Latest merger makes Shakespeare a £30m practice
THE merger of Birmingham law firm Shakespeare Putsman with Nottingham’s Berryman will complete in November, and create a £30m Midlands-wide practice, it was confirmed today.
It’s the second big move for Shakespeare Putsman, which merged with Stratford-based Needham & James last month. The practice now employs 440 people across the region.
Shakespeare Putsman chief executive Paul Wilson said: “The economic climate and Legal Services Act has made the legal market place increasingly complex and competitive. By merging, the two firms cement their position in the Midlands legal market place. As an ambitious, growing firm this merger will take us a step closer to establishing a leading Midlands legal firm. The merger also creates the platform for major investment in our people, infrastructure and branding.”
The merger with Needham & James catapulted Shakespeare Putsman into the Legal 100 list, and Wilson claimed the practice was now the fourth largest in the region.
The £30m turnover of the new combined practice eclipses that of Martineau, but is some way short of Wragge’s £103m, but the move does make the firm a strong rival to major players in the region such as DLA Piper, Cobbetts, Pinsent Masons and Hammonds.
Mr Wilson said: “Berryman has an excellent reputation in Nottingham and the East Midlands. It has long held a very strong position as a pioneering, dynamic and ambitious law firm in the region. These like-minded characteristics make this merger an ideal fit, as well as its acknowledged team of high calibre, talented people and portfolio of quality regional and national clients. As a combined firm we aim to retain and hire the best Midlands talent.”
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Richard Brackenbury, Chairman of Berryman, said: “For the short term Berryman will continue to trade in Nottingham under the Berryman name. For all our clients, especially those based locally to us in Nottingham, the merger is in many ways particularly good news, as they will continue to benefit from an excellent legal team on their doorstep, and one that now has even more resource at its disposal.
“I can reassure all our clients that the excellent legal advice and service they currently enjoy from Berryman will remain and continues to be a priority in our day-to-day operations. Moving forward as a merged firm, and a much larger one, is only good news for clients, who will enjoy the same – if not even better – standard of service and support from all our team.
“This is an exciting time for Berryman and adds new impetus to our own growth strategy, firm-wide and for every team within it,” said Mr Brackenbury.
“We will continue to develop this strategy through high quality work across our teams and sector-specific teams and through further lateral hires, to ensure we grow market share across the region as part of a dynamic, ambitious, larger, Midlands-wide firm.”
Berryman is ranked in the top-tier of the East Midlands private client category of the Legal 500 for its personal tax, trusts and probate work. The firm changed to Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) status in April 2004.
Based on Friar Lane, the firm currently employs 130 staff with 17 partners. It has specialist teams focusing on life sciences, healthcare, media and telecommunications and the rural economy.
The firm’s managing partner is James Jarvis.
