UK firm Knights is planning to acquire the commercial and private wealth business of South East firm Moore Barlow, its second deal in the region over the past week.
Knights announced back in March that it was in talks to buy £42m-turnover Moore Barlow. The regional firm has now agreed to pay up to £27m for the commercial and private wealth parts of the business, according to a filing with the London Stock Exchange. Moore Barlow’s other service lines – personal injury, clinical negligence and court of protection – will be sold separately before the Knights transaction.
The deal will add 160 legal professionals to Knights and expand its footprint in towns including Guildford, Lymington, Richmond and Southampton.
The £27m fee is subject to working-capital adjustments and comprises an initial payment of £18m payable on completion, with the remainder due to be paid in three equal annual instalments if certain conditions are met. The deal is expected to complete on 1 November.
The deal follows Knights’ purchase of THP Solicitors last week as the London-listed firm ramps up its presence in the South of England.
David Beech, CEO of Knights, said: “Moore Barlow has a strong reputation across the South East and we are pleased to welcome them to Knights. These are attractive markets where we continue to see significant opportunity. By bringing together Moore Barlow’s established client relationships and specialist expertise with the breadth of our national platform, we will be able to support even more clients whilst creating new opportunities for clients and our colleagues.”
Moore Barlow has noted expertise in corporate, dispute resolution, real estate, private wealth and landed estates, as well as education and charity. It was formed in 2020 through the merger of Moore Blatch and Barlow Robbins.
Ed Whittington, managing partner at Moore Barlow, said: “Over the past five years, Moore Barlow has built a strong commercial and private client practice across the South East, supported by exceptional colleagues and long-standing client relationships. Following careful consideration by the partnership, we concluded that by partitioning the firm into two separate entities, it would allow both sides to meet their growth aspirations.
“Knights [has] an established presence across the region, a complementary service offering and a proven track record of investing in professional services businesses.”
In other regional mergers, back in May, private equity-backed BBS Law and Carter Bond combined to create Orwins, with the new firm also investing in Reading-based Clarkslegal. Meanwhile, in May 2025, another private equity-backed firm Lawfront acquired South West-based Trethowans, its sixth regional acquisition.
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