Irwin Mitchell and Thomas Eggar agree deal to create £250m firm

Law firms Irwin Mitchell and Thomas Eggar are to merge in a deal that will create a £250m-turnover business.

The two firms said contracts had already been exchanged and the merger was expected to formally complete in December 2015.

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.

Irwin Mitchell Group Chief Executive Andrew Tucker said: “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.”

He added that the merger would add significant additional scale to Irwin Mitchell’s Business Legal Services division, which he claimed, if it were a standalone business, would now be a top 50 legal firm in its own right. 

“This is the latest step in our strategic expansion plan but we see still further opportunities arising as the market continues to consolidate. Our continued growth has given us a strong financial base to drive even greater investment in our Group,” Tucker said.

Thomas Eggar Managing Partner Vicky Brackett, who will join the Irwin Mitchell LLP Executive Board, said the complementary cultural and service fit between the two businesses and shared approach to client care would broaden the offering to clients, including sports law and planning.