Plexus aims at Lloyd's

South-east firm Badhams has merged its professional indemnity team with City insurance specialist firm Williams Davis Meltzer to create a new firm called Plexus - which aims to target the Lloyd's insurance market.The firm consists of 30 lawyers, including four partners from Badhams and all five partners and ten assistants from Meltzers.Tim Roberts, Badhams' head of professional indemnity, becomes one of three partners heading the new practice, with fellow Badhams partner Tim Oliver - who moved to the firm last year after heading up Berrymans Lace Mawer's personal injury department - and Meltzer founding partner Hugh Williams.Mr Roberts said Plexus aimed to combine the professional indemnity expertise of Badhams with the Lloyd's expertise of Meltzers.He said that despite being a partnership, the firm would adopt corporate practices to market itself to clients.

These include offering services for a fixed fee rather than on an hourly basis, and offering dedicated lawyers to work on on-going legal work for firms for a pre-fixed fee.Mr Roberts said Plexus intended to increase the services on offer to clients to risk management, consultation and case management in due course.The firm is located in Meltzer's City office, but is looking for new premises.Jeremy Fleming