Keith Whitehead (l), joint managing director of Alker Ball Healds, with Daniel Draper, managing partner of Farleys
North-West law firm Farleys – part of private equity-backed Lawfront – has completed another acquisition as the group continues to grow.
It has entered Wigan by buying Alker Ball Healds, which will retain its brand as a trading name of Farleys, with all 32 employees remaining. It has a broad private client and commercial practice.
Farleys joined Lawfront in 2022 and the following year made its first bolt-on acquisition with Mulderrigs, a small firm specialising in serious injury and professional negligence claims. Wigan now gives it a seventh office.
Lawfront has five main firms in the group after expanding to the South-East in February by acquiring Kent firm Brachers. It joined Farleys, East Midland firm Nelsons, North-West firm Slater Heelis and Essex practice Fisher Jones Greenwood, the first acquisition in August 2021.
Owned by private equity house Blixt, Lawfront has also backed two small tuck-in acquisitions for Nelsons and one for Fisher Jones.
The Brachers deal took Lawfront’s revenue above £100m and well on the way to its ambition to build a group turning over £150m.
Farleys managing partner Daniel Draper said the deal was “the next step in our plans to increase our presence across the region and grow our firm further”.
Gary Shepherd, joint managing director of ABH, added: “When the opportunity presented itself to join Farleys, we knew that it was the right fit culturally for our people and our clients, who will all benefit from the greater resource that Farleys as a Lawfront firm can provide.”
Neil Lloyd, chief executive of Lawfront, said: “We back our regional firms to accelerate their growth ambitions. Acquisitions such as this are a positive demonstration of our commitment to invest in our firms.”
In other M&A news, central London firm Seddons and City firm GSC Solicitors have merged to create a full-service law firm of 43 partners – 31 of whom were from Seddons – and over 150 people, known as Seddons GSC. It is operating from Seddons’ offices.
Simon Ross, who was managing partner of Seddons, is continuing in that role at the merged firm, with GSC senior partner Saleem Sheikh taking that post.
Mr Ross said: “Together, we will take advantage of new exciting opportunities and provide our existing clients with an enhanced level of service and expertise. The merger strengthens our combined offering to both our existing client bases, and provides the perfect platform for our future growth.”
Last week, top 10 City firm Herbert Smith Freehills confirmed that a proposed merger with US firm Kramer Levin would go ahead, creating Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer from 1 June. This would be “the first truly transatlantic and transpacific law firm combination”, it said.
It will have 2,700 lawyers, including around 630 partners, across 26 offices globally, with over $2bn (£1.5bn) in revenue, underpinned by a single profit pool from day one.
Justin D’Agostino, global CEO of Herbert Smith Freehills, said: “HSF Kramer’s combined offering, global reach and scale means we will be able to deliver more effectively for our clients, whose needs are evolving rapidly in a complex environment.”
The merger of Wilkin Chapman and Rollits, announced last month, has completed, creating a firm of more than 500 people, including 70 partners, and a combined annual turnover of £40m. It operates from Grimsby, Lincoln, Louth, Hull, York and Beverley.
Manak Solicitors, which operates in South-East London and Kent, has acquired Bromley private client firm Browns Solicitors, with three people moving over.
This acquisition follows Manak Solicitors’ deal for Ennis-Webb Solicitors in Biggin Hill last year. Manak now has 59 staff in total.
Managing director Surinder Singh Manak said: “This acquisition is a major step forward for us. Browns Solicitors has a long-standing reputation for excellence, and we are excited to add this to our existing teams.”
Wright Johnston & Mackenzie (WJM) – the Scottish firm bought by Irwin Mitchell last year – has announced a deal for commercial firm Davidson Chalmers Stewart, which has more than 70 staff in offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Galashiels.
The combined firm will operate under the WJM brand from this summer and have more than 200 people, including 46 partners, working across five locations.
WJM managing partner Fraser Gillies said: “This deal adds significant strength to our corporate, real estate and commercial dispute resolution teams as well as bolstering our renewables expertise which is a key area for our business.”
Mark Higgins, chair of WJM and managing partner of Irwin Mitchell Scotland, added: “Irwin Mitchell began its expansion programme in Scotland by completing a deal to invest in WJM in January last year, and has grown its Scottish team with several new recruits across the year.
“This latest deal marks a significant milestone in our combined growth journey and we are looking forward to further increasing our market share across a full suite of legal services in Scotland.”
As Irwin Mitchell and WJM have retained their separate legal status, the deal took the form of investment by Irwin Mitchell.
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