MPH Solicitors acquired by Irwin Mitchell

MANCHESTER personal injury firm MPH Solicitors has been acquired by Irwin Mitchell.

All five directors – Mark Havenhand, Dominic Hemsi, Simon Harrington, Frank Patterson and Geraldine McCool – and their 24-strong team will join Irwin Mitchell which is headquartered in Sheffield and has an office in Manchester.

MPH will continue to operate from its offices in Manchester and Newmarket as a subsidiary of Irwin Mitchell. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

The acquisition follows a period of consolidation in the legal sector, particularly involving personal injury firms which have been affected by new legislation which has changed the way cases are funded.

Since April firms have been banned from paying referral fees for cases and claimants, instead of defendants, have had to cover up to 25% of lawyers’ fees from their compensation in personal injury cases.

Geraldine McCool, director at MPH Solicitors, said: “These are difficult times for victims of personal injury and clinical negligence and their families due to recent funding and procedural changes and we believe that having access to greater resources, ancillary services and like-minded lawyers will help us to help them to meet these challenges. We will also be able to offer them help in other areas of law as they proceed through life.

“The synergies between the two firms in niche areas such as Ministry of Defence claims, asbestos-related work and clinical negligence, with clients such as the Communication Workers Union and the commitment to pro bono work is compelling; we look forward to the future together.”

John Pickering, Irwin Mitchell’s group chief executive, said: “MPH has a very strong reputation in the market for personal injury and we believe the MPH team will be a valuable addition to what is already an extremely experienced, expert team at Irwin Mitchell. MPH’s focus on client care matches ours and will help us offer even more people the high quality legal services they require.”