Law firm creates faith and charities division with acquisition of Towns Needham

Manchester-based full-service law firm Slater Heelis has acquired specialist law firm Towns Needham, creating, in the process, a new division specialising in the field of ecclesiastical law.

The private sale of Manchester-based Towns Needham, for an undisclosed sum, brings all eight of the firm’s staff across to the Slater Heelis team.

The fee earners are predominantly focused on personal injury and non-contentious work such as wills and probate.

Chris Bishop, managing partner at Slater Heelis, said: “Bringing Towns Needham into our firm has come at a perfect time.

“The highly specialist work the team conducts in the faith world closely complements our own range of services, and forms a key part of our plans for growth.

“But, most importantly of all, the cultural fit is just right. Faith groups play a major role in many people’s lives, and protecting and supporting our community of clients at every stage of their lives is very much our ethos.

“We have long experience of working with charities and the third sector, but the specific expertise of our new team within different religious denominations gives us a unique strength in depth for our new faith and charities team.”

Andrew Middleton, managing director at Towns Needham, said: “Slater Heelis is the perfect fit for Towns Needham, priding itself – like us – on offering clients a personal approach with consistently high quality service.

“Our team has been advising religious organisations for over 30 years and has gained unique insight and experience in this complex area.

“We’re excited to work with Slater Heelis’s incredible team of legal talent to spearhead this new niche for the firm.”

He added: “The acquisition brings together our diverse areas of expertise, and we look forward to using these combined capabilities to enrich the firm’s offering and continue delivering great service for our clients.”

The deal was completed on October 1, 2021, and all clients of Towns Needham have been transferred over to Slater Heelis.