Law firm invests in Scottish brand to boost property presence

Irwin Mitchell has expanded its property practice with an investment in Scotland-based law firm Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie (WJM).

The two firms will work together to provide a full suite of legal and financial services operating out of more than 20 locations across England, Scotland, and Wales.*

The firms have complementary skills north of the border with Irwin Mitchell Scotland operating out of Glasgow predominantly in banking and finance,  complex personal injury work and some residential property work, while WJM specialises in corporate, private client, property, and asset management.

In England and Wales, Irwin Mitchell already provides a full suite of legal and financial services which will be opened up to WJM clients. 

The two firms have access to more than jurisdictions across the world via membership of several international law firm networks and through these networks have collaborated for a number of years. 

The direct relationship that is now being created will provide great opportunities for both firms and theiclients, Irwin Mitchell said.

In terms of the firm’s property offer, Irwin Mitchell already has a national property practice in England and Wales that operates from nine offices and a team of 30 partners and more than 150 qualified lawyers offering the full range of commercial and residential property services. It also has a number of residential lawyers in Glasgow. It will now be able to offer its clients access to WJM’s property team in Scotland which numbers upward of 25 lawyers and includes among its specialisms the renewable energy and healthcare sectors.
 

Craig Marshall, chief executive of Irwin Mitchell, said: “The two firms are a great cultural fit and share a similar purpose, values, and future vision. We have ambitious plans for growth, and we are both focused on building on our client-centric approach, an excellent colleague experience and an ambition to become leading responsible businesses.”

Adrian Barlow, director of property legal services at Irwin Mitchell, added, “This strategic investment significantly expands our access to Scotland, and we believe it will fundamentally enhance our service for current and future clients across the whole of the UK and internationally.

“We have a number of property clients who have operations in Scotland, and we are delighted we will now be able to offer them access to a fuller range of legal services north of the border.”

Both Irwin Mitchell and Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie have pursued strategic growth plans over the past decade with lateral hires and M&A activity used to grow their businesses in complementary areas and in order to adapt to their clients’ and the market’s needs.