Law firm

150-year-old law firm set to merge




Wollen Michelmore has announced that it will be merging with north Devon solicitors Toller Beattie.

The merger will take effect on 1st October 2018 and comes after Wollen Michelmore recently combined with Exeter-based solicitors Morgan and Pope.

Wollen Michelmore claimed that the mergers would make the company one of the largest independent law firms in the West Country, employing over 185 people with an annual turnover of between £9.5m and £10m.

The regional law firm’s specialities include commercial and private property law, with its history going back 150 years.

“When talks with both Morgan and Pope and Toller Beattie started some years ago it was not envisaged that we would proceed with both mergers in the same year – but that is the way things have turned out,” said Chris Hart, chief executive at Wollen Michelmore (pictured above, far right).

“Toller Beattie [has] a strong reputation in corporate and commercial and new build property work and we have a strong reputation in private client work.

“The combination of the two firms strengthens our position in the legal sector significantly, and offers our clients expertise in every area of law.”

Toller Beattie has been trading in its current form since 1998, but its origins date back to 1780.

Both Toller Beattie and Wollen Michelmore have offices in Barnstaple and the future intention is to move both offices to a single site.

Gillian Jones, partner at Toller Beattie (pictured above, third from left), added: “The merging of the two firms will be a means of providing a better, more comprehensive legal service to all our clients across the South West and, at the same time, will be good for the staff and partners of the combined firm, giving them greater opportunities for career and business development in a much larger firm.”

Pictured above, from left to right: Maurice Clark, Clive Meredith, Gillian Jones, Jon Dunkley, Deborah Baker, Mark Roome, Alex Jenkins, David Eastman, Penelope Glaister, Charlotte McGregor and Chris Hart

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