Neil Hudgell makes case load acquisition as it makes plans to expand

The Hull law firm, which specialises in compensation claims for personal injury, medical and professional negligence, said the acquisition from Harris Cartier, a litigation and corporate law firm based in London, is of mostly high value and catastrophic injury work and has a book of work with a seven figure valuation.

The Harris Cartier is the first firm to be placed into administration following failure to put in place Professional Indemnity insurance cover before the legal regulator’s October 1 deadline. The joint administrators affected an immediate sale to both Neil Hudgell Solicitors and Mayfair firm Gordon Dadds.

Neil Hudgell, managing director at Neil Hudgell Solicitors, said: “The acquisition from Harris Cartier is part of our wider and on-going growth strategy. The establishment of a London base is also fundamental to our plans and has been on the radar for a while. We will now be actively seeking premises in the capital and staff with a view to be open by the end of the month.

“We anticipate that the acquisition from Harris Cartier will also be a prelude to further deals as other firms fail to obtain PI insurance cover and seek to dispose of work.

“We wish to thank our advisors Phil Jordan at Ward Hadaway Solicitors and  Zoe Holland of Zebra Consulting, who carried out the auditing, for their quick and professional service in making this deal happen within a very short window of time.”

Neil Hudgell established his legal practice in Hull in 1997 and it now employs 100 staff in Leeds and Hull. To date, including this latest acquisition from Harris Cartier, the firm has completed 21 deals totalling over £4m.