The consolidation of the personal injury market took another step this week as a long-established Merseyside firm was bought by a Manchester rival.

Express Solicitors announced it had acquired Michael W Halsall Solicitors in a deal under which 37 staff and 2,500 ongoing cases transfer.

Michael W Halsall was formed 35 years ago and specialised in personal injury claims, but the directors sought a successor practice as they looked to exit an increasingly difficult market.

Accounts for the year ended 30 April 2022, published this week, show how tough the market has become for mid-sized firms which rely on PI, with director Ian Halsall admitting that finances had been impacted by Ministry of Justice reforms removing recoverability for claims under £5,000. Halsall said the business required ‘significant investment’.

Operating profit fell from almost £4m in 2020/21 to around £1.8m, with turnover falling 24% to £11.7m. The firm employed 80 people (down from 130 the previous year) including 21 solicitors and fee earners.

James Maxey, managing partner of Express Solicitors, said: ‘We’re delighted to have acquired such an excellent firm with a long-standing reputation of helping injured people. We look forward to welcoming the talented staff at Michael W Halsall Solicitors on-board and this will assist in our growth. We will continue to operate from their modern premises in Newton-le-Willows.’

Halsall added: ‘We are very pleased to find a suitable firm to look after our staff, the firm’s heritage and finding the right fit was very important to us. We are pleased to see during our dealings with Express Solicitors that they are committed to client care, staff welfare and progression and wish them every success.’

Express Solicitors has said its ambition is to become the leading claimant personal injury firm in the UK. It now has a caseload of more than 20,000 and employs around 450 people.

Kimberley Kirkby, head of RTA at Express, is taking the lead on integration and will be based partly from the Newton-le-Willows office for the foreseeable future.

During the acquisition, Express Solicitors was advised by Liverpool firm O’Connors Solicitors and Michael W Halsall Solicitors advised by Clarke Wilmott, Manchester.

 

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