ADDLESHAW GODDARD remains interested in a merger with Scottish firm Maclay Murray & Spens but have insisted that talk of a done deal is premature.
The northern law firm, which can trace its Leeds roots back to 1775 and is currently preparing to move into new offices that are being built in Sovereign Square in the city, has previously acknowledged it is considering a deal, which would create a £230m-turnover firm.
Trade journal The Lawyer yesterday said a deal was now only “dependent on a partnership vote” and the firm would be officially merged on May 1.
However in a statement Addleshaw Goddard said: “We have consistently said that a merger at some point in the future is a possibility we would consider. It is an option we keep under regular review, but there is nothing to report and we do not comment on speculation.”
Maclays has a turnover of £43.5m, which makes it one of the largest independent firms in Scotland. Addleshaw Goddard does not have a presence north of the border and would benefit from Maclays’ offices in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Addleshaw Goddard has UK offices in Leeds, London and Manchester and international offices in Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Muscat and Singapore. Around 400 of its 1,300 staff are in Leeds.
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