Merger: teams join Halliwells, Brabners Chaffe Street

Manchester firm James Chapman & Co is to split in two, with its core insurance business merging with Halliwells and its smaller commercial and sports law team joining Brabners Chaffe Street.


Around 175 staff, including 36 partners, from the £10 million-turnover defendant insurance litigation practice will move to Halliwells. The merger is Halliwells' second major deal in less than two years - following its link-up with Liverpool firm Cuff Roberts in January 2005 - and is expected to take its projected turnover to more than £70 million.


James Chapman & Co's 28-strong commercial and sports law team, headed by Manchester United director Maurice Watkins, will meanwhile join Brabners Chaffe Street, adding £2 million to the 46-partner north-west firm's £20 million turnover.


Liz Taylor, managing partner at James Chapman & Co, said the decision to split was the result of a strategic review that the firm began last autumn. 'Our firm has two distinct practice areas and our markets are under different competitive pressures, so we needed to find a different solution for each team,' she said.


Ms Taylor added that the insurance side of the business was facing an increasingly competitive future and a merger was the best way to grow significantly to ensure it remained a key player.


Mr Watkins, who will become joint senior partner of Brabners Chaffe Street in Manchester, said: 'While we will be sad to part from our colleagues in the insurance team, we are confident that both sides of the business have chosen the most appropriate partners to ensure continued success and growth.'


Both mergers are scheduled for completion on 1 May and took just six weeks to negotiate.