THE senior partner of HBJ Gateley has confirmed that the law firm is in advanced talks regarding a take-over by England’s Addleshaw Goddard.
Malcolm McPherson said there was a “clear and compelling rationale” behind the proposal after the firm last week said its referral relationship with English firm Gateley would come to an end in May next year.
The deal with Addleshaw Goddard, which would see HBJ Gateley absorbed by the larger firm, is expected to be approved by both partnerships in the coming weeks.
Mr McPherson said a “strong cultural fit” was the main rationale for the deal, which will see HBJ Gateley become part of a £224 million turnover firm with offices in the Middle East and Asia as well as Leeds, Manchester and London.
“Given the partner voting process, we’re taking nothing for granted but are quietly excited about the potential for creating something rather special, given our strongly aligned sector focus and specific critical mass in financial services and real estate,” Mr McPherson added.
The deal differs to the one HBJ Gateley had with Gateley as those two firms, which began as Henderson Boyd Jackson in Scotland and Gateley Wareing in England, never formally merged, despite the two operating under the same brand from 2006 to 2015.
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