Deal done: Helen Moore and Neil Lloyd
The law firm at the centre of private equity-backed Adeptio Law Group has made its second acquisition of the year.
Midlands law firm FBC Manby Bowdler has bought Worcester-based The Specialist Law Group, which operates as The Employment Solicitor and The Company Solicitor.
They will retain their brands as around 20 people move over, with managing director Helen Moore still at the helm.
Adeptio was created in late 2024 by private equity firm Horizon Capital and FBC to enact a ‘buy and build’ strategy.
But it was only in March this year that they announced their first deal [1], adding Black Country practice Jordans Solicitors, which has around 30 people working from offices in Blackheath and Halesowen, to FBC, whose turnover is now around £18m.
Neil Lloyd, chief executive of both FBC Manby Bowdler and Adeptio, said: “Helen and her team have built something genuinely impressive – well-known brands, a loyal client base and a real track record of delivering results.
“This acquisition significantly strengthens our employment law offering at exactly the right time and gives us a base in Worcester from which we plan to build a much broader range of services.
“We will be bringing FBC Manby Bowdler’s expertise in areas such as commercial property, family law and private client work to SLG’s clients and a new geography.”
Ms Moore described the deal as “a great solution for a small business with high ambitions”.
“Being part of a larger group gives us access to greater resources and investment in technology, which means we can reach more clients and deliver even better services.
“Our brands, our people and our values remain exactly the same. This is about growth and opportunity.”
Simon Hitchcock, managing partner of Horizon Capital, indicated that more details were in the offing this year.
“What makes this particularly exciting is the strategic fit – a nationally operating employment law specialist with strong brands, a great reputation and real growth potential. That is exactly the profile of firm we had in mind when we made our investment.
“We are seeing real appetite from high-quality regional firms who want what Adeptio offers: investment, expertise and a genuine long-term partner.
“We want to combine organic expansion with targeted acquisitions and we are actively looking to invest in further high-quality firms across the Midlands and beyond.”
Speaking to Legal Futures [2] in March, Mr Lloyd said there had been “quite a few false starts” since the creation of Adeptio. At the time, it had four offers out to potential ‘hub’ firms as it looks to create a group with a turnover of £100-120m and an EBITDA of £20m.