Weighmans to merge with UK Player RadcliffesLeBrasseur

Weighmans to merge with UK Player RadcliffesLeBrasseur

More than 225 partners will be part of the consolidated firm, which will rank in the top 40 firms in the UK in terms of revenue

Weightmans, one of the top 45 firms in the UK, has announced that it will merge with London outfit RadcliffeLeBrasseur by the end of March.

With combined annual revenue of around £120m, Weightmans, which will operate as a new firm, will have more than 225 partners, more than 1,400 professionals, across nine regional offices, putting it within the top 40 UK law firms Mills & Reeve and Slate and Gordon.

"The merger enhances the national practices of both firms, providing top expertise and the resources necessary to meet the very high expectations of all clients, whether they are public bodies, private companies, not-for-profit organizations or individuals," said Weightmans's Managing Partner John Schorah.

Weightmans was established in 1872 and specializes in insurance, with particular experience working with public sector agencies like police forces and fire departments, as well as NHS trusts. As well as providing commercial services, the Liverpudlian firm provides a full range of family legal services including wills, tax, probate and residential conveyancing.

RadicliffesLeBrasseur, meanwhile, was founded over 170 years ago in Westminster. The firm has 42 partners situated in three offices: London, Leeds, and Cardiff. The firm acts for healthcare providers and insurers as well as regulatory and government bodies, similar to Weightmans.

Bringing together the two firms creates a leading UK healthcare practice and bolsters London's legal market presence. Schorah added that the two firms have several synergies in terms of clients and sectors and a "commitment to delivering the highest standards" in delivering legal services.

In 2015, Weightmans merged with Manchester-based Ford & Warren bringing the combined firm's headcount to more than 1,400 lawyers. Prior to mutually withdrawing from merger talks in 2017, the company was in talks with Newcastle's Ward Hadaway.

Clyde & Co and BLM, two of the UK's top 50 law firms, have been tipped to merge into one firm that would employ nearly 2,400 attorneys, including some 790 in the UK and generate about £735 million in annual revenues.

In October, UK law firm Royds Withy King said it is in advanced merger negotiations with Goodman Derrick, in a move that would create a business with annual revenue exceeding £50 million.