Law firms merge to meet growing client demand
Two West Midland law firms have merged in order to meet the needs of a growing client base.
The deal sees the Hereford teams of Harrison Clark Rickerbys and Gordon Lutton solicitors combine their talents, especially in the fields of defence and security.
HCR’s managing partner, Rod Thomas, said: “Our route to growth has always been guided by client demand, and in Herefordshire that demand has meant this merger is the best step forward to enable both firms to realise their potential.
“As businesses grow, they need the wider resources and greater expertise which we can provide, and while we focus on delivering exceptional client service, our individual offices each have particular sector strengths and service offers which reflect the needs of local business.”
The two firms recently collaborated on the inaugural Herefordshire Defence and Security Expo, which brought together more than 400 people from across the industry and the wider community.
HCR said the ongoing impact of relationships made at the event was enabling the county’s expertise in defence to be recognised at a national level.
It said the same applied to its other offices.
In Worcester, HCR’s commercial, private client and health and social care teams are drawing in clients from across the country; the Cheltenham office has a specialism in education, corporate and employment teams; in Thames Valley, commercial property and international expertise is the focus; and in Birmingham, the firm’s insolvency and licensing team is winning new business.
“We know that mergers like this work very well for clients; they can maintain relationships with their own lawyers, and for staff; they can continue to nurture their own specialisms,” added Mr Thomas.
“For the firm as a whole, mergers are a feature of our history – Harrison and Clark merged in the 1960s, and we have taken that route in Cheltenham with Rickerbys and in the Wye Valley with Shawcross, so this is familiar territory.”
Colin Gordon, managing partner of Gordon Lutton, said: “The merger consolidates the significant presence of both firms within Herefordshire and beyond. We will continue to invest in Hereford and to support local growth, and our clients will benefit from a wider reach nationally and internationally. There are many exciting opportunities of which to be a part.”
Harrison Clark Rickerbys has 420 staff and partners based across offices in Hereford, the Wye Valley, Worcester, Cheltenham, Birmingham and the Thames Valley.
