Stewarts Law seals merger deal with Bakers spin-off firm

Legal Week
08 July 2010

Specialist litigation firm Stewarts Law has sealed a merger deal with Baker & McKenzie spin-off Masseys.

The tie-up is set to go live next month (2 August) and will see Masseys' four-partner, seven-lawyer firm integrate financially with Stewarts.

The merger, which will create a 35-partner firm, will see Masseys join Stewarts' five-partner commercial litigation department led by Clive Zietman, who joined the firm from Manches last year. The combined practice will focus on offering conflict-free advice in commercial and financial litigation matters.

Partners Sean Upson and Jane Colston left Bakers to set up Masseys in 2004 and have since been joined by partners Fiona Gillett and Fiona Stewart from Bakers and Reed Smith respectively.

Stewarts reported revenues of £20m for the 2009-10 financial year, with profits per equity partner (PEP) standing at £797,255. Masseys' turnover, meanwhile, stood at £2.7m at the financial year end.

The combined firm is budgeting revenues of £27m in 2010-11, which is likely to push it into the UK top 100.

Stewarts managing partner John Cahill said: "This acquisition will add critical mass to our commercial litigation department. Having the right-sized specialist teams will further strengthen our ability when taking instructions on big and complex cases."