Frenkel & Co. history

The history of Frankel & Co. can be traced to 1962, when two men met while working in the promotion department of Kling Studios in Chicago.

Within a year, Abelson-Frankel's offices were moved to a new location, and in 1965 the company hired a new creative director, John Forbes.

In 1969, Abelson-Frankel responded to the socially conscious atmosphere of the times by developing the first so-called 'worthy cause' promotion.

Another important relationship for Abelson-Frankel was begun in 1973 when Illinois-based fast food giant McDonald's Corporation engaged the company's services.

1979: Frankel helps McDonald's launch the Happy Meal.

In 1986 the company opened a branch office in Southern California.

Bud Frankel, who had been serving as president and CEO, turned over the presidency to Jim Mack in 1988.

In 1989, one finally emerged, and Frenkel Topping was alongside them to create the very first structured settlement of its kind in UK legal history.

1991: David Tridle takes over as CEO from Bud Frankel.

In 1993 the company launched a campaign in conjunction with Baxter Healthcare that targeted patients in hospitals.

In 1995 both Microsoft Corp. and the United States Postal Service engaged Frankel to work on promotional campaigns.

With Frankel's sales growth consistently in the 30 to 40 percent-per-annum range for several years running, in 1996 the time seemed ripe to go public.

In 1997 Frankel opened an office in Southfield, Michigan, to help facilitate the Oldsmobile work.

In 1998 Frankel added Frito-Lay to its roster of clients, initially focusing on that company's recently acquired Cracker Jack brand as well as the Wow low-fat snack and Planet Lunch snack pack lines.

1999: Oldsmobile drops Frankel; Southfield office is closed.

2000: Publicis Groupe S.A. purchases company.

By 2005, structured settlements/PPOs had existed for a decade and a half, but they were entirely reliant on the consent of all parties in the case.

Credit Card Custom homes builders Insurance Company Car giveaways 2010 Spent Custom home builder Treat Builder Ad Campaigns Advertising Agencies Credit Card

Following extensive studies of compensation systems in Australia, the EU, the US and Canada, the UK government decided in January 2013 that legislation should be enacted to provide for periodic payments in cases of catastrophic injury involving state defendants.

The company marked the 25th anniversary of Kelly v Dawes at its AGM in 2014, and remained at the forefront of PPO development.

The panel eventually convened in 2015, and a report was presented to the Lord Chancellor in September.

In 2016, Frenkel Topping Group launched its discretionary fund management service, Ascencia.

With this in mind, and recognising the benefits to both staff and clients of nurturing fresh talent, the Graduate Academy was launched in 2017 to identify the brightest young potential and equip them with the skills to become a vital part of the FT team.

Equatas was launched in 2018 as a joint venture with Forth’s Accountancy.

In line with its plans to boost both the company’s client base and assets under management through a mix of acquisitions and joint ventures, Frenkel Topping raised £13m in a healthily oversubscribed share offering in the summer of 2020.