Midlands firms Shakespeares and Harvey Ingram are set to merge later this summer, in a move that will create a combined firm with revenues of around £50m.
The firms announced the merger to staff earlier today (24 May) with the planned tie-up set to go live from 1 August this year.

The deal will see the pair come together to create one fully financially integrated firm with around 815 lawyers and staff. Shakespeares reported a turnover of £29.6m for 2011-12, with Harvey Ingram understood to have revenues of around £19m.

The deal marks Shakespeares' sixth merger in five years and means the firm will achieve the £50m turnover target it set out in 2009 ahead of its 2014 schedule.
Shakespeares merged with Birmingham outfit Putsmans in 2007, followed in 2010 by tie-ups with Berryman in Nottingham and Needham & James in Stratford‐upon‐Avon and the Cotswolds.

It then merged with two property firms, Wood Glaister and Gorrara Haden, last year.

Shakespeares chief executive Paul Wilson (pictured) said: "In a fast-changing legal sector we believe our combined strengths make us even more attractive to our prospective client base. Our combined financial strength will also allow us to continue to invest in our people, technology and our brand.

"The merger with Harvey Ingram is a significant strategic step that places us where we want to be in terms of scale and reach in the Midlands. It significantly strengthens our presence in the East Midlands marketplace and will bring considerable benefits for clients."

The deal creates a firm with 12 offices. Harvey Ingram has offices including Leicester, Birmingham and Milton Keynes, while Shakespeares has bases including Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester and Stratford‐upon‐Avon.