Corporate team supports growth for acquisitive legal firm

Harrison Drury’s corporate team has supported a growing legal services firm by advising it on three acquisitions in the space of six months.

The firm advised solicitors David and Michael Tucker on their buyout of Tamworth-based David J Foster & Co Solicitors in August 2022.

Since then, the father and son team have acquired Derbyshire-based Chapman & Chubb solicitors, and recently added Bristol-based Hoole & Co.

All three firms offer a range of personal and business legal services, such as conveyancing, family law, wills and probate, employment law and dispute resolution.

Michael and David are eyeing further acquisitions with the aim of creating a nationwide network of law firms that can benefit from a centralised administration and accounts team.

Michael Tucker said: “We’re acquiring firms with a strong and established local reputation as well as a loyal client base. While each firm retains its own identity, they can support each other with complementary services and the support of our centralised back-office team.

“This model enables each local firm to become a full-service law firm through referrals between the different offices, ensuring clients get access to more experts, compliance with frequent changes in regulation and a quality service.”

David Tucker added: “We have so far acquired four practices based around the Midlands and Bristol and hope to acquire several more firms in the coming months. We aim to build on, rather than alter each firm’s reputation and all existing staff are retained prior to acquisition.

“From the client’s perspective, there should be no noticeable changes except increased efficiency and access to more legal expertise.”

Harrison Drury provided a range of corporate legal expertise on the acquisitions, including due diligence, the drafting of corporate agreements and documents and advice in respect of SRA requirements. The firm also provided commercial property advice surrounding the property leases, as well as employment law advice.

Jack Stephenson, partner in Harrison Drury’s corporate team, said: “Michael and David have developed a clear business model for acquiring and strengthening successful, independent law firms. We’re delighted they turned to us when they needed specialist corporate legal advice and we’re proud to have guided them through this series of transactions.

“Offering corporate deal advice for law firms is an area where we can support those firms that don’t have corporate expertise themselves.”

Michael added: “The team at Harrison Drury have provided the high-level corporate advice we needed to make these deals a success and we thank them for the experience and expertise they have brought to the table.”

Michael Tucker is a UK solicitor and New York Attorney. He trained at Lawyers Incorporated (now Adkirk Law) and started this project in August 2022 with the acquisition of David J Foster and Co Solicitors Ltd.

David Tucker has been a solicitor for over 30 years. In 1986 he set up legal training firm National Law Tutors. In 1996 the company, which then trained over 10,000 lawyers and chartered surveyors, was acquired by a division of United Newspapers.

Since then, he has worked predominantly in the property industry working with various public companies and pension funds. In 2014, he set up Lawyers Incorporated which was acquired in 2020 by former senior partners of a major national law firm. Since 2022, he has worked with his son Michael at David J Foster and Co Solicitors Ltd.