Four-way legal merger on the books
LEGAL entrepreneurs Chris and Sarah Newton are preparing to merge four separate legal practices after several years on the acquisition trail.
The couple are planning on merging Hodgsons & Mortimer which was acquired in 2013 Thorp Parker LLP, acquired in 2014 and Calder Meynell Solicitors, acquired in October 2015.
These practices have offices in Richmond, Darlington, Stokesley, Thirsk and Northallerton, which will all consolidate under the Newton Solicitors Group brand.
Newtons Solicitors, which was founded by the couple in 2009, has grown to a £4m turnover group and nearly 100 staff in 11 offices across the North East, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
The company, which adopted the Alternative Business Structure in 2013, are now planning to open two offices this year in the North East and Humberside.
Newtons Solicitors managing director, Chris Newton said: “While all four firms have traded under the Newtons Solicitors brand, they have remained separate business entities for a range of commercial reasons which are no longer relevant and I’m naturally pleased that we will now create one single Newtons Solicitors.
“During the financial crisis when we continued to see strong growth, people said that once the economic recovery came we would really start to fly – and these mergers are in preparation for this and reaching £5m turnover in 2016.”
Newton Solicitors has recruited 17 new members of staff in the last six months as well as creating new dedicated posts for marketing and human resources and expanding its compliance and training team.
