Law firm on the acquisition trail as it snaps up solicitors

NEWTONS SOLICITORS has acquired a North Yorkshire firm to fill the geographical gap in its coverage between West Yorkshire and Teesside.

Calder Meynell Solicitors, which has offices in Thirsk and Northallerton is remaining a separate entity but will rebrand as Calder Meynell Newtons.

Founded in 2011 by Kerri Calder and Howard Meynell, the firm has seven staff and a turnover of £300,000, specialising in family and rural law, as well as residential property.

The Newtons Solicitors Group will have a combined annual fee income of £4m a year, bringing it closer to its £5m-turnover medium term goals.

Chris Newton, who founded the firm with his wife Sarah in 2009 and now employs 90 staff, said that the firm are also “in talks with several firms who may join us.”

Mr Newton, who negotiated the acquisition, says: “Calder Meynell’s offices will form an important geographical link within our group. We already advise several businesses in Northallerton who will be pleased that we now have an office in the town.

“We are now actively recruiting new team members and will offer our full range of services to the communities served by Calder Meynell.”

Kerri Calder says: “We were attracted to Chris Newton’s proposition by the broad support within the group and the potential for further growth and development, including practice management and input from the diverse teams in the practice.

“After successfully building our own business, Howard and I, and all our staff, are excited by this opportunity and the wider services we can now offer to our clients in Northallerton and Thirsk.”

Aquisition has been a consistent component in the firm’s growth plans. Newtons acquired Hodgsons & Mortimer Solicitors in 2012, Geoff Mochrie Solicitors, Leyburn, in October 2013 and Thorp Parker Solicitors, Stokesley in 2014.