Law firm enters new markets with £11.5m swoop

Law firm Knights has swooped again, this time acquiring Langleys, which is headquartered in York but has a substantial office in Lincoln, for £11.5m.

Langleys, established in 1890, brings a further 72 fee earners to Knights. The firm, which turns over around £14m a year, has a particular strength in private wealth. Langleys also operates a legal aid child law business and a volume residential conveyancing business through a subsidiary, Home Property Lawyers (HPL), which have 5 and 64 fee earners respectively. These businesses are included in the deal, but Knights says they are “non-core” to its strategy and “the strategic options for them will be reviewed”.

David Beech, CEO of Knights, said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Langleys, a leading firm that has a strong cultural fit with Knights and expertise closely aligned with our existing services. The acquisition sees us become the leading law firm in York and provides a strong base for organic growth in the East of England through Lincoln, as we continue to strengthen our position as the leading legal and professional service business outside of London.”

Tim Cross, partner at Langleys, added: “Having built a strong reputation over a number of years, now is the right time to join Knights, whose growth journey we have followed in York and elsewhere across the regions. We believe Knights’ scale, ambition and ability to invest will enable us to unlock significant growth potential and we look forward to achieving this as part of a larger group.”