Thames Valley law firms IBB Law and Owen White announce merger

Thames Valley law firms IBB Law LLP and Owen White Solicitors are to merge from January 1, creating a £24 million turnover full-service law firm with 36 partners and 110 lawyers.

With a combined workforce of 261 people the merged firm has a strengthened commercial services and real estate offering and has outlined ambitions to grow to a combined turnover of £30 million by 2024/25.

The merged firm, which will be known as IBB Law LLP and IBB Owen White for a transitionary period, will move into new expanded offices in Reading in early February 2023.

Slough-based Owen White’s staff will integrate into IBB Law’s existing Uxbridge office and the new office in Reading signalling the firm’s intention to grow throughout the Thames Valley and beyond.

Joanna DeBiase (pictured) will continue as managing partner for the merged firm and Jane Masih will join the main Board of IBB Law LLP.

Key practice areas for expansion will include dispute resolution, corporate/commercial, all aspects of real estate work and to build on Owen White’s specialist franchising practice, with more resources dedicated to clients and additional capital to target key growth areas for the firm.

IBB Law LLP (2020) is a successor practice to IBB Solicitors, a general partnership established on the merger of Illifes (1771) and Booth Bennett (1985) in 1994.

It is a broad service LLP with 31 Partners, 96 lawyers and 43 paralegals and administrators.

Since its formation, it has been a strong legal force within the Thames Valley and West London regions and is duly recognised by Chambers and Legal 500 for its strengths in commercial services, commercial property, private client and community legal services.

It represents a wide range of clients locally and nationally.

Owen White is a niche commercial services firm based in Slough. The firm can trace its origins to the 1920s and has an enviable national reputation for property development and franchising in particular.

Its 25 lawyers and 5 Partners are highly respected and handle work normally the preserve of large City firms.

Joanna DeBiase, managing partner of IBB Law, said: "I am absolutely delighted Jane and her partners have decided to join us on our journey to become a regional heavyweight firm.

"We are looking forward to working with Owen White’s team and clients from January 2023. We are going to work hard together to make sure we can offer all our clients a wider range of services."

Jane Masih, managing partner of Owen White, said: "The decision to join forces with IBB Law is a natural response to the growing needs of our commercial client base and provides exciting opportunities to enhance the services we will be able to offer both existing and new clients.

"We are confident that the values and culture of IBB Law are a perfect fit for our firm and we are delighted to announce the merger and our future plans."