Employee-owned Midlands firm expands with first acquisition

An employee-owned law firm has increased its presence in the Midlands with the acquisition of Coventry-based Sarginsons Law. Talbots Law, which became employee-owned in 2021, has expanded rapidly in recent years, nearly doubling its headcount to 400. It reported fee income of £22m in 2022, up from £17m in 2020.

No financial details of the acquisition were released. Talbots Law now has nine offices across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

The merged practice will retain all of Sarginsons’ legal professionals, including managing partner Ian Cox, finance partner Lynne Robson and partners Chris Bailey and Simon Booth. 

Talbots said plans are in place to invest in the refurbishment of Sarginsons’ city centre office and build on the practice’s long-established local heritage to grow the business from £1m to £3m by 2025.

The announcement is the latest in a rash of consolidations in the sector across England and Wales. 

'We’ve been looking to establish a presence in Coventry for a while, so when the opportunity to bring Sarginsons into the Talbots family came up, we knew we had to act,' said Dave Hodgetts, who joined Talbots as chief executive in 2021. 'The firm has an excellent reputation in the city and across Warwickshire and shares similar company values to our own, placing its staff at the heart of the business and ensuring a personal service to its clients.'

Sarginsons Law is one of Coventry’s leading legal practices. Cox said: 'This is a fantastic deal for both businesses and means we can embark on ambitious growth plans with all the backing and strengths Talbots Law will bring.'

Hodgetts said Talbots is looking at other law firms that could join its business.

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