Law firm Ashfords’ Bristol corporate team has advised London-based global expansion specialist Fitzgerald & Law on its takeover by an international provider of corporate, fund and active wealth services.
ZEDRA’s acquisition of Fitzgerald & Law (F&L) will boost the fast-growing firm’s offering to its international corporate clients as well as enhancing its presence in the London market and expanding its reach to fast-growing US technology companies. 
F&L was founded in Central London in 1992 as a traditional UK accounting practice but evolved into a full-service firm of global expansion experts, helping companies expand into and out of the UK and Europe.
Their specialists work on a global scale through an international network to support clients in more than 75 countries, providing advice on accounting, tax, legal and HR matters.
Following the acquisition, financial details of which have not been disclosed, ZEDRA now has a UK staffing of more than 130, including F&L’s 70-strong London team, and a headcount of 585-plus industry experts across 15 countries, spanning Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe and including a team of 14 in Romania who provide support to its outsourcing services function.
F&L’s San Francisco office will continue to play a key role in business development and supporting clients on the US West Coast as part of ZEDRA.
Ashfords’ team on the deal was led by head of corporate Andrew Betteridge, pictured, who is based in its Bristol office.
F&L lead partner on the transaction Martin Ranson said: “The team at Ashfords have been a truly great business partner for us throughout the entire process.
“Their technical support and sensible commercial guidance has been invaluable.
“They avoided unnecessary legal jargon and cut to the point of things we needed to understand, identifying risk and finding solutions, resulting in a successful transaction.”
Ashfords employs around 500 people across its offices in Bristol, Exeter, London, Taunton, Tiverton and Plymouth.
