Andrew became a partner at TLT this May, making him one of the firm's most stunning success stories.

What has made Andrew's career even more remarkable has been the speed of his rise through the ranks.

He is seen by his contemporaries as both a creative and dynamic dealmaker as a well as an astute and tough negotiator.

This year's winner of the award is one of the youngest ever partners at his firm TLT and his long list of clients makes for a very impressive read.

The big names on his client list include household names such as clothing retailer Peacocks, Mitsubishi, Punch Taverns and Bristol based Somerfield, which is likely to be at the centre of one of the biggest deals in the UK in the coming year thanks to the planned takeover by the Co-operative.

The University of Bristol graduate specialises in merger and acquisition transactions but he has also been handed extra responsibility for training and recruitment at the firm.

According to his peers, he is not only "highly competent and personable" but also "incredibly commercially aware".

Despite his relatively tender years, Andrew specialises in deals of between £5 million and £50 million and in most cases they are both high profile and incredibly complex.

Last year was a particularly successful year for both Andrew and, as a direct result, his company also flourished.

He was involved in the Stonegate negotiation and he also advised Amphire International on the takeover of Barbox – a joint venture involving Coors Brewers and Scottish and Newcastle.

Andrew also worked on the sale of Rapid Racking to a French firm and the sale of Belmont Care, which runs care homes in Somerset.

TLT's head of corporate finance, John Wood, said: "Andrew's promotion was an obvious choice. His talent and drive are clear for all to see in the firm and among the South West's financial community at large."

A sentiment that has been amply proved by this year's richly deserved award.