DWF continues expansion with merger

BUSINESS law firm DWF, which has an office in Birmingham, has announced it is to merge with Crutes, creating a £88m turnover practice.

The merger will see Crutes formally incorporated into DWF on January 1 and is intended to strengthen the latter’s presence in the North East.

Crutes runs three operations in Newcastle, Carlisle and Teesside while DWF has an office in Newcastle alongside bases in Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, London and Preston, employing 1,400 people. It opened its Birmingham office during the summer.

This latest news follows the firm’s announcement earlier this year it intended to make further investment in Newcastle after appointing corporate partner John Flynn as executive partner and intellectual property lawyer Ed Meikle.

Crutes, which is considered a specialist in insurance matters, employs 95 people, including 16 partners, and has revenues of £5m.

The firm also deals with transport, healthcare, technology, public sector and private client work.

Earlier this month, £83m turnover DWF played down speculation it was planning a merger with Cobbetts, which also has a Birmingham operation, after the internet domain name DWFCobbetts was registered.

Managing partner Andrew Leaitherland said: “This is an exciting move for DWF. Crutes is a natural fit, its outstanding insurance credentials combined with its sector strengths align very clearly with our own.

“We are committed to growth and investment in the region and see it as a key area for expansion over the next few years.”