Insider Media Limited

Newly merged firms Harrison Clarke and Shawcross & Co are aiming to become the biggest entity in Worcestershire and Herefordshire's law sector, Insider has learnt.

According to Rod Thomas, managing partner at Worcester-based Harrison Clarke, the deal was deliberately targeted to increase both firms' geographical reach. However, he said the new firm had no ambitions to creep into the West Midlands' major cities.

"Bigger cities like Birmingham are already very well serviced [by law firms], so we've no desire to try and spread our reach further. Instead, we want to become the biggest firm in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The merger gives us a good spread of offices, and allows us to enter new markets."

Harrison & Clarke has offces in Worcester and Cheltenham, while Shawcross is based in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

The deal gives the merged firm a staff of about 200, and a turnover of £12m.

Thomas added that the firm wanted to "keep on growing", and said it was "actively looking" for new recruits.

"We want to grow our range of services and people – we didn't merge to save on costs, we did it to become a much more powerful force, and the only way we will achieve that is by investing in the firm and its people."

Thomas added that the deal was struck as part of a wider strategy move, which was implemented in part because of the changes to the Legal Services Act, which will come into play in October this year.

"All firms will have to do something," he said. "The option of doing nothing just isn't viable. The cost of insurance, compliance and commercial pressure will all have to be taken into account.

"I think we'll see more mergers in the middle market firms who have found the recession and its aftermath difficult. We had to grow beyond our Worcester base and expand geographically – I imagine a lot of other firms are thinking the same."