Edinburgh-based Shakespeare Martineau has completed its merger with Bristol-headquartered GL Law – expanding its reach into the south west of England for the first time.
The deal adds more than 60 people to the team and will help take turnover at Ampa, the legal and professional services group of which it is part, to more than £100m for financial year 2022/23.
There are no redundancies as part of the merger and the firm is proactively looking to recruit talent in the Bristol market. The partners based in Bristol will drive the Shakespeare Martineau brand locally.
Sarah Walker-Smith, chief executive of Shakespeare Martineau and Ampa, said: “Our House of Brands strategy includes a combination of introducing new standalone brands to the group or combining new teams or entities with our current leading brands.
“In the case of GL Law, its existing legal offering and its market, it made sense for it to join Shakespeare Martineau and expand the footprint of this brand within our group.”
The Ampa group brands also include consumer law brand Lime Solicitors, planning consultancy Marrons Planning, uninsured loss recovery experts Corclaim, cyber security company CSS Assure and full-service Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter.
GL Law’s Bristol hub will become Shakespeare Martineau’s 11th location, adding to offices in Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Solihull, Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Edinburgh.
Richard Hill, managing director at GL Law, said: “What’s crucial for us is continuation of service for our clients and the best opportunities for our people – this merger offers both.
“We’ve been acting for owner-managed businesses, SMEs, start-ups and some of the most discerning private clients across the Southwest and beyond for more than 300 years and we look forward to continuing and extending this legacy under the Shakespeare Martineau brand.”
The merger was agreed in May 2022 and has now been finalised.
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
