Pinsents and McGrigors merger is a goer

PARTNERS at law firm Pinsent Masons have voted in favour of merging with rival McGrigors.

McGrigors’ partners have also given their approval to the deal which will see its name disappear from the marketplace.

An enlarged entity will trade as Pinsent Masons and employ more than 2,500 people.

Pinsents has a large Birmingham operation – headed by Greg Lowson – but McGrigors has no presence in the Midlands. Its roots are in Scotland.

Speaking after the merger was announced, Chris Mullen, senior partner of Pinsent Masons, said: “We’ve been very encouraged by the strong support from among our clients and the resoundingly positive reception to the merger proposal by our partners.

“Each firm has great respect for the other’s reputation and culture and recognises that we have a common heritage of quality coupled with ambitious plans to grow our capabilities even further.

“We believe this is the best way to deliver an even better offering to our UK and international clients who demand both a broad range of high quality services and excellent value. We’re really looking forward to joining up and getting on with our plans together.”

Richard Masters, managing partner of McGrigors, said: “This deal is great news for clients of both firms and we are delighted to be merging with Pinsent Masons. 

“The merger is the result of a strong cultural and operational fit, with clients from both firms being major UK and international players. We believe that the new firm will provide a solid platform for growth, allowing us to become a clear market-leader in strategically key sectors.” 

Last week law firms Cobbetts and DWF called off their merger talks.