Zebra LC appointed in multi-million pound personal injury deal

A North West legal consultancy carried out the due diligence which paved the way for a multi-million pound transaction to complete over the course of this weekend.

Law firm management and specialist due diligence consultancy Zebra LC (Zebra), based in Sale, Greater Manchester was appointed by Neil Hudgell Solicitors to examine the risk and potential opportunities of purchasing law firm Harris Cartier’s personal injury department.

As reported by Bdaily yesterday, personal injury specialist Neil Hudgell Solicitors acquired the London firm’s entire personal injury caseload following its collapse late last week.

Harris Cartier had failed to secure professional indemnity insurance by the deadline of 1st October set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and was forced into administration as a result.

Managing director of Zebra LC, Zoe Holland commented: “This is a multi-million pound transaction which has required an extremely detailed understanding of how personal injury cases are valued, as well as an appreciation of the risks and opportunities inherent in any deal of this nature.

“Neil Hudgell Solicitors is one of the most acquisitive firms in the marketplace at the current time, and we are extremely pleased to have been instructed to provide specialist due diligence advice in such a high profile takeover.

“The legal sector is experiencing significant challenges, with increasing pressure on law firms that carry out personal injury litigation. The market is set to undergo further M&A deals like this over coming months. It is a challenging time for many law firms.”

Managing partner of Neil Hudgell Solicitors, Neil Hudgell also commented: “We are grateful to Zebra for their quick and professional service which has been a vital part of making this deal happen within a very short window of time.

“As a firm with an on-going strategy to grow both organically and through acquisition, advisors like Zebra, which are agile and understand the market, enable us to make the most of the opportunities presented by a rapidly changing legal sector.”

Zebra has previously worked with Neil Hudgell solicitors on the firm’s acquisition of Quality Solicitors firm Lockings in Hull, as well as last month’s purchase of Solihull based Gandertons.