A west of England firm with six offices dotted across the region will close today and be placed into administration.
A notice on the website of BLB Solicitors revealed that the business will cease to trade from midday and asked clients to direct any enquiries to a generic email address.
The firm, which had 89 staff as of last March, operated from sites in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire and offered a range of personal and business legal services. It is understood that staff were informed yesterday that the firm was due to close.
There appeared to be few warning signs that the business was considering closing or was in financial difficulties. As recently as last month, the firm appointed three senior solicitors across its commercial and property teams.
BLB's accounts for the year to March 2025 show that the company had net assets of £836,000 including cash reserves of £210,000.
Speaking to the BBC, client Rob Clark, who is in the process of buying a house, said he was 'absolutely gutted', adding: 'I haven't got a clue at the moment' how it will affect the sale.'
A letter sent by the firm to clients on Tuesday read: 'We would strongly recommend that you instruct another firm of solicitors to continue to act on your behalf.'
Clark said he has tried to contact the firm but his calls have been sent to voicemail.
'It wasn't even them that contacted me, it was my agent,' he added. 'I'm very surprised, I wouldn't believe a company that big could go under so quickly.'
An SRA spokesperson said: 'The firm has been keeping us up to date with its administration to make sure that client money and files are dealt with in line with our guidance on firm closures. So far, this appears to be the case. We would only step in if client interests were at risk. We continue to monitor the situation.'
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