DWF and Ricksons have confirmed the completion of their planned merger as of 1 January 2007. The two regional law firms announced three weeks ago that they were in merger talks.
The merger makes DWF, as the firm will now be known, one of the UK's leading insurance practices with a fee income alone of over £22m and 350 people in Liverpool, Preston, Manchester and Leeds. The combined firm will have total fee income of £51m and around 800 people.
DWF's existing clients include R&SA, Admiral, Equity Red Star and Allianz Cornhill while Ricksons brings additional diversity to the client base in the shape of Norwich Union, MIB, QBE, Fortis, Groupama, Ensign Motor Policies, Capita and Garwyn.
Paul Berry, head of insurance at DWF, said: “The merger is an important milestone for both firms and will help us achieve our ambition to become a leading regional law firm and a national player in the insurance sector. It will give us increased profile in the marketplace and create a platform for further development.”
Anthony Hughes, former managing partner of Ricksons and now a member of the strategic board, commented: “Both firms have strong insurance practices and are an excellent fit in terms of their culture and practice areas. This is an exciting opportunity for us to enhance our client service offering, build a stronger business and put us in a better position to benefit from new business prospects that are arising.”
