Hill Dickinson and Hill Taylor Dickinson are to be reunited as one law firm after 17 years' pursuing separate strategies.


The deal will see the combined firm, which has 141 partners and more than 900 people, enter the top 40 by size.



Since the two firms split in 1989, Hill Dickinson has become a major commercial practice in the north-west of England. With 121 partners and 800 staff, it is almost six times larger than its merger partner. Fee income was £52.5 million last year and the firm has experienced 80% organic growth in the last three years.



Hill Taylor Dickinson, which has 22 partners and offices in London and Piraeus, in Greece, is best known for its shipping, commodities and marine insurance practice.



Hill Dickinson's senior partner Tony Wilson and managing partner Peter Jackson will retain their roles following the merger, with partners from Hill Taylor Dickinson taking places on the management and limited liability partnership boards.



Mr Jackson insisted that the re-unification was a merger, not a take-over. He said: 'When two firms have complementary skills, or gaps that the other firm can fulfil, then that's a merger, not a takeover.



'Hill Dickinson wanted to increase its critical mass in London and Hill Taylor Dickinson does exactly that for us in a blue-chip way. They in turn wanted to widen their skill set outside shipping and we achieve that for them.'



Jonathan Rayner