Farleys Expands with Alker Ball Healds Acquisition
Deal News | Apr 11, 2025 | EIN
North-West law firm Farleys, part of the private equity-backed group Lawfront, has expanded its presence in Wigan by acquiring Alker Ball Healds. This acquisition will maintain the Alker Ball Healds brand as a trading name, with all 32 employees retained, furthering Farleys' strategic goal of regional growth. Lawfront, owned by Blixt, has been actively expanding, including acquisitions such as Kent firm Brachers, which led to surpassing revenue of £100 million for the group. In parallel news, several mergers in the legal sector are reshaping the landscape, including Seddons and GSC Solicitors, and Herbert Smith Freehills with Kramer Levin, marking significant strides in creating global and transatlantic legal services. Additionally, Irwin Mitchell has expanded its Scottish footprint by investing in Wright Johnston & Mackenzie, which recently completed the acquisition of Davidson Chalmers Stewart. These strategic movements depict a dynamic phase in the legal sector driven by mergers and acquisitions.
Sectors
- Legal Services
- Private Equity
Geography
- United Kingdom – Predominantly involved due to the location of the key law firms like Farleys in the North-West and Lawfront’s expansion in regions such as Wigan.
Industry
- Legal Services – The industry involves law firms and legal practitioners involved in mergers, acquisitions, and expansions as seen with entities like Farleys and Lawfront.
- Private Equity – Lawfront is backed by private equity house Blixt, highlighting the role of private equity in facilitating expansions and acquisitions within the legal sector.
Financials
- £100m – Lawfront's revenue, boosted by its acquisition of Brachers.
- £2bn – Combined revenue for the merged firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.
- £40m – Combined annual turnover for the merged firm of Wilkin Chapman and Rollits.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farleys | Acquiring Company | Company | A North-West law firm that is acquiring Alker Ball Healds to expand its regional presence. |
| Alker Ball Healds | Target Company | Company | A law firm in Wigan being acquired by Farleys, retaining its brand with 32 employees. |
| Lawfront | Supporting Entity | Company | A private equity-backed group helping to expand Farleys and facilitating other acquisitions. |
| Blixt | Private Equity Firm | Company | The private equity firm backing Lawfront's acquisitions. |
| Seddons | Merged Firm | Company | A central London law firm that has merged with GSC Solicitors. |
| GSC Solicitors | Merged Firm | Company | A City law firm merging with Seddons to form Seddons GSC. |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | Merged Firm | Company | An international law firm merging with the US-based firm Kramer Levin. |
| Kramer Levin | Merged Firm | Company | A US law firm merging with Herbert Smith Freehills. |
| Irwin Mitchell | Investing Company | Company | A law firm investing in Wright Johnston & Mackenzie. |
| Wright Johnston & Mackenzie (WJM) | Merged/Expanded Firm | Company | A Scottish law firm expanding with the acquisition of Davidson Chalmers Stewart. |
| Davidson Chalmers Stewart | Target Company | Company | A commercial firm acquired by Wright Johnston & Mackenzie. |