Wearing: Expansion entirely employee-driven
Ison Harrison has made its first acquisition outside Yorkshire, buying North-West practice Dootsons and increasing its total number of offices by three to 30.
The law firm, which became 100% employee-owned in January 2022, had 17 offices at that time and a turnover of £16m. Its turnover following the acquisition of Dootsons will be £42m.
Jonathan Wearing, managing partner of Ison Harrison, said last December that the firm was ready to expand beyond Yorkshire and it opened a Manchester city centre office in July.
All 27 fee-earners and staff at Dootsons are joining Ison Harrison, bringing its staff numbers to 500.
Mr Wearing commented: “Expanding our footprint in the North-West, hot on the heels of establishing a presence in Manchester, is a statement of the intent of our growth plans beyond our traditional heartland.
“Our strategy remains unchanged: providing high-quality, local legal support right in the heart of local communities. Acquiring a firm of Dootsons’ calibre and reputation enables us to build quickly following our arrival in Manchester.
“Our expansion is entirely employee-driven. As a 100% employee-owned firm, every member of our team has a real stake in the business. That model fosters a client-first mindset and gives us the stability to invest in respected high-street firms that share our community values.”
The three former Dootsons offices joining Ison Harrison are in Leigh, Culcheth in Cheshire and Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside.
Andrew Stockton, managing partner of Dootsons, said: “Over 125 years, Dootsons has built a reputation for trusted legal advice, personal service and long-standing relationships with clients across the communities we serve.
“Joining Ison Harrison gives us the opportunity to protect that heritage while ensuring the practice is well placed for the future, with the backing of a £42m regional firm.”
Niamh Wilson, partner and regional lead at Ison Harrison in Manchester, added: “Building out our presence across Greater Manchester gives us an ideal foundation to support regional clients. We look forward to working closely with the teams to support local businesses and families.”
Mr Wearing said in December that the “vast majority” of Ison Harrison’s offices in Yorkshire were opened because someone within the firm mentioned a town or city where they wanted this to happen, and the same approach could apply outside the county. “If someone makes a good business case, why would I say no to them?”
The law firm M&A platform Matchmaker⁺ brought Ison Harrison and Dootsons together.
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