Two firms to disappear after mergers but staff and offices retained

A fast-growing Midlands firm has inherited four more offices and 85 staff as part of a new acquisition.

Talbots Law, which is run by an employee-owned trust, will give the incoming staff from Tinsdills the chance to have their own stake in the business following the deal. Offices in Leek, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sandbach and Stoke-on-Trent will become part of the Talbots network, with no redundancies planned.

Talbots already operates across the West Midlands but has started to move north-west as a result of the acquisition, which takes group turnover to more than £40 million.

Dave Hodgetts, chief executive of Talbots Law, said: ‘As an employee-owned business, every member of our team has a stake in our success. That shared ownership drives our culture, our client service, and our ambition. Welcoming the Tinsdills team into our employee ownership model means we’re not just growing – we’re growing together.’

Tinsdills Solicitors has roots going back to 1580 and says the nature of the acquisition, with staff continuing to work from their current offices, will ensure a smooth transition.

‘While our name will retire, this move allows us to build on our legacy and embrace new opportunities for growth and enhanced client service,’ said Tinsdills chairman Peter Hamilton. ‘Our clients can be rest assured that the trusted relationships they have built with our team will remain – now backed by the strength and shared values of an employee-owned firm.’

Meanwhile, London firm Hodge Jones & Allen has ventured south of the river to acquire criminal specialist Birds Solicitors.

Founder Steven Bird and his 25-strong team will join the existing criminal defence team at HJA. The acquired firm had a reported turnover of £2.5m last year and has represented defendants in a number of high-profile cases, most notably helping to overturn the conviction of Gary Walker in 2021 after he had served 18 years in prison for murder.

The Birds brand will be incorporated into HJA but it will retain its office in Wandsworth.

Steve Bird added: ‘Whilst relinquishing the firm that we, as a team, have built over 25 years is hard, this move will allow the firm’s legacy to continue. It will also allow me to focus on representing clients, which is why I became a criminal lawyer.’

HJA’s senior partner Patrick Allen, announced plans earlier this year to retire from the firm he co-founded in 1977. From 1 October, HJA will be run by a management team led by Chun Wong, head of dispute resolution, and Julie Hardy, director of finance, alongside equity partners Agata Usewicz, Jayesh Kunwardia, Raj Chada and Leticia Williams.