Law firm Linder Myers seeks buyer as administration looms
NORTH West law firm Linder Myers has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, joining a list of regional casualties in the sector.
The £18.7m turnover firm, which has offices in Manchester, Preston, Chester, Lytham and Shrewsbury, said it is in talks to sell the business or find a merger partner. The firm employs 260 staff and 51 partners.
Bernard Seymour, managing partner at Linder Myers said in a statement: “The increasingly challenging environment in which law firms are operating has made trading very difficult in recent years.
“Following a successful period of growth at Linder Myers, the last few months and the Christmas period in particular, proved difficult and we have taken the decision to file an intention to appoint administrators in order to protect the business and our valued employees and partners.
“We are currently having positive negotiations with a number of interested parties with a view to either selling the business or merging with another firm. Linder Myers clients will remain unaffected as business continues to trade as usual.”
The firm has acquired a number of practices via pre-pack administration in the last two years, including Rowlands Field Cunningham, Shammah Nichols and most recently Lancashire firm Dickson Haslem. It also made senior lateral hires such as former Cobbetts corporate duo Paul Johnson and Sean Fitzgerald.
TheBusinessDesk.com understands EY will be appointed to handle the insolvency.
Sources in the legal community speculate that Linder Myers could be of interest to Stephensons, while arch consolidator Slater & Gordon may be a buyer for the firm’s clinical negligence and personal injury departments.
In a statement responding to the speculation, Ann Harrison, chairwoman at Stephensons Solicitors said: “We are actively open to opportunities to grow the practice through the right merger partner or acquisition.
“But, we have been linked with various potential mergers and purchasers, none of which have been proved true.
“We wish Linder Myers partners and staff the very best as they go through this difficult period.”
