Insider Media Limited

Merging with law firm Shakespeare Putsman is "a huge opportunity" for Nottingham-headquartered Berryman, partner Richard Brackenbury has told Insider. The merged firm, which will trade under the Shakespeares brand, has also revealed it is on the lookout to partner with more East Midlands companies.

The firm's managing director Paul Wilson told Insider: "We will definitely be on the lookout for firms on the M1/M4 corridor, then to Leicester, Derby, perhaps Gloucestershire and Cheltenham.

"It's much more likely that we'll be looking for established brands to help us grow, rather than opening new offices with one or two people. It's a very long haul to start from scratch, and the legal market is contracting – the pie is getting a lot smaller."

"We're looking to take on either full firms or teams, and grow substantially over the next 24 months."

The firm, which comprises Berryman, Shakepeare Putsman and Needham & James, has come together over the last four years. It now employs 420 people with annual revenues of £28m.

Brackenbury said: "We don’t see the new firm as Nottingham versus Birmingham; what it will give us is the chance to build with our existing clients and offer them new services. This is a huge opportunity for the Nottingham office.

"We’ve had a positive response from our staff from day one of the merger process, and the integration of the two firms has been almost seamless. What really helped was that the partners all got on well with each other from the beginning."

Duncan James, partner, added: "If we asked all our partners I think they’d tell you how amazed they were at how well it’s all gelled. There were no cultural issues surrounding the merger."

James said he believed the new Shakespeares branding makes Berryman the 'pioneer' of the new firm.

He said: "We see this whole process as us taking the lead once again. We were one of the first law firms in Nottingham to rebrand five or six years ago and embark on an aggressive marketing strategy. We’ve always seen ourselves as leaders in this area, and the merger will see us at the forefront once again."

James said that far from the merger meaning job losses in Nottingham, the firm has taken on six new members of staff since the process began.

He also said that Berryman will add new specialisms to the Shakespeares brand.

"Over the last few years we’ve developed real expertise and taken the lead in life sciences, healthcare and the rural economy. These are just some of the areas where we can add real worth to the new brand."

Shakespeares operates offices in Birmingham, Nottingham, Stratford upon Avon, Moreton-in-the-Marsh and Shipston-on-Stour.