Thames Valley law firms to become £12m turnover business through merger

A duo of South East law firms have teamed up to create a multi-million pound turnover business.

Thames Valley law firms Gardner Leader and Clark Holt Commercial Solicitors have agreed terms for a merger which will see the creation of a £12m turnover firm.

The newly created business will have offices in Swindon, Newbury, Thatcham, Maidenhead, Windsor and London.

Operating under the Gardner Leader brand, the combined firm will see its staff numbers increase to nearly 160 with the addition of the 15-strong Clark Holt team.

Gardner Leader managing partner, Derek Rodgers, commented: “Clark Holt is a very well-regarded and successful niche commercial law firm.

“Our two firms have had a very close relationship for many years, with Gardner Leader assisting many Clark Holt clients when they had needs outside the core Clark Holt specialisms.

“We know that their approach, ethos and culture are a great match for our own. We are excited to be adding such a high quality team to our firm to cement our position as one of the leading firms in the Thames Valley.”

Philip Humphreys, the managing partner of Clark Holt, added: “We were able to successfully navigate the challenges for our firm raised by the COVID pandemic due to our strong and loyal client base and the commitment and teamwork of our colleagues.

“Following an approach from Gardner Leader, however, we felt that the time was now right to take the “best-friend” relationship we have had with them for some time to the next stage.

“We believe that this will enable us to more easily access wider markets alongside our new colleagues and provide a wider range of services to our clients.”