A top 50 firm founded in East Anglia has continued to edge further afield by merging with a south east practice. Birketts announced it will complete a merger with Batchelors Solicitors, based in Kent and London, as it seeks to expand into more parts of the country.

The combined firm will have nearly 100 partners and more than 850 staff.

The acquired firm brings a specialism in social housing and Birketts said the merger is a sign of its ‘longstanding and deep-rooted’ commitment to this sector.

Jonathan Agar, chief executive of Birketts, said: ‘We are thrilled to be welcoming the Batchelors team to the Birketts family. With shared specialisms and a business structure very similar to our own, we are confident that they will fit seamlessly, both commercially and culturally, into our full service offering.’

Birketts has offices in Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford, and London, and the tie-up with Batchelors will mark the establishment of a new base in Sevenoaks, Kent. It is unclear what will happen to the Batchelors offices in Bromley and the City of London, and neither firm has said whether any jobs will be lost.

Birketts' most recent accounts, covering the year ended 31 May 2021, showed a 19% increase in turnover and 28% increase in profits. The firm merged with London firm EC3 Legal LLP during the year and increased headcount from 643 to 680.