The merger sees BD Laddie’s four partners and additional support staff become part of an expanded, 112-strong Seddons team and the firm’s property and family law focus complement Seddons’ existing expertise in these areas. It will also give BD Laddie’s existing private and commercial clients access to a wider range of legal services spanning commercial and employment law, dispute resolution, and real estate finance, as well as advice on wills, trusts, estate management and probate.

Evolution

Seddons, which was founded in 1988 as the result of the merger of specialist media practice Woolf Seddon and commercial practice Roscoe Phillips, has evolved over the past two decades into a full-service commercial and private client practice. The firm has added a number of key specialisms and capabilities over the past several years, including the hire in 2015 of a three-strong employment team from Hamlins and the addition of defamation and reputation management lawyer Mark Lewis.

‘A clear cultural fit’

Simon Ross, managing partner of Seddons, explained that the two firms have collaborated for some time and described the merger as ‘a clear strategic and cultural fit.’ He added that clients ‘will continue to receive the partner-led service and top-notch legal advice they have come to value from both firms.’