Wragge & Co and Lawrence Graham are to merge, forming a new firm, Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co, from 1 May 2014. The partnerships of both firms have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the combination, which will create a £171 million business with 1,300 people, including 770 lawyers, operating from ten offices worldwide.
The new firm will provide clients with access to a broader range of services, increased capability in London and the UK, and enhanced international coverage. Above all, it will be synonymous with outstanding client service and sector knowledge – providing advice and solutions based on understanding the commercial issues, challenges and opportunities clients face.
Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co will be home to a leading real estate practice, a strong equity capital markets practice and top-tier expertise in investment funds, private capital, IP, pensions and construction.
In London and the UK it will have a stronger platform from which to pursue growth and meet the needs of a diverse client base. It will have offices in ten locations: Birmingham, Brussels, Dubai, Guangzhou, London, Monaco, Moscow, Munich, Paris and Singapore, plus trusted networks across the world.
Wragge & Co senior partner Quentin Poole said: “This merger brings together complementary cultures, locations and practice groups to create a strong and distinctive offer to clients. Our new firm will be characterised by its focus on high-quality, commercial legal advice, delivered cost-effectively, and strong relationships built by people who care about their clients.”
Andrew Witts, Lawrence Graham’s senior partner, added: “We are very excited about this opportunity to forge a bigger, better and stronger firm for our clients and people. We will enhance our capabilities in core services such as real estate, corporate and litigation, while creating major new business opportunities for our renowned international private capital team. Broader international coverage also enables us to better service the needs of our global clients.”
The merger creates one of the UK’s largest real estate practices – a strong, broad-based practice acting for institutions, investors, developers and occupiers. It will be the number one AIM firm by market capitalisation and a top-rated firm for investment funds work.
In dispute resolution, the merger brings together Wragge & Co’s strengths in IP, construction and commercial litigation with Lawrence Graham’s focus on international disputes, particularly in the areas of fraud/asset tracing, contentious trusts and insurance/reinsurance.
The new firm will also offer clients access to Wragge & Co’s award-winning pensions experts and Lawrence Graham’s highly rated private capital team, which advises UK and international high-net-worth individuals.
With two UK offices in London and Birmingham, Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co will be a dual-centre firm offering clients a range of innovative and flexible options in client service, pricing and delivery models.
Wragge & Co managing partner elect David Fennell will become the new firm’s chief executive, with Quentin Poole as senior partner and Lawrence Graham senior partner Andrew Witts as chairman. The new firm’s non-executive directors will be Helen Owers and Alastair McLeish.
