Leading Regional Law Firm are Back on the Expansion Trail

LEADING regional law firm Wollen Michelmore have been back on the expansion trail after announcing their second merger this year. Wollen Michelmore will merge with the well-established North Devon solicitors Toller Beattie.

News of the deal which will take affect on October 1st, was revealed in a statement to all staff and comes just a few weeks after fast-growing Wollen Michelmore merged with Exeter-based solicitors Morgan and Pope.

The mergers will make Wollen Michelmore one of the largest independent law firms in the West Country, now employing more than 185 people with an annual turnover of between £9.5million and £10million.

Wollen Michelmore chief executive Chris Hart said:

“This latest merger will complete the firm’s current expansion plans. 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! We are all delighted.

Toller Beattie have 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 have been trading in their current form since 1998 but their origins date back to 1780. Award-winning Wollen Michelmore’s history goes back 150 years.

Both firms have offices in Barnstaple – Wollen Michelmore at Roundswell and Toller Beattie at Pottington.

Chris Hart said:

“The future intention is to move both offices to a single site but for the time being it is business as usual. We will be integrating our teams in each office by way of work type to ensure that there is a real coming together of hearts and minds in the combined firms.

Toller Beattie are a well-known and highly successful solicitors’ practice and with a strong reputation and excellent client relationships across North Devon and beyond. Joining with them significantly strengthens the firm as a whole and its presence in North Devon.”

Gillian Jones, Partner for Toller Beattie said:

“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.”

Wollen Michelmore have offices in Torquay, Exeter, Barnstaple, Dartmouth and Newton Abbot.