Slater and Gordon continues UK expansion

Slater and Gordon has said that it is planning to buy Welsh firms Leo Abse & Cohen and Walker Smith Way.

The double acquisition will result in Slater and Gordon’s UK presence expand by some 200 staff, spread over five locations in South and North Wales.

Both firms will continue to work from their offices and will be dual branded for the next 12 months.

Andrew Grech, Slater and Gordon’s managing director (pictured left, with Neil Kinsella, the firm’s UK chairman), said that both of the acquisitions would advance the firm’s strategic objectives in the UK by building on their existing regional presence and offering a range of accessible services to a variety of different client bases.

“Both LAC and Walker Smith Way have teams that will be able to offer a huge amount of expertise to our larger client base,” he said.

“They have particularly strong reputations in Wales and the Chester area and together we can offer a full Welsh and regional local service to our clients. More importantly they share the same values as we do and are organisations with similar cultures.

Grech added that the move would mean that it was in a stronger position to offer clients world class legal services close to their home and extend its offering of specialised services to membership organisations.

“It demonstrates our clear commitment to the relationships we have with union clients,” he said.

The Australian legal giant has also just launched a refreshed UK brand with a new logo and colour scheme. It is also set to release a new series of TV commercials.

Mark Dugdale