4-5 Gray's Inn Square has merged with public law specialist Atlas Chambers, with Atlas director John Lister and a team of eight barristers set to start operating under the 4-5 Gray's Inn Square banner.

Discussions regarding a combination began last month, with all the barristers set to join 4-5 Gray's Inn over the coming weeks.

Associated outfit Atlas Tax Chambers, clerked by Lister, will be run as an independent entity headed by barrister Keith Gordon. The niche arm, which comprises three barristers, will move to Five Gray's Inn Square, sharing staff and facilities with the 4-5 Gray's Inn.

Head of 4-5 Gray's Inn Square Timothy Straker QC said: "We have already started the integration process and expect to be fully joined together in three to four weeks. Our strategy is to create an attractive set of chambers for both barristers and those that instruct them, with a good size and good premises. Talks with Atlas started fairly recently and it quickly became apparent to all that the combination would be a valuable exercise."

4-5 Gray's Inn said that the arrangement to share facilities with Atlas Tax Chambers will "provide friendly and approachable chambers with the maximum amount of co-operation between barristers so as to drive down costs and maintain the optimum number of barristers in a set of chambers: neither too large nor too small".

The news comes after a quartet of clerks from 4-5 Gray's Inn left for 39 Essex Street in January, two months after the chambers saw a 24-member walk-out, which included seven QCs.

4-5 Gray's Inn focuses on commercial law, planning, public law, human rights and administrative law.