Regional heavyweights Knights and Moore Barlow are in talks over a potential merger, it has been revealed.
Knights, which is a listed firm, announced to the London Stock Exchange today that it is in discussions regarding a potential acquisition. The group stated that the announcement was being made ‘following recent press speculation regarding a potential acquisition by the group of Moore Barlow’.
The statement said: ‘Knights’ strategy is to build the leading premium, fully collaborative legal and professional services business across the UK regions. As part of this strategy, it regularly considers selected value-accretive strategic opportunities with a strong cultural fit and the potential to support future organic growth.
‘Knights maintains regular dialogue with a number of law firms and confirms that it is currently in discussions with Moore Barlow LLP regarding a potential acquisition. However, there can be no certainty that any transaction will be agreed, nor as to the terms of any such transaction.’
If such a deal was to be made, it would represent one of the largest ever law firm mergers outside the City.
The Knights share price went up by almost 12% to 166p today after a week where it had fallen from 177p. The price is higher than this time in 2025 but down from last October’s peak of 210p.
Moore Barlow has become a powerhouse of the south east following the 2020 merger between Moore Blatch and Barlow Robbins, and it now operates from six offices across the region. Group accounts for the year ended 30 April 2025 show the business increased its turnover by 2% to £42.4m while pre-tax profit was up by 4% to £12.4m. Headcount fell slightly during the year from 467 to 447.
Knights has a national footprint but has significantly increased its presence in the south east in the last two years through the acquisitions of IBB Law, Rix & Kay and latterly ASB Law, which was bought earlier this year in a deal worth up to £8.5m.
Its half-year profits for the six months to 31 October 2025 show that the business increased underlying revenue by 30% to £103.2m and underlying profit by 12.5% to £16.4m. Reported profit before tax, taking account of acquisition-related costs, was down from £9m to £2.4m.
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