The merger will see 12 additional partners join Blake Morgan, making a total of 130, and raise its annual turnover to £78m from £72m. The merger will take effect on 1 August 2015, just over a year after the merger of Blake Lapthorn with Morgan Cole.It is already one of the largest law firms across southern England and Wales and last year completed a deal to move into the top two floors of Cardiff's 1 Central Square currently being built opposite Cardiff Central Railway Station.

London specific

In London, Blake Morgan will now be a £15m plus practice in its own right with an increased workforce of around 150 including 30 partners.The London office will have a significantly enhanced presence in the entrepreneurial private client and corporate market plus a doubling in size of its real estate and litigation practice. This merger is London specific and will not impact staff numbers in Wales. There are currently 180 people employed by Blake Morgan in Wales and this is expected to grow to 220 over the next few years. 

More complex work

Walter Cha, managing partner of Blake Morgan, said: ‘This fulfils one of our objectives in London which we committed to in the Blake Morgan merger announcement last July. This new merger provides us with the resources to handle larger, more complex work particularly for entrepreneurial private clients, to include commercial real estate and high end residential property. Having a significant presence in London will enhance our position as a firm and provides a stronger platform for growth into the regions and sectors where our clients need us to be.'