Law firms Tees and Wortley Byers to merge
Tees, the law firm with offices at Castle Park in Cambridge, is to merge with Wortley Byers in the new year.
The new company, which will be known as Tees incorporating Wortley Byers, will have 30 partners, 325 staff and a turnover in excess of £22million.
It will offer an extended range of specialist services and serve a wider area.
Tees has offices in Royston and Bishop’s Stortford, in Hertfordshire, and in Saffron Walden and Chelmsford in Essex, while Wortley Byers is based in Brentwood in Essex.
Both companies have a substantial history.
Wortley Byers can trace its history back to Stamp Wortley. It took on its current name in 1967, when the Brentwood branch merged with another firm. Tees, meanwhile, was established in 1913 in Bishop’s Stortford, as Stanley Tee.
Tees’ group managing director, Ashton Hunt, said the merger was mutually beneficial and a natural evolution.
“I’m delighted to announce this merger,” he said. “ Many thousands of clients rely on our services. It’s only right that we should look to enhance the services we provide – in terms of the range we offer – and where we offer them.
“Tees was already a significant regional law firm, widely recognised for the quality of our people and the quality of the service we provide. This view is backed up by independent publications such as Legal 500 which ranks many of our services in the top two tiers.
“When you look at the DNA of Wortley Byers it’s remarkably like ours. Quality people providing quality legal services to individuals and businesses – similarly recognised by Legal 500.”
Lucy Folley, managing partner at Wortley Byers, will sit on the board in the newly-merged firm.
She said: “Both firms could legitimately say they were multi-disciplined, able to offer legal solutions on a wide range of legal matters. With this merger, not only has the range of services significantly increased but so too has the depth of resources and additional sector expertise. Plus of course we now serve a larger geographical area.
“We are in a very strong position to continue the growth – which both firms were experiencing – and better serve our clients. The most important thing is that Tees share our client-focussed approach in delivering work for clients in a straightforward manner, with good two-way communication and providing an excellent service at its heart.”
The merger takes effect from January 1.
The firm will offer services to companies including commercial property, corporate law, employment law and litigation. For individuals, three new services will be offered - clinical negligence, personal injury and financial advice - alongside the existing family law, residential conveyancing and wills and probate services.
