Reading: Pitmans Law plans merger with Cambridge firm BDB

Thames Valley legal firm Pitmans Law is expected to merge with Cambridge and London firm Bircham Dyson Bell to create an 80-partner business.

Pitmans is a long-established Reading law firm with two offices in the town. It also has an office in Southampton and in the City of London.

A statement said: "Pitmans and Bircham Dyson Bell (BDB) have entered into exploratory merger discussions. Like all successful firms, BDB and Pitmans are always looking for better ways to deliver services to clients and provide the best working environment for staff. There are a number of obvious synergies including sector focus, culture and geography. 

"A formal vote with the partners will take place on September 27, 2018. If these discussions do result in a merger, it would propel the firm towards the top 50 for revenue in the UK, with a headcount of 80 partners and 404 staff. 

"We have decided to make this announcement now so that we can be transparent with our staff and clients throughout the process. As the discussions progress we will make further announcements."

BDB is an award-winning, top 100 UK law firm advising private companies, public-sector bodies, not-for-profit organisations and individuals since 1834. BDB’s key practice areas consist of real estate, private wealth, infrastructure and regeneration, litigation, corporate and commercial, charities and employment.

BDB’s Cambridge office was established following the acquisition of King & Wood Mallesons’ real-estate team based in Cambridge in January 2017. The office is expanding beyond real estate to become a full-service office providing advice across BDB’s core areas of expertise, including IP/IT, corporate, commercial, employment, charities and private wealth.

Established for over 150 years, Pitmans is headquartered in Thames Valley with offices in London and Southampton and provides legal advice across a wide range of industry sectors and specialisms including pensions advisory, real estate, dispute resolution as well as corporate, commercial and private client law.

Pitmans is "committed to achieving outstanding outcomes for its clients locally, nationally and internationally" and has been recognised as 1 of 7 best-performing “trailblazing” firms in The Lawyer UK 200 report. Its clients draw confidence from the top-tier recognition Pitmans achieves in the industry benchmarking directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers UK.