Haden:
Private-equity backed Fletchers Group has acquired the 80-strong serious injury practice of national firm Shoosmiths, adding three new offices in the process.
Around 900 clients will have the option of moving their cases across to Fletchers, of which more than 20 are ultra-high-value, £20m+ matters. The deal also includes a substantial number of Court of Protection cases.
Some 90% of the Shoosmiths cases are clinical negligence and the rest personal injury.
Following completion in August, Fletchers will add new offices in Birmingham, Reading and Northampton, adding to its existing bases in Southport, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge and most recently Newcastle.
Phil Barnes, Shoosmiths national head of serious injury, will lead the new business in the Midlands and South. Seven other partners are moving over.
When Sun European Partners invested in Fletchers in October 2021, it was known more for a high volume of smaller serious injury cases but it has been steadily growing its share of bigger ones too.
NHS Resolution data, based on the amount of claimant legal costs paid, gave Irwin Mitchell the largest market share in 2023/24, with £74m equating to 13.5%. Fletchers was next with a 6.2% share, even though it actually had more cases than Irwin Mitchell (1,224 to 1,184). This was a significant jump on 4.9% the year before.
In 2024, Fletchers signed around 13,000 serious injury cases, a 20% increase on the previous year and almost double since Sun European’s investment.
Sun European has already backed the acquisitions of law firms Cycle SOS, Minton Morill, Serious Injury Law and, at the start of this year, Scott Rees & Co, as well as digital marketing specialist Blume and in March lead generators Claims.co.uk.
Fletchers Group chief executive Peter Haden said the Shoosmiths team has “a strong track record in complex, high-value cases, including major birth injury and catastrophic injury claims. I am confident that they will make a major contribution to our business, not just in case volumes but also through their deep experience of this area of the law”.
Shoosmiths chief executive David Jackson said the deal followed a strategic review of the serious injury market and the firm’s long-term growth priorities.
“The serious injury market has evolved quickly, and continued success in this area demands substantial, specialist investment. After extensive discussions, we’re confident that Fletchers offers the right home for our people and our clients, with the focus, scale, and ambition needed to support long-term growth.
“The deal also allows us to continue to sharpen our strategic focus on the areas aligned to our 2030 strategy through further investment in lateral talent in the coming months, supporting our ambition to lead the upper‑mid‑market by excelling in our chosen markets across corporate, real estate, and litigation, with a deep sector focus in technology, financial services, energy, infrastructure, and mobility.”
Over the last year Shoosmiths has also disposed of its consumer and commercial collections and legal debt recovery businesses to Solaris Law.
Mr Barnes, commented: “This decision wasn’t taken lightly – it reflects a shared recognition that the serious injury sector is evolving fast, and to keep delivering the very best outcomes for our clients, we need scale, focus and sustained investment.”
Mr Haden added: “We remain resolute in our ambition to be the UK’s most successful serious injury law firm, via a mix of inorganic and organic growth, and continued investment in our people and technology.
“We also intend to be a vocal contributor to the debate about the essential role we and our peers play in helping people move forward from what is often the worst experiences of their lives.”
Meanwhile, well-known London law firm, Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA), has acquired south London crime firm Birds Solicitors, which had a turnover of £2.5m last year.
Founder Steven Bird and his team of 25 work have a particular reputation for financial crime, appellate and prison law. They will remain in their offices in Wandsworth, South London. HJA’s existing criminal law team is 40 strong.
Birds has acted in several high-profile cases, including Operation Elveden – the investigation into corruption between the British press and the police – and the Guralp Systems corruption case, following the Serious Fraud Office’s allegation of bribes in South Korea.
Raj Chada, head of crime at HJA, said the synergy between the two firms and “exceptional track record” of Birds Solicitors would secure the department’s position as the “’go-to’ criminal defence team”.
Mr Bird, who joins HJA as a consultant, said: “Whilst relinquishing the firm that we, as a team, have built over 25 years is hard, this move will allow the firm’s legacy to continue. It will also allow me to focus on representing clients, which is why I became a criminal lawyer.”
We reported yesterday on another slew of acquisitions across the country.
Good on them I hope they have learned from the mistakes me and my old mate Andrew Grech made at S&G.