Legal firm expands with 'major' North West deal

A law firm has expanded with a takeover.

Ison Harrison has bought Dootsons.

Bosses say the move for the North West-based solicitors marks the company’s “first major acquisition outside its Yorkshire heartland in its 48-year history”.

The agreement has added three high street offices in Leigh, Newton-le-Willows and Culcheth, near Warrington, to Ison Harrison’s network.

Dootsons’ 27 fee earners and staff – which provide services across areas including residential property, wills and probate, and commercial and family law – have joined Ison Harrison, with the agreement pushing the latter’s annual turnover to £42 million.

The swoop comes just weeks after Ison Harrison opened its first non-Yorkshire hub in Manchester.

Jonathan Wearing, Ison Harrison managing director, said: “Expanding our footprint in the North West – hot on the heels of establishing a presence in Manchester – is a statement of the intent of our growth plans beyond our traditional heartland.

“Acquiring a firm of Dootsons’ calibre and reputation enables us to build quickly following our arrival in Manchester.

“This acquisition is also a personal homecoming for me; I began my legal career as a trainee near Leigh, so returning to an area that played such an important part in the start of my career feels like a genuine full-circle moment.”

Andrew Stockton, managing partner at Dootsons, which was founded in 1897, added: “Over 125 years, Dootsons has built a reputation for trusted legal advice, personal service and long-standing relationships with clients across the communities we serve.

“Joining Ison Harrison gives us the opportunity to protect that heritage while ensuring the practice is well placed for the future.

“This is an important next step.”

The deal comes after Ison Harrison revealed an expansion of its Middlesbrough office and opened a base in Penistone, near Barnsley.

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