Hewitson Moorhead will have 46 partners, 120 legally qualified personnel in total and revenues of more than £16 million.
The partners of both firms have voted in favour of the merger, which is due to complete on July 1.
Hewitsons managing partner Colin Jones will become managing partner of Hewitson Moorhead. The newly merged firm’s management board will include Christine Bowyer-Jones (pictured with Colin Jones) , current joint managing partner of Moorhead James, who will represent the London office.
Mr Jones said: “This merger represents an important step for our expanding presence in London and we are delighted to have found the ideal partner in Moorhead James.
“We wanted to join with a firm whose business plan and culture was aligned to ours in giving us the opportunity to grow and best serve a client base of private clients, property and not-for-profit organisations, as well as being able to introduce our specialist corporate and commercial services to the many first-class companies and organisations for whom Moorhead James act and the commercial London market.”
The new firm is looking to recruit more lawyers to its ranks after July 1.
Christine Bowyer Jones said: “We are delighted to be merging with Hewitsons. The merger will bring us all the advantages of a larger firm – structure, support and depth of experience – with a strong culture and a commitment to quality that mirrors our own.
“The creation of Hewitson Moorhead will mean we can now offer our clients legal advice in both the commercial and private client arenas.”
Mr Jones added: “The merger strengthens our geographical reach and consolidates our leading position in Cambridge, Northampton and Milton Keynes by offering our clients additional practice area expertise where they require – for example in the sports and AIM arenas.
“It also enables more of our lawyers to work from London in line with client needs. This is an attractive option both for existing staff and for the future recruitment we have planned.
“We look forward to growing the new firm for the advantage of our clients and staff and are very excited about the opportunities the merger will enable.”
Hewitsons is an established, UK Top 200 law firm that has been operating in London since 2013 through a small office in Euston.
The merger with Moorhead James, a commercial law firm based near Blackfriars in the heart of the City and legal district, will build on Hewitsons’ existing presence in the capital and reinforce and strengthen its offering in Cambridge, Northampton and Milton Keynes, by providing clients who have interests in London with legal services wherever they and their advisers are.
With London viewed as a gateway to the world, the merger will also further enhance the ability to service clients with international legal requirements via the international referral network, LawExchange, which Hewitsons founded in 1994.
