Law firms set to merge to create major £65m player

Worcester law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys (HCR) says it is in “advanced stages” of merger talks with Hewitsons, a move which will add new locations in Northampton and Milton Keynes to its existing network of nine offices.

The merger is expected to complete by the end of May, resulting in a firm of approximately 780 people and £65m turnover. The combined Cambridge teams will move into new premises while the Hewitsons London team will move into HCR’s office at 62 Cornhill, in the City.

Managing partner Rod Thomas said: “I believe that this will be a great move for both firms, our clients and our staff. As with all our previous mergers, this one is about growing the breadth and depth of legal advice we can provide to our clients. Hewitsons’ focus on people chimes well with HCR’s Passion for People, an ethos which runs through our business, and means I’m sure that this merger will be as successful as previous ones.”

Colin Jones, managing partner of Hewitsons, said: “Joining HCR is a really exciting development for us. With the absolute focus we have on our clients we have found a merger partner in HCR which will enable us to further enhance the services we can provide to them and who shares our core values, including our strong commitment to our people. The merger will increase the career opportunities we can offer, provide us with a platform stretching from East to West and our clients will benefit from the full range of legal specialisms provided by the combined firm’s full-service legal advice capability, and strong regional network.”

Harrison Clark Rickerbys has more than 550 staff and partners based at offices in Cambridge, London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Hereford, Thames Valley, Worcester and the Wye Valley.

Hewitsons operates UK wide and have worldwide reach via its network of independent law firms, LawExchange International.