Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has posted a 17% increase in H1 turnover in the wake of the firm's acquisition of Halliwells' Manchester insurance practice.

The firm took in revenues of £44.5m for the first half of 2010-11 against the figure of £38.1m recorded at the same point last year.

The firm's profits have also increased by over 50% in comparison with the same period in 2009-10.

The results come after Barlows sealed a £2.5m deal to take on the Manchester insurance arm of Halliwells, which employs around 200 staff, when the firm went into administration this summer. The well-regarded team boasts a number of major clients including AXA and Chartis.

Barlows also attributed its growth to an increase in activity in the disputes sector.

Chief executive officer David Jabbari said: "We have seen a strong increase in activity in the last quarter. Our disputes areas have seen a noticeable pick-up in work and we have had a very good October.

"The second half of the year is always stronger than the first for us, so this stands us in good stead for a very positive overall result. I believe that we are entering a very significant growth period for the firm. We are looking at strategic opportunities for further expansion both in the City and internationally, while continuing to focus on our core markets and increasing profitability."

Barlows saw a dip in turnover at the end of the 2009-10 financial year, dropping 6.3% from £87m in 2008-09 to £81.5m. Profits per equity partner increased by around 3% to £300,000.