Private equity-backed Fletchers Group has made one of its biggest purchases yet, signalling the creation of an independent Court of Protection division. Fletchers today revealed that national firm EMG Solicitors has agreed to join the group as part of a dedicated Court of Protection and private client business.
Kent-based JE Bennett Law will also join as part of the expanded EMG Solicitors, while 30 members of the Fletchers Court of Protection team will transfer to the new firm.
The combined practice will bring together more than 200 specialists across a national network of offices, operating under the EMG brand to create what Fletchers claimed is one of the largest and most experienced Court of Protection practices in the UK.
The business will be led by EMG founder and chief executive Emma Gaudern, who will join the Fletchers management board. JE Bennett Law founder and managing partner Jane Bennett has also agreed to join the EMG leadership team.
Fletchers said that EMG, which is headquartered in Durham, will benefit from the group’s scale, access to capital and investment in technology. But the firm also stressed that the expanded EMG business will retain its independence and that no Court of Protection clients introduced to EMG by external firms will be represented by or referred to Fletchers.
Gaudern said: ‘During discussions with Peter and the team it quickly became apparent that Fletchers Group will be the best possible partner for our people and our clients. Being part of a progressive, growth-focused group will help EMG, JE Bennett Law and Fletchers’ CoP team to create a powerful, nationwide force in Court of Protection and private client services. The expanded EMG business will operate independently of Fletchers Solicitors with clear professional boundaries; appropriate information safeguards will remain in place, ensuring confidentiality and protecting sensitive commercial information.’
The value of the deal to acquire EMG Solicitors has not been disclosed, but Fletchers is buying a firm which, according to its accounts for the year ended January 2025, had net assets of £4.8m including cash reserves of £3.3m.
During the year the firm had increased revenue by 35% to £8.34m and increased pre-tax profit by 46% to £2.66m. It opened a sixth office, in Reading, in July last year, and employed 160 people as of January 2025.
According to accounts for the year ended March 2025, JE Bennett Limited had net assets of £1.8m and cash reserves of almost £739,000.
This is the first set of acquisitions made by Fletchers since it announced that its private equity investor owner Sun Capital had decided to extend its backing beyond 2030. The US-based owner had bought Fletchers in 2021 and financed a series of acquisition since.
Fletchers chief executive Peter Haden said: ‘This is a significant step forward in strengthening our private client capabilities and reflects our group strategy of scaling up and building expertise across the different areas of civil justice - expanding from our roots in serious injury and clinical negligence and into complementary areas of law.’
EMG will sit alongside Fletchers Group’s other specialist legal businesses, including Fletchers Solicitors, Rayden Solicitors, Blume and Medical Law Services.
1 Reader's comment