Boris Ignachkov Growing UK law firm Shakespeare Martineau has announced it is expanding by taking on GL Law, a practice in the Southwest of England. The merger will result in a transfer of more than 60 people and a turnover of over £100m for the financial year 2022/23
Shakespeare Martineau is a law firm, providing legal services to businesses, organisations, government departments, families, and people throughout life and in business. The leading firm employs more than 900 people and has 10 offices across the UK. GL Law’s Bristol hub is set to transition into Shakespeare Martineau’s 11th office location, adding to its existing presence in Birmingham, London, Leicester, Lincoln, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solihull, Stratford Upon Avon, and Glasgow.
What Are The Plans?
GL Law based in Bristol, will join the Shakespeare Martineau brand, with the leaders of both firms agreeing that the collaboration is an ambitious shared growth strategy. Last year Shakespeare Martineau shared their plans to become a ‘house of brands’, which would mean merging with other firms, some of which would keep their own identities and double business size by 2023.
The exciting move will increase the Shakespeare Martineau group’s presence in the Southwest and bids to expand its sector specialisms in the creative industries, as well as leisure and hospitality sectors.
Shakespeare Martineau CEO Sarah Walker-Smith and Richard Hill Managing Director of GL Law commented that no redundancies are planned to take place, and those with an equity share in GL Law will be transferred to become equity shareholders of Ampa.
Richard Hill also quoted: ‘There is a lot of consolidation in the legal market right now, but no one is offering what Shakespeare Martineau does,’ said Hill. ‘Together, we’re bringing a completely new approach to professional services in the local market.
Sarah Walker-Smith added: ‘Our house of brands strategy is a combination of introducing new standalone brands to the group or combining new teams or entities to our current brands, and 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 national reach of this brand within our group.’
It is expected that GL Law will adopt the Shakespeare Martineau brand, which is part of Ampa, the UK’s leading group of legal and professional services companies. The move will add more than £4.5 million to the group’s turnover for the financial year 2022/23 and at least 60 additional employees to its fast-growing team. GL Law has already begun its transition to the group, with its equity directors officially set to become members of Ampa later on in 2022.
In addition, the group of brands have been dubbed as one of the top 100 large companies to work for as well as the top 25 law firms, top 50 large London businesses, AND top 75 in both East and West Midlands, in the Best Companies list 2022.
Exciting times ahead for Ampa, Shakespeare Martineau, and GL Law!