Cartwright King announces merger with The First Law Partnership

LAW firm Cartwright King is expanding once again after announcing a merger with The First Law Partnership.

Both firms, which run offices in Leeds, and the move will take the enlarged firm’s number of offices to 14, employees to 230 and turnover to over £13m.

The deal, which will take effect from January 5, 2015, will considerably extend Cartwright King’s presence in The Home Counties and South Midlands with new offices in Reading, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough and Northampton.

The First Law Partnership merger will make Cartwright King one of the largest criminal defence firms in the country, alongside its other key practice areas including family and immigration.

Rupert Hawke, managing director of Cartwright King, said: “This very exciting development will expand our national brand.

“The team at The First Law Partnership has a very similar ethos to ourselves in terms of access to justice and I think the skills that we will have within the enlarged business will be of great benefit all round.

“This is part of our continued expansion plans, around which we welcome enquiries from firms across the UK”.

Simon Campbell, chief executive of The First Law Partnership, said: “The directors and staff here are very excited and enthusiastic about teaming up with Cartwright King, which sends out a very positive signal to the profession.”

This latest development follows on from the recent absorption by Cartwright King of the Bastian Lloyd Morris (BLM) criminal defence team in Milton Keynes.

BLM became Cartwright King’s ninth office, alongside London, Birmingham, Newcastle Gateshead, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.

This latest expansion will also add to the firm’s in-house chambers, bringing more barristers and higher court advocates to their growing crown court practice.