One of Swindon’s leading firms of solicitors has merged with one of Oxford’s most established legal practices.
The merger sees Withy King, which has offices in Swindon, Bath, London, Marlborough and Trowbridge, come together with Marshall & Galpin, which has offices in Oxford, Abingdon and Thame.
Both firms are well established and recognised for their private client practices and have strong reputations in the areas of clinical negligence including birth injuries, cerebral palsy, dental negligence and inquests and personal injury including spinal, head and catastrophic injuries. The merger is seen as a step to grow this part of the firm throughout the Thames Valley.
In addition the merger is also seen as an opportunity to expand Withy King’s commercial practice in Oxford and the Thames Valley particularly in the areas such as commercial property, agriculture and rural property, care and racing and bloodstock.
Commenting on the merger Martin Powell, managing partner at Withy King said: “At Withy King we are constantly looking for opportunities for growth and to expand our client base across the South of England, particularly in and around the M4 corridor.
“We’re delighted to merge with Marshall & Galpin and results in a firm that employs 300 staff and has a turnover of £16m.
“Having enjoyed a period of sustained growth over recent years there is now a need to serve a growing client base by an expanded physical presence.
“We see Oxford and the Thames Valley as an area that provides excellent opportunities for further growth in both the private client and commercial sectors and we are delighted to bring together the expertise and experience of both firms.”
With the objective of both Marshall & Galpin and Withy King focused on providing high-level, personal service for their clients, the cultural fit of both firms was regarded as being key.
Martin added: “The merger will result in both practices gaining some established specialists, widening the remit and offer of the firm. In addition the personal injury and clinical negligence teams will be strengthened considerably as both firms have strong reputations in these fields.”
From 1 September Marshall & Galpin will trade under the Withy King name with Martin Powell as managing partner of the combined entity.
