Merger plan to go three ways

City-based insurance specialist firm Vizard Oldham will mark the first anniversary of its split from Vizards Staples & Bannister by embarking on a three-way merger, it announced last week.The merger will take in four-partner professional indemnity firm Hartfields and two-partner property practice Derek Sendrove and Co.

The firm will be known as Vizard Oldham, and have 22 partners.

Vizard's head of insurance litigation, Mark Whittaker, said the merger would increase its presence in the Lloyds and London professional indemnity market, where pre-split Vizards had struggled.Meanwhile, shipping expert Paul Rodgers has quit City-based Watson Farley Williams to set up his own shipping and international trade dispute practice.'Many firms rush to offer clients a one-stop-shop as a defensive move to stop them going elsewhere.

With today's levels of sophistication in law, you need to specialise,' he said.Mr Rodgers said he expected to recruit three solicitors in May and two more by September.Sue Allen