Birketts LLP announces merger with Batchelors Solicitors

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Top 50 law firm Birketts LLP has announced it will merge with Batchelors Solicitors, a leading firm based in London and Kent.

The merger is set to complete on the 31 March 2023 and is the latest step in Birketts’ growth trajectory. The firm’s previous merger, announced in December 2021, saw the incorporation of niche property practice Charles Fraser & Co based in Bury St Edmunds.

However, its latest merger with Batchelors will further increase its geographical footprint to offer widescale legal support in more regions of the country. Notably, the social housing practice area of the firm will benefit from the merge, as both firms share an established and deep-rooted commitment to this specific sector.

Birketts CEO Jonathan Agar commented: “We are thrilled to be welcoming the Batchelors team to the Birketts family. With shared specialisms and a business structure very similar to our own, we are confident that they will fit seamlessly, both commercially and culturally, into our full-service offering.”

Birketts will expand on its existing offices in Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford and London. Adding the strategic base of Sevenoaks, Batchelors existing office base, Birketts hopes this will provide a platform for access across Kent, Surrey, Sussex and further afield.

Mark Walkington, senior partner at Batchelors, said: “The strong traditions of both firms for providing quality forward thinking advice as well as the obvious geographical fit establishes an excellent base from which we can quickly establish Birketts as the first-choice legal firm for both businesses and individuals right across the South East region of London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.”

As a combined entity, the firms will grow into one of the top legal services firms in the South East region with nearly 100 partners in total.