Law firms join forces to expand legal services

An acquisition this October will bring together two long established law firms covering a multi-county client base.

GHP Legal, a Top Tier Legal 500 firm and one of the largest private practices serving Oswestry, Shropshire and North and Mid Wales, has acquired the Oswestry practice of Milton Francis & Hughes.

The merger is seen as an ideal partnership, with both firms priding themselves on building long-standing relationships with private, agricultural and commercial clients whilst maintaining high standards of practice to all.

With expertise at Milton Francis & Hughes stemming back to 1983, GHP Legal’s success began when Gwilym Hughes, Gethin Davies and Clive Jones, all former Partners in the Wrexham & Shotton Practice of Cyril Jones & Co, joined forces to establish Gwilym Hughes & Partners in 1970. The year 2000 brought the merger with (A W) Brown & Lloyd of Oswestry founded in 1980.

Richard Lloyd and John Hulme, both former partners of Brown & Lloyd, continue as partners of GHP Legal today. As with earlier mergers, their aim is to ensure a seamless transition in the firm’s latest acquisition, with MFH Senior Partner, Richard Hughes, and his colleagues, Jeremy Case and Kellie Lewis, continuing in roles within the firm.

Employing specialists who cover almost every aspect of law in offices in Oswestry, Wrexham, Chirk and Llangollen, GHP Legal already serves a client base stretching across more than 10 counties in England and Wales.  With in-house Solicitor-Advocates the firm represents clients in all courts. Such wide-ranging resources enable them to provide the case continuity that many smaller practices are not able to offer.

“GHP Legal and MFH are similar in that they are multi-disciplinary practices, committed to providing clients with legal services of the highest standard,” says Richard Hughes. “Despite our collective size we shall continue to combine our professional approach with a friendly, personal and easily accessible service.” 

Speaking about the acquisition GHP Legal Senior Partner, Richard Lloyd, said:  “The merger of our two firms serves to strengthen the position of GHP Legal, which is already a highly regarded law firm across Shropshire and North and Mid Wales.  

“We are pleased to welcome the staff of Milton Francis & Hughes to this firm and are very proud to now call them colleagues. The two firms will continue under the GHP Legal banner and with the shared ethics of hard work, efficiency and commitment to client care for which both are well renowned.”

Milton Francis And Hughes

from left are Hywel Jones, Michael Keeling, Alison Peters, Victoria Wilson, Richard Lloyd, Robert Williams, Kellie Lewis, Richard Hughes, Jeremy Case

(Article 01/10/2018)