Cardiff headquartered law firm Hugh James has expanded with the acquisition of Manchester practice Potter Rees Dolan.
Potter Rees Dolan, which has an annual turnover of £7m, is a catastrophic personal injury and clinical negligence niche practice. In the past year it has secured settlements worth more than £125m for its clients. The firm employs more than 65 staff, including nine partners.
The value of the acquisition has not been disclosed, but is a significant move for Hugh James, which identified expansion in the north-west of England as part of its growth strategy five years ago.
Since then it has expanded its London presence as well as opening offices in Southampton and Plymouth.
As part of the deal Hugh Potter and Helen Dolan will continue as Hugh James partners managing the Manchester office.
Alun Jones, managing partner at Hugh James, which has a turnover of £47.5m and employs more than 550 staff including 67 partners, said “This is an exciting development for us. Potter Rees Dolan is a well-established and very well-run Manchester firm, employing a great team of people. Our work aligns closely with theirs and together we’ll be able to provide an even better service to clients across England and Wales. It’s an honour that Hugh and Helen have chosen to pass the mantle onto us. They’ve built a very successful business over the years and I look forward to working with them as we enter this new chapter.”
On the acquisition Mr Potter and Ms Dolan said, “Hugh James has an excellent reputation. We share the same commitment to placing client care front and centre and we are confident we have also secured a really bright future for our staff. What stood out for us was that, while Hugh James is an ambitious business, it remains firmly rooted in community. We’ve been impressed by the approach the partnership has taken in carefully building its London presence and we are confident that the same will be applied to develop the business in Manchester.”
Potter Rees Dolan will continue to operate under its brand, but will at a future date be rebranded Hugh James.
Read next:
