Law firm moves into Coventry following acquisition

An employee-owned law firm has boosted its presence in the Midlands with the acquisition of Coventry-based Sarginsons Law.

Talbots Law, which has seen fees accelerate to £22m in 2022, will retain all of the company’s 20 legal professionals, including managing partner Ian Cox, finance partner Lynne Robson and partners Chris Bailey and Simon Booth.

Plans are already in place to invest in the refurbishment of its city centre office on the Quadrant and build on the practice’s long-established local heritage to grow the business from £1m to £3m between now and 2025.

The acquisition is the latest part of Talbots Law’s rapid expansion that has seen it open a new office in Edgbaston and embark on a recruitment drive that has almost doubled its workforce to nearly 400.

“We’ve been looking to establish a presence in Coventry for a while, so when the opportunity to bring Sarginsons into the Talbots family came up, we knew we had to act,” said Dave Hodgetts, who joined as chief executive in 2021.

“The firm has an excellent reputation in the city and across Warwickshire and shares similar company values to our own, placing its staff at the heart of the business and ensuring a personal service to its clients.”

He continued: “I’m delighted that everyone, including the senior management team, have agreed to stay on for the next part of the journey and we’ll look to use our scale and expertise to build on its well-established reputation in providing legal services in Coventry.”

Sarginsons Law, which has been Lexcel accredited for nine years and has CQS status, has grown into one of Coventry’s leading legal practices offering exceptional client service to local people for nearly 60 years.

Ian Cox, managing partner of Sarginsons Law, said: “This is a fantastic deal for both businesses and means we can embark on ambitious growth plans with all the backing and strengths Talbots Law will bring.

“Our people are what makes us so special, so it was important that the ‘buyer’ shared our ethos and values. The fact that it is ‘employee-owned’ was a big draw when we were looking at potential options and I knew from speaking to Dave and his team that we would be welcomed into the family.”

The acquisition, which was arranged by David Sparkes from independent M&A brokering specialist Millbourn Ross, was completed on May 1.

It takes Talbots Law’s offices to nine across the Black Country, Birmingham, Worcestershire and now Coventry and Warwickshire.