Blume announces acquisition of Online Legal

Blume has received approval from the Financial Conduct Authority to complete the acquisition of Online Legal, a Liverpool-based technology-led customer acquisition specialist for the legal sector.

The deal will enhance Blume’s cross-channel marketing expertise and enable the company to offer more service choice and flexibility, strengthening and broadening its proposition for law firms.

Under the arrangement, Blume and Online Legal will continue to operate as separate entities, connecting active customers with law firms looking to grow through their high-performing consumer brands.

They will share a technology-driven approach combined with industry knowledge, aiming to capitalise on new business opportunities and grow their existing client bases.

The move marks another stage in Blume’s ambitious expansion plans and comes on the back of its rebrand from mmadigital last month, and nine months after it secured private equity funding from Rockpool Investments. The business has doubled in size over the past year and is on track to achieve a turnover of £30 million by the end of 2023.

Dez Derry (pictured), chief executive officer and founder of Blume, said: “The deal with Online Legal will give us additional capabilities to further enhance our service offering as we continue to evolve and capitalise on our long-term growth plans and improve market strength. The combined entity will add scale and diversification to the business which will enable us to reach a wider audience as well as providing more comprehensive solutions that better satisfy our clients’ needs.”

Nathan O’Connor, founder and director of Online Legal, and a former legal counsel for Shop Direct, said: “This is such an exciting time for Online Legal as we join Blume to embark on a new chapter. Both companies have a similar vision, ethos and focus, which makes us a perfect strategic fit. While we will continue to maintain our separate brands given their individual strengths, the bringing together of the businesses will further enhance our customer proposition with a more forward-thinking vision and approach.”

Image source: Blume

Mark Dugdale