Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) advised the equity partners of leading Oxfordshire law firm BrookStreet des Roches LLP (“BSDR”) on the sale of their membership interests to Knights plc (Knights”), one of the UK’s fastest growing legal and professional services businesses.
This is Knights’ fourth acquisition of another law firm since its listing in June 2018, following on from those of Leicester’s Spearing Waite and Cummins Solicitors, and Manchester’s Turner Parkinson.
Founded in 1994, BSDR is one of the Thames Valley region’s leading commercial law firm. Its 45 fee earners will be integrated into Knights’ existing Oxford office, taking the latter’s total fee earners in Oxford to 140+.
The WFW London Corporate team advising BSDR’s equity partners was led by Partner Felicity Jones, supported by Associate Rohan Inamdar.
Felicity commented: “I’m delighted to have advised BDSR’s equity partners on this complex transaction, involving as it did the unique legal challenges involved in the sale of interests in a limited liability partnership rather than simply that of a company. It also demonstrates the growing appetite of newly listed law firms to expand by acquiring other firms, and is one of the largest such acquisitions since that of Ince & Co by Gordon Dadds last year”.
