Award-winning law firm moves to Redditch

Neil Lloyd, Kim Carr, Jan Thompson and Steven Priest celebrate the Redditch deal.

Leading Midlands law firm FBC Manby Bowdler is expanding into Redditch following the acquisition of the town’s largest lawyers.

The award-winning practice has acquired highly-respected lawyers Kerwoods in a move which sees it become one of the top 150 legal firms in the country.

The firm has retained the practice’s existing offices and all the staff have transferred across to FBC Manby Bowdler as part of the agreement.

In a separate deal, FBC Manby Bowdler has also acquired south Shropshire practice LV Priestley and Son.

FBC Manby Bowdler sales director Neil Lloyd said the deals represented a significant expansion for the company, which would now boast nine offices across Shropshire and the West Midlands.

“We have been looking to grow the practice geographically for some time and these two acquisitions represent the right opportunity for us to realise that ambition.

“The deals represent a 10 per cent increase in our headcount and will take us into the top 150 firms in the country in terms of turnover.

“More importantly, whilst we will continue to offer the stellar service to our existing clients, we’ll be introducing the wider range of services we have within our team to new areas.”

Kerwoods – the largest law firm in Redditch – was established in 1880 and has occupied its current town centre premises for over 100 years. It holds both Lexcel and CQS certification and has a turnover in excess of £1million.

Mr Lloyd said the move into Redditch represented a significant expansion of the firm’s geographical footprint and would open up new opportunities.

“We are retaining all the staff at Kerwoods so existing customers can be assured they will continue to receive the first-class service they have been used to.

“The town is known as a centre of manufacturing which is currently undergoing major redevelopment, and, with our expertise in this sector, we see it as an opportunity to develop the business.”

A new £100m Eastern Gateway project in the Worcestershire town will create some 2,500 new jobs along with new office and industrial space, providing a significant growth opportunity for FBC Manby Bowdler’s award-winning specialists.

Neil said the acquisition of LV Priestley and Son in Church Stretton had allowed the company to develop its presence further into south Shropshire.

Both offices will be rebranded as FBC Manby Bowdler premises in the next few months.

FBC Manby Bowdler LLP is a 30-Partner award winning regional law firm focused on and committed to intelligently delivering stellar service to its customers.

It is recognised in the 2017 Legal 500 Directory as a top tier firm for Agriculture & Estates, Contentious Trusts & Probate, Family, and Commercial Litigation.