Chaffe Street merges with Brabners as partners walk

Manchester-based commercial firm Chaffe Street has merged with fellow north-west practice Brabners in the wake of ten partners leaving following disagreements over the firm's future strategy.The new 37-partner firm will practise under the name Brabners Chaffe Street and work out of offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Preston, while the ten departing partners have taken up positions with a variety of local firms.Janine Allen, who left Chaffe Street to become a commercial litigation partner at Halliwell Landau, said: 'There were issues of how the firm was going forward in terms of investment and succession, with older partners having a different view to more progressive partners.

I would say the departures meant Chaffe Street needed more strength and this has brought about the merger.'Robert Street, senior partner at Chaffe Street and head of the new firm's Manchester office, declined to comment on the reasons for the lawyers' departures, but he said the merger would result in great competitive advantages.'We are the two strongest firms in the region at providing services to those who own their own businesses and to large companies,' he said.

'The move allows us to provide specialists in areas we couldn't before, such as pensions and IT, and we hope will establish us as one of the leading firms in the north-west.'Michael Brabner, managing partner of Brabners Chaffe Street, said: 'At Brabners, we have been looking for the right opportunity in Manchester for a number of years, and when the opportunity arose with Chaffe Street, we jumped at the chance.

Both firms have a similar approach to business and have large, partner-led corporate commercial departments.'Four of the ex-Chaffe Street company/commercial partners have moved to the Manchester office of Pinsent Curtis Biddle, while DLA and Cobbetts are other firms to benefit.Andrew Towler