Shakespeares expands legal empire with two new acquisitions
BIRMINGHAM-based law firm Shakespeares has completed the latest stage of its growth strategy with the acquisition of two Midlands practices.
The firm announced it was in talks to acquire specialist planning law and consultants Marrons in June. That deal has now completed.
However, the firm has revealed it has also been in talks to acquire Coventry-based Newsome Vaughan, which specialises in the social housing and financial services sectors. That deal is expected to complete on October 1.
Shakespeares said the mergers would enhance its planning and property practices and complement existing strengths in residential and commercial property development, social housing and banking/financial services.
The deals also underline Shakespeares’ position as the second largest law firm in the region with an annual turnover now approaching £50m.
Leicester-based Marrons and Newsome Vaughan make the sixth and seventh mergers for Shakespeares since 2010. The firm’s new planning team, Marrons Shakespeares, will be moving shortly from Meridian Business Park to its new Leicester city centre base at Two Colton Square. The firm’s national planning reputation is reflected in Marrons’ industry standing with both Chambers and Legal 500 directories rating them as the leading planning solicitors in the Midlands.
Newsome Vaughan is a specialist in social housing and will make the Shakespeares’ offering in this field one of the top-ranked in the UK. Newsome Vaughan has built expertise in not just social housing but also re-mortgage processing and lending advisory services as well as contract support to the automotive industry. The firm has a track record of advising many of the biggest social housing providers and lenders in the region and across the UK.
Around 65 lawyers and support staff from Newsome Vaughan will transfer to Shakespeares following the merger.
Paul Wilson, chief executive of Shakespeares, said: “Marrons and Newsome Vaughan perfectly complement our existing teams and are a key part of our growth strategy. The mergers again demonstrate our commitment to the East and South Midlands, our clients and markets.
“Newsome Vaughan is another good fit for our wider property and litigation business and enables us to significantly grow our existing specialism in social housing and strengthen our South Midlands base. The move further enables us to reach a wider client base while also bringing our planning and social housing practices to the forefront of our offer to property-led businesses and operators.”
