Merger (l-r): Adrian Rogers, Paul Barrow, David Jones (UK head of legal, ETL Global)
Multi-disciplinary accountancy network ETL Global has made its fifth UK law firm acquisition after Glaisyers ETL merged with Liverpool firm Quinn Barrow.
The deal trebles the size of Glaisyers’ Liverpool office – which only opened last year – which will now have 20 staff.
Overall, Glaisyers ETL, which is headquartered in Manchester, now employs 85 people and has a turnover of £9m with the £1.5m added by Quinn Barrow.
Quinn Barrow, which has 13 staff and whose office will now be Glaisyers’ Liverpool base, has a broad business and private client practice, and adds family law as a new area for Glaisyers.
Headquartered in Germany, ETL (standing for European Tax and Law) combines tax, legal, audit and accounting services and is the 15th largest accountancy network in the world. It has 18,000 professionals working in 50 countries. Its UK operation is headquartered in Bolton.
ETL generally takes a majority stake in its network firms and has 18 accountancy practices across England and Wales on its books, as well as an HR business. In 2018, Glaisyers was its first legal acquisition here and in 2021 it added London firm Laytons.
In January 2022, Glaisyers ETL took a minority stake in specialist investment fraud practice Wealth Recovery Solicitors, and two months later Laytons bought Cannings Connolly.
Paul Barrow, partner at Quinn Barrow, said, “Glaisyers ETL have been making waves in the North-West legal market for the last few years, and joining forces with them will open up a range of growth possibilities for all of us.
“Becoming part of the ETL Global network, in particular, will provide access to a raft of new opportunities to collaborate with our professional peers across the UK and around the world.”
Corporate partner Adrian Rogers, who joined Glaisyers ETL last year to establish the Liverpool office, added: “Quinn Barrow are a highly respected firm, and I am excited to work with all of my new colleagues to push forward and become the pre-eminent firm for independent businesses and their owners around Liverpool and beyond.”
