Private equity-backed Fletchers Group has stripped another national firm of two specialist departments and bolted them onto its existing businesses. The firm announced today it had acquired the clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams of Freeths, transferring 21 people from each department.
The clinical negligence team will join Fletchers Solicitors, while the Court of Protection team will become part of EMG, a standalone business recently created within the group.
Fletchers says the move will add a caseload of more than 530 active clinical negligence claims as well as a ‘substantial’ Court of Protection portfolio. Both teams are based in Nottingham, Derby and Oxford and will join the group in June.
Freeths national managing partner Karl Jansen said: ‘We are proud of the strength and reputation our clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams have built, and the high-quality work they deliver for clients. The market continues to evolve, and long-term success in these specialist areas increasingly requires scale, focus and sustained investment. We are confident that Fletchers and EMG offer the right platform for our clients and our people, with the ambition and capability to support their continued growth.’
Following completion, Fletchers’ clinical negligence business will have more than 400 staff managing over 10,300 cases, while EMG’s Court of Protection and private client business will grow to more than 300 people.
The acquisition has echoes of the Fletchers deal last year to buy the serious injury practice of national firm Shoosmiths, bringing with it an extra 80 staff. The total value of this acquisition could be as much as £12m.
The group recently announced the additions of specialist businesses EMG and JE Bennett Law in the first acquisitions since its private equity owner Sun Capital had opted to stay involved for several more years rather than seek an exit strategy.
Group chief executive Peter Haden said: ‘Our new clinical negligence colleagues will help reinforce our position as the UK’s largest clinical negligence practice, strengthening our support for clients with the most serious, life-changing injuries.
‘The Court of Protection team adds significant depth to our national offering, enabling us to support clients across their full journey - from serious injury and clinical negligence cases through to lifelong Court of Protection and private client services.’
He added: ‘Together, we are building a market-leading group of specialist, independent firms, each focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for clients in their area of law, supported by the scale of the group to invest in growth, technology and M&A.’
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