Two Bradford law firms have joined forces to launch a separate practice specialising in serious fraud cases.

Opus Law is the brainchild of bss Law Partners (formerly Bassra) and Petherbridge Hussain, and has taken over bss's membership of the Legal Services Commission's serious fraud panel.

Bss partner Phil Sweeney is heading Opus Law, which currently has nine fee-earners.

He said that after bss joined the panel 'we realised the amount of work we were getting in was perhaps more than we had the capability to deal with'.

He added: 'I felt I needed a specialist team that wouldn't be called on to go down to the magistrates' court to deal with a road traffic case.'