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Stronger together: Weightmans expands across UK following merger

National law firm Weightmans is a firm on a journey. It has recently expanded again following its merger with firm RadcliffesLeBrasseur, which completed in June 2022 to create the new Weightmans LLP.

The merger has grown the firms’ presence in London, Leeds, Cardiff and nationally, providing a wider range of market-leading services focused on client service excellence.

Weightmans is a leading national player in its client markets, providing a full legal service offering to clients across the UK and beyond. With 140 specialisms and 432 experts listed in key legal directories, the firm offers a full spectrum of services to built environment enterprises, large corporate institutions, health organisations, insurance companies, public sector bodies, owner managed businesses and individual private clients.

The recent merger has increased the existing support provided to the firm’s clients, as well as enhancing the capabilities across core services. It will add further outstanding expertise to the firms’ national practices and the resources to ensure that the combined firm continues to meet the ever-increasing needs and expectations of all clients, large and small.

Weightmans now has a turnover of over £120m, 225 Partners and a total headcount of over 1400 people based across nine offices - cementing its place as a top 40 national firm.

June’s merger further underlined the firm’s investment in the UK and its world-leading legal sector. This year saw a wave of new recruits arrive at the firm as it was awarded Top Employer status for the fifteenth time. Twelve were welcomed to the Partnership in departments such as Family, Employment and Healthcare, and the Finance team hailed its first partner promotion, in what was a record number ever promoted in one round.

News of the merger comes as Weightmans announced 5% growth for 2021-2022, with income over the year coming to £103.2m. In the same period net profit increased by 25% from £9m to £11.3m, and as a result the firm has awarded a £1.5m bonus fund to staff this year.

With its ongoing programme of innovation and product technology, Weightmans remains focused on modernising processes and implementing new tools to drive efficiency, working with and for businesses and academic organisations to deliver result for its staff and its clients. All offices are equipped with the latest technology to allow staff to work flexibly and creatively, as well as limiting their environmental impact. Earlier this year, Weightmans promoted Director of Business Services Stuart Whittle to Chief Innovation and Technology Officer and Innovation Manager Catriona Wolfenden became Product and Innovation Director, as the firm places technology at the front and centre of its operations.

Whilst the legal industry continues to make progress, there’s still much to do to reduce social inequality and ensure workforces are built and rewarded based on their merit and talent, rather than their economic status, social background or connections. Weightmans’ mentoring initiatives, its flagship Leadership Academy, Legal Advice Clinics and the Law Mentoring Scheme with BPP are all in place to ensure there are as many opportunities made available to as many people as possible. The firm also launched a new solicitors degree apprenticeship in 2021, with the next cohort joining in September.

Weightmans is a firm on a journey. In recent years it has announced record turnover, arrived in new locations right across the UK and welcomed some of the country’s best legal minds. Its people have raised over £350,000 for charity and delivered hundreds of hours of pro bono work. The firm has a clear sense of purpose and is where people come to succeed. It is hoped that time will see this only strengthen further.

To learn more, visit the Weightmans website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Weightmans .