HBJ Gateley Wareing confirms Halliwells deal

HBJ Gateley Wareing has confirmed that 40 former partners of the Halliwells Manchester office have joined the national law firm.

The move comprises the banking & finance, corporate, real estate, real estate litigation, corporate recovery, commercial litigation, intellectual property, employment, pensions and construction business units. The office will operate in Manchester under the HBJ Gateley Wareing name.

Following the move the firm will have 140 partners and is expected to have a turnover of around £65 million for the year ending 30 April 2011. The move also brings more than 200 additional fee earners and staff to the firm, bringing total numbers to 750.

HBJ Gateley Wareing is a leading national law firm and will now have seven UK offices in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, London, Manchester and Nottingham as well as an office in Dubai.

Joint senior partner, Michael Ward said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the Halliwells commercial team in Manchester into our firm and believe that they will be a significant addition to HBJ Gateley Wareing. We have recognised for some time that there was an opportunity to develop our business in the north-west. The Halliwells team bring with them a significant client base and a long and distinguished history in the Manchester legal market, which will complement perfectly our existing national practice. As part of the move we also welcome 9 fee-earners to our London office, where we have grown significantly since we first opened there in 2007.

“With this move, we are being joined by a team of partners and staff of the highest quality and they are looking forward to putting the recent past behind them and focusing on what they do best – delivering the very best client-focused commercial legal service.”

You could be missing out on BREAKING NEWS ALERTS if you haven’t signed up for our daily emails. Check your settings here 

Manchester partner Rod Waldie said: “We have been delighted to find that the cultures and attitude to client service at HBJ Gateley Wareing are so similar to our own. Our combined strength will provide a formidable national commercial legal practice for the benefit of our clients and staff. I particularly want to thank our clients, contacts and staff for the commitment, loyalty and support over the past few months. We are all looking forward to working with our clients as part of HBJ Gateley Wareing.”

The Manchester office of HBJ Gateley Wareing will continue to operate out of the current Halliwells’ office in Hardman Square, Manchester.  

Clearwater Corporate Finance advised HBJ Gateley Wareing.

• Pinsent’s Lowson on tough times for the legal sector: exclusive interview
• D-Day for crisis firm Halliwells
• Deals lined up to take on assets of Halliwells
• HBJ Gateley Wareing set to swoop for Halliwells