Shakespeare Martineau Announces Bristol Expansion

Sheffield-based law firm Shakespeare Martineau is expanding its geographical footprint into Bristol and the Southwest following an announced merger with law firm GL Law.

The union will see GL Law become part of the Shakespeare Martineau brand, which is part of legal and professional services group Ampa, transferring more than 60 people and taking the group’s turnover to more than £100 million for financial year 2022/23.

Acting for businesses, people and their families, GL Law will bolster Shakespeare Martineau’s existing expertise, but also further expand its sector specialisms in the creative industries and leisure and hospitality, as well as increase its geographical reach.

With headquarters in Bristol and a team in London, GL Law has been acting for owner-managed businesses, SMEs, start-ups and some of the most discerning private clients across the Southwest and beyond for more than 300 years and looks to continue and extend this legacy under the Shakespeare Martineau brand.

Part of legal and professional services group Ampa, Shakespeare Martineau’s partnership with GL Law is in line with the wider group strategy of investing in and bolstering the brands within the group portfolio to truly unlock their potential.

It follows the recent additions into the group of Sussex firm Mayo Wynne Baxter and cyber security consultancy CSS Assure, both of which maintain their standalone brands within the ‘house of brands’.

Richard Hill, managing director at GL Law said: “Organic growth has been the driving force behind our business for many years. Our strategy to bring innovation to new service areas and empower our team to work collaboratively has resulted in great success for both our clients and the firm.

“By joining the exceptional team at Shakespeare Martineau, a firm that truly shares our values and ethos, we will be in a much stronger position to accelerate our ambitious growth plans.

“There is a lot of consolidation in the legal market right now, but no one is offering what Shakespeare Martineau does. Together, we’re bringing a completely new approach to professional services in the local market.

“This is an exciting next step in our journey as we continue to build our services across the Southwest, leveraging the national reach, expertise, and resource offered by Shakespeare Martineau, to grow our support for existing and future clients.”

There are no redundancies expected as part of the merger, and the brand is proactively looking to recruit talent in the area. Those with an equity share in GL Law will be transferred to equity share at an Ampa level and partners based in Bristol will be responsible for driving the Shakespeare Martineau brand locally.

Sarah Walker-Smith, CEO of Shakespeare Martineau and Ampa, said: “Cultural fit is crucial in any new team or entity joining the group and we saw so many synergies with GL Law’s ways of working and our house of brands.

“Our house of brands strategy is a combination of introducing new standalone brands to the group or combining new teams or entities to our current brands, and in the case of GL Law, its existing legal offering and its market, it made sense for it to join Shakespeare Martineau and expand the national reach of this brand within our group.”

GL Law has started its transition to the group and its equity directors will officially become members of Ampa later in 2022.