West country firm Withy King says it will reach into new international markets through a merger with a practice based in the City of London.

The firm has announced it will merge with Royds on 1 September to create a practice employing around 450 people.

The combined turnover is around £33m which places it comfortably in the UK top 100.

Withy King, which has offices in Bath, Swindon and Oxford, has built its business in the south and south-west of England with an emphasis on private client, clinical negligence and personal injury work.

The merger brings it together with a firm specialising in retail property, commercial litigation, commercial, banking, employment, family and private client practices.

Graham Street (pictured), managing partner of Withy King, said: ‘We believe the merger will provide sustainable growth opportunities for our commercial and private client practices in current markets as well as in new and larger markets, both in the UK and internationally.

‘For our clients, it means more choice and access to an even wider range of services and legal expertise.’

According to group company accounts covering the financial year ending 30 April last year, Withy King increased profit before tax from £5.3m in 2014 to £6.5m in 2015. Turnover rose from £18.5m to £21.9m. Staff numbers increased from 236 to 268 in the space of a year.

The results were partly due to two acquisitions, Lemon & Co in Swindon and Edward Piling & Co in Headington, Oxon.

Royds’ operating profit in 2014/15 dropped slightly to £1.55m, with turnover of £7.64m.