High profile London legal aid firms TV Edwards and Blacklaws Davis are to merge on 1 May 2011, they said today.

On 1 April 2011 London criminal law and care work firm Dundons will also merge with TV Edwards.

The moves will make TV Edwards one of the capital’s largest public funded firms, with offices throughout London, and in Cambridge.

It will also bring together the largest number of children panel practitioners (24) in the country. TV Edwards senior partner Tony Edwards said: ‘These are challenging times for firms that are committed to providing quality legal aid services.

‘This merger is a realisation of our policy designed to ensure that we can continue to develop our specialist services to help the disadvantaged and all clients, often at times of great stress.’

‘Effective management and sufficient size are now critical to reduce overhead costs, but our aim remains to provide each client with the personal service that will best meet their needs,’ he said.

Jenny Beck, managing partner of TV Edwards, said: ‘Both firms share a real commitment to quality, and to the provision of public funded services, and together we will continue to be champions for access to justice for all whilst developing new, affordable services for private clients.’

Blacklaws Davis senior partner Christina Blacklaws said: ‘This is an exciting development for us all.

‘Bringing our specialist family law practice into TV Edwards will create a true leader in the field of public law children work.

‘We have exciting new ideas about service delivery in a changing market enabling us to sustain our commitment to high quality.’