The Bristol office of law firm Wilsons has been acquired by Michelmores, making the Exeter-based firm the latest to move into the city.
The move follows the appointment of nationally-recognised contentious agricultural law experts Peter Williams and Vivienne Williams as partners in Michelmores.
Peter and Vivienne, who are not related, will be joined by two further agricultural partners, former Wilsons colleagues Ben Sharples and Miles Farren, together with the rest of the employees from the Wilsons’ Bristol office in Broad Quay House.
Michelmores, which also has offices in London and Sidmouth and employs 49 partners, said the move made a strong statement about the firm’s ambitions in the agricultural sector. The four senior agricultural law appointments in the Bristol office will be supported by Philip Wolfgang, who heads Michelmores’ Exeter office’s agricultural team.
Michelmores said the team are nationally recognised with Peter Williams, in particular, acknowledged as the leading specialist in contentious agricultural law and is the editor of the main reference book Scammell and Densham’s Law of Agricultural Holdings.
Michelmores managing partner Malcolm Dickinson said: “Opening an office in Bristol has been under consideration for so
me time and the availability of Peter Williams and the Wilsons team provided us with an opportunity not only to greatly strengthen our agricultural practice but to acquire an on-going business in a strategically significant location.
“The Bristol office will undoubtedly grow over time and will become an important resource. We believe that the Exeter, Bristol, London axis will have real impact on new business potential.”
Michelmores’ Bristol office is expected to be profit enhancing and turnover about £3m in its first full financial year, propelling the firm into the UK’s top 100 law firms with an estimated annual turnover of £25m.
Mr Dickinson added: “The agricultural business has provided the platform for this move but it is clear that we can grow our business in Bristol across other practice areas and sectors.”
Exeter law firm Foot Anstey opened an office in Bristol just over a year ago and has since doubled its size while London-based international firm Simmons & Simmons has also recently opened in Bristol.
