Acuity Legal completes second merger in six months to expand London office

Commercial law firm Acuity Legal has joined forces with London-based NewLawsLegal, its second deal this year to grow its London presence.

[aoa id=”1″]Specialists in corporate transactions, commercial projects, real estate and dispute resolution, NewLawsLegal was established in 2010 by Tessa Laws who now joins Acuity Legal as a senior partner. A further six lawyers, including corporate finance, disputes and real estate specialists, will join Acuity and operate out of its new office in Ganton Street.[/aoa]

The deal comes hot on the heels of the merger earlier this year with boutique London practice Maple & Black, and brings the firm’s headcount to over 85 lawyers and support staff. The combined offering includes a unique hybrid consultancy model for talented lawyers who want full back office support and access to a team of junior lawyers without the restraints of traditional employment.

Acuity has doubled in size in recent years and last year advised on over 100 UK-based transactions with an aggregate value of over £1.5 billion. Rated by the independent legal directories as a top tier firm for corporate transactions and commercial property work, its real estate team was named property law firm of the year by Insider in June 2018 for an unprecedented three years in succession, and its corporate team scooped the coveted title of legal team of the year in September 2018.

Acuity’s offering includes an outsourcing model for virtual in-house legal support and a technology-based service for data protection, cyber security and reputation management. Its client base ranges from early stage technology businesses through to FTSE 100 listed companies. As well as supporting the firm’s UK based portfolio of clients, recent deals have involved international and cross-border transactions in Germany, North America and China.

The deal was led by Steve Berry, Acuity Legal’s chairman, and Edward Finley who heads up Acuity’s team in London. Steve Berry said:

“Significant growth over the last few years has given us a solid platform for future expansion. With an enviable client portfolio and a team of top quality lawyers, this merger is a natural extension of our own operations and we’re delighted to welcome Tessa and her team into the Acuity family.”

Tessa Laws added:

“Like us, Acuity do things a bit differently from most firms and they share our entrepreneurial approach and collaborative culture. At a time when the legal profession is changing, it’s exciting to be linking up with a fast-growing and dynamic firm like Acuity to offer our shared expertise in the UK and internationally.”