Shakespeare Martineau merges with Bristol-based firm to expand into Southwest
updated on 31 May 2022
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Leading law firm Shakespeare Martineau LLP has announced its merger with GL Law which will see the firm broaden its geographical footprint into Bristol and the Southwest.
The move sees GL Law become part of the Shakespeare Martineau brand which sits under the legal and professional services group Ampa. More than 60 employees will be transferred, with the group’s turnover now reaching more than £100 million for the financial year.
The addition of GL Law’s practice area expertise will bolster Shakespeare Martineau’s work in the creative industries and leisure and hospitality, as well as expand the firm’s reach into the Southwest of England. GL Law is headquartered in Bristol with a team in London, acting for a number of businesses, SMEs, start-ups and private clients across the Southwest and beyond.
GL Law’s Bristol office will become Shakespeare Martineau’s 11th office hub location, in addition to cities such as Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow.
The merger is in line with Ampa’s strategy to invest and boost the brands within the group portfolio, and follows the recent addition into the group of Sussex firm Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP.
Richard Hill, managing director at GL Law said: “By joining the exceptional team at Shakespeare Martineau, a firm that truly shares our values and ethos, we will be in a much stronger position to accelerate our ambitious growth plans.
Read about another recent law firm merger in this Blog post: ‘Clyde & Co and BLM merger: the benefits of law firm mergers’.
“There is a lot of consolidation in the legal market right now, but no one is offering what Shakespeare Martineau does. Together, we’re bringing a completely new approach to professional services in the local market.
“This is an exciting next step in our journey as we continue to build our services across the Southwest, leveraging the national reach, expertise, and resource offered by Shakespeare Martineau, to grow our support for existing and future clients.”
Sarah Walker-Smith, CEO of Shakespeare Martineau and Ampa, said: “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.”
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