Top-60 firms Wragge & Co and Lawrence Graham have voted to merge to form a business with more than 1,300 staff worldwide.

In a statement, the firms said partnerships at both voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to join from 1 May 2014.

The new business had a joint turnover of £171m last year and will boast 770 lawyers operating from 10 offices around the world.

Wragge & Co managing partner elect David Fennell will become the new firm’s chief executive, with Quentin Poole as senior partner and Lawrence Graham senior partner Andrew Witts as chairman. The new firm’s non-executive directors will be Helen Owers and Alastair McLeish.

Wragge & Co senior partner Quentin Poole (pictured) said: ‘This merger brings together complementary cultures, locations and practice groups to create a strong and distinctive offer to clients.

‘Our new firm will be characterised by its focus on high-quality, commercial legal advice, delivered cost-effectively, and strong relationships built by people who care about their clients.’

Andrew Witts, Lawrence Graham’s senior partner, added: ‘We are very excited about this opportunity to forge a bigger, better and stronger firm for our clients and people.’

Wragge & Co posted £120.5m turnover in 2012/13, an annual increase of 2%, while Lawrence Graham had revenues of £51.8m, which amounted to a 7.5% fall year on year. Wragge’s latest reported profit per equity partner was £339,000 and that of LG £260,000.