Irwin Mitchell & Thomas Eggar to tie the knot

Irwin Mitchell and Thomas Eggar are to merge to create a £250m law firm and are planning further expansion in London and the south east of England.

The merger will be Irwin Mitchell’s eighth merger with, or acquisition of, a law firm since 2012 and pushes it into 11th place in UK law firm rankings.

All 450 Thomas Eggar employees, including 67 partners, will transfer to Irwin Mitchell after a TUPE process beginning this week. Thomas Eggar will adopt the Irwin Mitchell brand in the first half of 2016 at its six offices in London and the south-east. Irwin Mitchell has 11 offices plus Berkeley Law in London’s Mayfair.

The firms said the combined strength of the private wealth teams from Irwin Mitchell, Thomas Eggar and Berkeley Law (acquired by Irwin Mitchell last November) would create a top-five private client offering, with plans for significant growth.

Thomas Eggar managing partner Vicky Brackett, who will sit on the Irwin Mitchell Group executive board, says: “Clients tell us that what they value most are long-lasting relationships with innovative firms that can work with them side by side providing trustworthy advice.

“Our people, their expertise and ability to forge long-term relationships with clients are our greatest asset and this merger provides us with a terrific opportunity to offer clients across the country a wider range of services.”

Irwin Mitchell Group chief executive Andrew Tucker says:  “A merger with one of the leading business and private client law firms in the south east will transform our group.

“It combines the strengths of two highly-respected businesses to create a dynamic, client-focused firm that will give us further scale, critical mass and a competitive advantage in our target markets to become the legal brand of choice.”

The merger is expected to complete in December 2015.