Legal firms abandon merger plans

A PAIR of legal firms have called off plans to merge despite talks.

Weightmans, which was last year crowned top professional services firm at the Birmingham Post Business Awards, and Ward Hadaway said their strategic priorities were too different to invest in such a significant merger.

Weightmans, which has a base in Temple Row, last year merged its Midlands teams and appointed Richard Osborn as regional office head for its offices in Birmingham and Leicester.

Managing partner John Schorah said: “We have real respect for Ward Hadaway, they have a really good business with very good people.

“We have many common interests too but after discussions it became clear that we each want different things from our respective futures. We sensibly agreed between us it was better to focus on those things. Weightmans’ new structure will be in place on May 1 as part of a comprehensive strategic review, always putting the client at the heart of what we do.

“We will continue to focus on growing a balanced practice of defendant insurance work as well as litigation, transaction and advisory services to our clients, while further developing our innovative technology to meet changing client needs.”

Ward Hadaway was founded in 1988 and has offices in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.