A traditional law firm is vacating its office accommodation to merge with one of a growing number of so-called ‘agile’ practices. Employment and business immigration specialists Constantine Law joined forces with Hine Legal this month and Hine will adopt the former’s model of lawyers working remotely. The combined firm of 11 lawyers will have national coverage and will advise businesses and individuals on issues such as restructuring and TUPE, dispute resolution and partnership exits.

Most firms have been forced to work remotely in the nine months since the first lockdown, with lawyers at traditional firms effectively experiencing the same working conditions as those at more agile businesses.

Join Us -John Nick

Nick Hine (L) and John Hayes (R)

Hine Legal founder Nick Hine said his firm had served notice on its London office and would benefit from the experience of already having worked centrally.

‘We can still work as a team whereas a lot of the dispersed firms are made up of individuals who have their own clients,’ he said. ‘We want to share each other’s work rather than working in a silo.’

Employment law continues to be an expanding area following the fallout from the pandemic. Constantine Law managing partner John Hayes added: ‘We believe the demand for services is unlikely to calm down and we are delighted we will have greater resources to help look after our clients.

‘Joining forces will strengthen our offer and expertise, and provide us with a team of greater depth, giving us greater capability to serve our clients.’