£171m legal firm created as Wragge & Co merger agreed

BIRMINGHAM law firm Wragge & Co has agreed merger terms with London-based Lawrence Graham.

A new firm, Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co, has been formed and will be formally operational from May 1.

It was in mid-November when it was revealed Wragges was lining up a merger with Lawrence Graham.

The firm is known to have been seeking a London merger partner for some time.

Now the partnerships of both firms have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the combination, which will create a £171m business with 1,300 people, including 770 lawyers, operating from ten offices worldwide.

The new firm will provide clients with access to a broader range of services, increased capability in London and the UK, and enhanced international coverage.

Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co will be home to a real estate practice, an equity capital markets practice and will provide expertise in investment funds, private capital, IP, pensions and construction.

It will have offices in Birmingham, Brussels, Dubai, Guangzhou, London, Monaco, Moscow, Munich, Paris and Singapore.

Wragge & Co senior partner Quentin Poole said: “This merger brings together complementary cultures, locations and practice groups to create a strong and distinctive offer to clients.

“Our new firm will be characterised by its focus on high-quality, commercial legal advice, delivered cost-effectively, and strong relationships built by people who care about their clients.”

Wragge & Co managing partner elect David Fennell will become the new firm’s chief executive, with Quentin Poole as senior partner and Lawrence Graham senior partner Andrew Witts as chairman. The new firm’s non-executive directors will be Helen Owers and Alastair McLeish.

It has been suggested that, as part of its international expansion plans, Wragges is now considering another merger, this time in Germany.